Global recognition of K-Musicals

[Anchor]

Following K-pop, K-dramas, and K-movies, Korean musicals are now also receiving international acclaim.

Korean production teams are recreating overseas original works and even exporting them back.

Reporter Kim Sang-hyeop has covered the K-musical that is expanding onto the world stage.

[Report]

["This is the moment, like magic, I throw off the chains that have bound me."]

Even if you haven't seen the work, everyone has heard this song at least once.
It is the representative song of the national musical 'Jekyll and Hyde,' which is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

["His eyes speak, that gaze!"]

Since its premiere in 2004 after purchasing the rights on Broadway, it has been performed over 1,700 times.

With a cumulative audience of 1.8 million, it has been a major contributor to the popularization of musicals in Korea.

[Kim Sung-cheol/Role of Jekyll & Hyde: "Even people that don't know musicals recognize this number (song), and I think that alone is a great asset."]

[Yoon Gong-ju/Role of Lucy: "'It's just the essence of musicals.' That's what I say. First of all, it deals with the theme of the human inner self, the good and evil that everyone is curious about...."]

This work in particular, opened the door to the Korean Wave of musicals, starting with its entry into Japan in 2006, and it succeeded in exporting back to countries like China in 2017.

[Shin Chun-soo/'Jekyll and Hyde' Producer: "The original writers and creators came to see this performance and said this: The Korean production is more competitive than any other country's work...."]

Additionally, our original musical 'The Great Gatsby,' which won a Tony Award, is also making its way to Broadway in the U.S. and the West End in the U.K. The meticulous production capabilities unique to Korea, from the stage to costumes and work composition, are expanding onto the world stage.

This is KBS News, Kim Sang-hyeop.