The National Dance Company of Korea is set to present alternating performances of "Sinsun" and "Mongyudowonmu" from Thursday to Sunday at the National Theater of Korea's Daloreum Theater. "Sinsun" will be performed on Thursday and Saturday, while "Mongyudowonmu" will be performed on Friday and Sunday. Having originally premiered as a double bill in 2022, both productions have been expanded into 60-minute performances. "Sinsun" portrays the p

Performance June 25, 2024

The iconic summer "gugak," or traditional Korean music, festival "Yeowoorak" is back from July 4 to 27, marking its 15th edition. Derived from the Korean phrase "Here is our music," Yeowoorak is the National Theater of Korea's flagship summer festival, showcasing musicians who explore and experiment with gugak. Since its inception in 2010, the festival has attracted over 77,000 people to the National Theater of Korea on Namsan. In the previous editions, Yeowoor

Performance June 24, 2024

Ahead of the 74th anniversary of the Korean War, a new song cycle has been published to commemorate the fallen spirits and lingering pain of the war. Hahn Myung-hee, the lyricist behind the beloved Korean art song "Bimok" (Wooden Epitaph), has compiled a series of poems inspired by the Korean War and the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas into a poignant collection titled “Thus the DMZ Speaks: A Song Cycle in Memory of the Korean War Dead.” “Bimok” (19

Books June 23, 2024

The Korea National Contemporary Dance Company is on an international tour with "Jungle," which premiered in October as the curtain raiser at the International Modern Dance Festival. The company is performing "Jungle" at Theatre 13 in Paris on Sunday and Monday, as part of the 2024 Korea Season organized by the Culture Ministry to coincide with the 2024 Paris Olympics, which kicks off July 26. Choreographed by Kim Sung-yong, the company's director and artistic director, &

Performance June 23, 2024

In celebration of her 60th anniversary of entering the convent, beloved poet and nun Lee Hae-in has released a collection of short essays titled "Precious Treasures" (a direct translation of the Korean title). "Having lived in the convent for 60 years, I thought it might be forgiven now to reveal the notebooks I kept. I wanted to share my personal stories with readers,” said Lee during a press conference at the Franciscan Education Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday. Havin

Books June 21, 2024

Early this year, novelist Kim Yeon-su received a proposal from Joo Iroo, CEO of the Seoul International Book Fair, to rewrite Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" (1726). The CEO's intention was to shed new light on Swift's message, particularly the Land of the Houyhnhnms, which Gulliver visits on his fourth journey, describing it as an orderly and peaceful society. Inspired by the Land of the Houyhnhnms, the book fair has set this year's theme as "Houyhn

Books June 20, 2024

The 23rd Jeonju International Sori Festival is set to run from Aug. 14 to 18, featuring a rich lineup of 105 performances across 78 programs of different genres including traditional Korean music, or "gugak," classical music and world music. The performances will take place at Sori Arts Center of North Jeolla Province and cities across North Jeolla Province. Opening the festival is "Pungmul Pankut," which transforms "nongak" into a theatrical performance. Nongak tra

Performance June 20, 2024

A monumental work of Korean labor literature, Park No-hae’s poetry collection “Dawn of Labor” has recently been published in English. In 1984, Park Ki-pyung, better known by his penname Park No-hae, meaning liberation of laborers in Korean, published a book of poems, “Dawn of Labor,” as a 27-year-old laborer. The book was promptly banned by the authoritarian regime. Despite the ban, about a million copies were published. Its raw, powerful depictions of laborers&rsqu

Books June 19, 2024

A photo exhibition titled "Beneath the Olive Tree," featuring 37 photographs by poet and photographer Park No-hae, is currently running at the Ra Cafe Gallery in Jongno, central Seoul. Best known for his 1984 collection of poems "Dawn of Labor," Park is a revolutionary-turned-poet and photographer who emerged as an icon of resistance during the repressive 1980s. The exhibition showcases photographs taken between 2005 and 2008, capturing olive trees in various locations such a

Culture June 19, 2024

Shamanism will be brought to the National Theater of Korea stage for the first time next week when the National Changgeuk Company of Korea performs "Paper Shaman,” a work that blends shamanism and pansori. Renowned musical director Kolleen Park, directing a changgeuk for the first time, aims to deliver a message of comfort and healing. “I'm creating this piece with the hope of soothing all lives and souls across the world that have been hurt and have suffered,” said P

Performance June 17, 2024

A new ballet piece inspired by a Korean bestselling novel will premiere at Seoul Arts Center’s Jayu Theater this Tuesday and Wednesday. The latest creation by choreographer Yang Young-eun of Beyond Ballet, “Chrysanthemum Scent," is the third installment in Yang's "Dancing Literature" series, drawing inspiration from Kim Ha-in's bestselling melodrama romance, which was also adapted into the 2003 film “Scene of Love” and the hit drama series, &ldquo

Performance June 15, 2024

Three writers -- Sylvie Germain from France, Amitav Ghosh from India and John Banville from Ireland -- have been nominated for the 13th Pak Kyongni Prize, according to the award’s organizer, Toji Cultural Foundation, on Wednesday. The judging committee conducted a review of writers from around the world over eight months starting in October last year and narrowed down this year's candidates to three. Germain debuted with "The Book of Nights" (1985) to great acclaim, winning

Books June 13, 2024

The preproduction showcase of "Jellyfish," starring actors with disabilities at Seoul's Modu Art Theater in late May, was different in many ways. From the outset, it set itself apart with an unconventional beginning where the cast and creative team gathered on stage in a small circle, introduced themselves and engaged in a quick chanting game to check on each other’s mental and physical states before the performance. The play was presented in a relaxed style, with dim lighti

Performance June 12, 2024

The sequel to the bestselling therapy memoir "I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki" hit the shelves in the UK last week, on June 6, with a US release slated for August. Titled "I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki," the new volume continues the raw and honest conversations between essayist Baek Se-hee and her psychiatrist. International Booker Prize- shortlisted Anton Hur translated the text. Building on the first book, which captured readers with its candid

Books June 12, 2024

Playwright Cha Beom-seok's "Hwal Hwa San," which premiered in 1974, was a work of political propaganda inspired by the real-life figure Kim Myung-soon, a model example of the Saemaul Undong movement. In bringing the play back to the stage after almost half a century, director Yoon Han-sol was intrigued by the question of how a 50-year-old propaganda play could resonate with a contemporary audience. Rather than adapt or alter the script, he chose to add twists in directing through

Performance June 11, 2024