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ARKO Selection begins 18th year, continues its role as platform for new works
The ARKO Selection is kicking off its 18th year, with 34 new works selected across six performing arts genres: theater, musicals, dance, music, opera and traditional Korean arts. One of the Arts Council Korea’s flagship funding initiatives, the program was launched in 2008 and supports promising new works across the entire creative process, from development and production to distribution. As of this year, it has helped bring 366 new works to the stage. Several productions that premiered through
Dec. 22, 2025 -
Park Jeong-min rarely cries on set, but is 'overwhelmed nightly' in ‘Life of Pi’
Tears rarely come easily to actor Park Jeong-min on film sets, by his own admission. But onstage these days, adrift in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger, Park finds himself overwhelmed with emotion. “Every performance, I cry to the point where I can’t control it. Even I’m surprised by myself,” Park said during a group interview with reporters in Seoul, Thursday. Park, 38, has returned to the theater for the first time in eight years, starring in the Korean premiere of the “Life of Pi” stage
Dec. 21, 2025 -
Veteran theater actor Yoon Seok-hwa dies at 69
Renowned South Korean theater actor Yoon Seok-hwa died at the age of 69 on Friday morning. Yoon died at 9:54 a.m. at Severance Hospital in Sinchon, Seoul, surrounded by family and close acquaintances. Yoon had been receiving treatment for brain cancer. She underwent surgery in October 2022, shortly after performing “Hamlet” that July. Her last stage appearance was a five-minute cameo in the play “Toccata” in August 2023. Born in Seoul in 1956, Yoon debuted in 1975 with the play “The Taste of Hon
Dec. 19, 2025 -
How Koreans once welcomed new year
On the English-language website of the National Gugak Center, “Narye” is described as a royal exorcism rite, a year-end ritual and celebration through which Korean ancestors sought to drive out evil spirits and welcome the new year. From that brief introduction, one can expect a traditional, palace-scale version of “KPop Demon Hunters.” On Lunar New Year’s Eve, the palace gates were opened after dark, allowing the finest performers and children from outside the palace to join court musicians for
Dec. 18, 2025 -
Magic is real, and work is fierce in whirling snowflakes of 'Nutcracker'
A young girl and the Nutcracker, transformed into her prince, defeat the evil Mouse King and begin their joyful pas de deux. As the magic deepens, snow falls gently. One by one, more than 20 snowflake dancers appear on the stage, as if carried in on a soft breeze. The stage soon fills with whirling motion, the tempo quickening into a blur of spinning white. It is one of the most iconic scenes in ballet that seals the magic of “The Nutcracker,” a winter fantasy that audiences return to year after
Dec. 17, 2025 -
Pianist Lim Dong-hyek hospitalized after distressing social media post
Pianist Lim Dong-hyek was taken to the hospital on Monday hours after posting a message on social media that appeared to suggest an intent to harm himself, prompting a police response. Seoul Seocho Police reported receiving a report of concern for Lim's safety at approximately 8:30 a.m., according to Yonhap News Agency. Following the report, officers were sent to an address in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, where they found Lim and arranged for his transportation to a nearby medical facility. Lim
Dec. 16, 2025 -
If ‘Life of Pi’ isn’t a musical, why is it listed as one in Korea?
In a world overflowing with digital technology, the stage production of "Life of Pi" utilizes world-class lighting, video and stage design. Yet, what truly stuns the audience is the analog art of puppetry. The puppet-operating ensemble, though fully visible, works in perfect unison to generate the magic of breathing life into puppets that include a tiger, an elephant, a monkey, a giraffe and more. However, what is far less impressive is the attempt to distance the production from its true genre:
Dec. 15, 2025 -
Lotte Concert Hall marks 10 years with Cho Seong-jin and 10 outstanding programs
Korea’s leading classical musicians will gather at Lotte Concert Hall next year to mark the 10th anniversary of one of the country’s most influential concert venues. To anchor the occasion, Lotte Concert Hall has appointed pianist Cho Seong-jin as its in-house artist. Cho, who rose to global prominence after winning the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition, attracted the largest audience of the hall’s inaugural year with his Cho Seong-jin Piano Recital in January 2017. As in-house artist,
Dec. 14, 2025 -
Curtains up for Christmas
Among the many ways to celebrate Christmas, few feel as magical as the theater. As the holiday season arrives, venues across Korea are offering a rich lineup of performances that capture the warmth, spectacle and nostalgia of Christmas. From newly reimagined musicals and long-loved Broadway hits to star soprano concerts and sparkling ballet classics, this year’s festive offerings span genres and generations. The Seoul Metropolitan Musical Theater presents its new original production, “A Christma
Dec. 13, 2025 -
National Theater Company closes year with 'Tempest' seeking healing in love, forgiveness
The National Theater Company of Korea is closing out its year with “The Tempest,” a reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s final play that extends the company’s annual message of forgiveness and reconciliation. The original story follows the exiled Duke of Milan, cast out to sea with his daughter Miranda by a usurping brother, who spends 12 years mastering magic on a deserted island before seizing his chance for revenge. Onstage, reality and dream, revenge and pardon, betrayal and reunion intermingle
Dec. 12, 2025 -
Ballet in stillness: Korea National Ballet opens photography exhibition
The Korea National Ballet is presenting a new photography exhibition, “Still in Motion,” through Thursday at the Hangaram Art Museum in the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-gu. The exhibition is led by costume designer Chung Youn-min, who created the look for “Heo Nan Seol Heon — Su Wol Kyung Hwa.” Seven of the company’s signature productions — “The Lady of the Camellias,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Anna Karenina,” “Giselle,” “Hoi Rang,” “Heo Nan Seol Heon” and “The Nutcracker” — have been reinterpreted
Dec. 12, 2025 -
Playful 'Twelfth Night' finds new style in Joseon-era rom-com
Love stories perhaps thrill us most when they survive a maze of missteps and misunderstandings. Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” is the quintessential romantic comedy, built on a playful tangle of disguise, mistaken identity and a love triangle that somehow finds its way to a perfectly happy ending. The National Theater Company of Korea’s recent adaptation relocates the play to Nongmeori, a coastal village that corresponds to today’s Sammok Ferry Terminal area in Incheon, during the Joseon era (139
Dec. 11, 2025 -
Lim Yunchan dazzles in Seoul, but his tour reveals Korean market under strain
Star pianist Lim Yunchan performed with the Orchestra of Fondazione Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia last week, marking the Italian ensemble’s first visit to Korea in eight years and its debut here under conductor Daniel Harding. Curiously, despite featuring one of Korea’s most celebrated musicians, the orchestra’s official tour schedule listed only a single public concert despite arriving after multiple engagements a total of nine concerts in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. This raised an inev
Dec. 8, 2025 -
Beyond the prize: Global music leaders discuss what comes after competitions
International music competitions have long been familiar to Korea and its musicians, thanks to the large number of Korean participants and prizewinners who have made their mark on the global stage. On Friday and Saturday, executives from some of the world’s leading competitions convened in Seoul to explore how young musicians can build sustainable careers beyond the competition circuit. Organized by Arts Council Korea (ARKO), the forum focused on what happens after a victory -- an often overlook
Dec. 7, 2025 -
Korean performers reap surge in overseas royalties
South Korea’s Federation of Music Performers has reported a dramatic leap in international royalty income, underscoring the accelerating global popularity of K-pop not only for labels and stars, but for performers whose contributions often remain behind the scenes. According to data released on Dec. 4, the organization’s overseas neighboring rights collections reached 1.34 billion won ($910,000) this year, a staggering 193 percent increase from last year’s 460 million won. Neighboring rights are
Dec. 5, 2025