South Korea has launched its inaugural World Traditional Opera Festival, bringing together traditional musical theater performances from Korea, China, and Japan in an ambitious cultural celebration. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that the festival will run from September 3-28, featuring performances at the National Theater of Korea and affiliated theaters across the country.
The festival operates under the theme "Focusing on the East" and centers around changgeuk, Korea's traditional theatrical form that incorporates pansori, the country's traditional lyrical opera. The event aims to explore global trends in performing arts while highlighting the artistic potential of changgeuk on the international stage.
The inaugural festival presents an impressive lineup of nine main performances, including four productions by the National Theater of Korea, three international works from abroad, and two additional Korean productions. Regional theaters nationwide will also present linked performances as part of the broader festival programming.
Among the featured international productions, audiences can experience "Love in the Bamboo Grove" performed by China's Guangdong Opera, showcasing the rich traditions of Chinese musical theater. Japan contributes "Song of Yearning," a traditional noh theater production that represents the country's centuries-old theatrical heritage. These performances aim to explore both the traditional values and modern appeal of musical theater across the three East Asian nations.
First Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Young Soo emphasized the festival's significance for Korean cultural diplomacy and artistic development. "We hope that this festival promotes the originality and artistic potential for Korea's changgeuk both at home and abroad and is an opportunity for changgeuk to take center stage in global performing arts," Kim stated.
The festival represents a major step in cultural exchange between the three East Asian nations, offering audiences a unique opportunity to compare and appreciate different traditional theatrical forms within a single event. By bringing together these diverse but related art forms, the festival seeks to demonstrate the shared cultural heritage while celebrating the distinct characteristics of each country's musical theater traditions.
The timing and scale of the festival underscore South Korea's growing confidence in promoting its traditional arts internationally, building on the global success of Korean popular culture to create new platforms for classical and traditional performances.
