National Theater of Korea new season a mix of old and new

Lineup includes changgeuk inspired by legendary Lee Nal-chi, game music with traditional orchestra

From left, AK Interactive director Chung Se-hoon, National Orchestra of Korea's artistic director Chae Chi-seong, National Dance Company's artistic director Kim Jong-deok, National Theater of Korea's CEO Park In-gun, National Changgeuk Company's artistic director Yu Eun-seon and director Shin U-chung pose for a group photo at a press conference held in Jung-gu, Seoul, Thursday. (National Theater of Korea)

The National Theater of Korea unveiled its 2024-25 season programs which will “emphasize its identity as producing theaters.”

The new season, which runs from Aug. 28 to June 29, 2025, will feature 61 titles, including 23 new works, 8 productions from repertoires, 14 regular performances and 16 co-hosted works.

“We have prepared works that focus on two trajectories: Contemporary creative productions based on tradition and encore performances from our repertoires that audiences have long waited for -- with an emphasis on both artistic quality and popular appeal,” said CEO Park In-gun at a press conference held in Seoul on Thursday.

The three companies under the National Theater -- the National Changgeuk Company, the National Dance Company and the National Orchestra of Korea -- each announced their new works for the season.

From left, National Dance Company Artistic Director Kim Jong-deok, National Theater of Korea CEO Park in-gun and National Changgeuk Company Artistic Director Yu Eun-seon attend a press conference held in Jung-gu, Seoul, Thursday. (National Theater of Korea)

The National Changgeuk Company has focused on discovering original stories with traditional Korean narratives.

“Since taking office in April last year, I have been contemplating the need for purely original works that interpret Korean themes in a modern way. Starting with ‘Paper Shaman’ performed in June, we plan to continue producing original works with original storylines,” said artistic director Yu Eun-seon.

“The Story of Lee Nal-chi” (November 2024) will highlight the life of Lee, a legendary pansori singer from the late Joseon period, while “Suyang” (March 2025) will follow King Sejo, the seventh king of Joseon who ascended to the throne after ousting his young nephew, Danjong.

The National Dance Company will kick off the season next month with “Hang Plus Minus,” marking contemporary dance master Ahn Ae-soon’s first collaboration with the company. The work deconstructs "Chunaengmu," a restrained court dance traditionally performed on a 2-square-meter woven mat.

The National Orchestra of Korea will collaborate with South Korean game developer AK Interactive for “Music Odyssey: The Great Merchant” (November 2024). The traditional Korean orchestra aims to broaden its scope by incorporating music from the MMORPG “The Great Merchant.”

Detailed information on the lineup is available on the National Theater of Korea's official website.

With an aggressive lineup, the National Theater of Korea aims to increase the number of performances. The theater currently has three venues: the Haeoreum Theater, the medium-sized Daloreum Theater and the small Haneul Theater.

CEO Park said, “When I first took office (last year), Haeoreum Theater hosted 110 performances annually. This year, we’ve increased that number to 150-170, and by next year, we aim for 200 performances.”

“The face of a theater is its content. From next year, Daloreum Theater will stage in-house and co-produced performances only, solidifying the National Theater’s identity as a producing theater,” Park added.

By Hwang Dong-hee(hwangdh@heraldcorp.com)