[News Culture] A fresh interpretation of Korea's classic Chunhyang earned a warm reception during a two-city tour of Japan, filling nearly every seat at performances in Osaka and Okinawa.
The National Namwon Gugak Center staged the production at the National Bunraku Theatre in Osaka on July 9 and at the National Theatre Okinawa on July 13, concluding the overseas tour with strong attendance.
A total of 1,270 people attended the performances—705 in Osaka and 565 in Okinawa. Seat occupancy reached 97.4 percent in Osaka and 94.6 percent in Okinawa, averaging 96.1 percent across both venues.
The tour was part of the Touring K-Arts program, jointly organized by the National Namwon Gugak Center and the Korean Cultural Center in Osaka with support from Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange. The performances introduced Korean Changgeuk to Japanese audiences while expanding cultural exchange through traditional performing arts.
Premiering in Namwon in April, the production reimagines Chunhyangga, one of the five surviving Pansori epics. Rather than retelling the familiar romance, it places Chunhyang herself at the center, presenting the story through her emotions and perspective.
Playwright Bae Sam-sik, composer Han Seung-seok and director Kim Jeong combined traditional Pansori singing with live music and dance to create a more cinematic stage experience. Japanese subtitles helped local audiences follow both the dialogue and emotional flow of the performance.
"The response in Japan shows that Chunhyang can connect with audiences beyond Korea," a representative of the National Namwon Gugak Center said. "We will continue bringing our productions overseas and sharing the appeal of Pansori and Changgeuk with international audiences."
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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