National Theater 70th Anniversary Ceremony Canceled... Preventing the Spread of COVID-19

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The National Theater announced on the 30th that it will cancel the 'National Theater and National Theater Company 70th Anniversary Ceremony' due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

The 'National Theater and National Theater Company 70th Anniversary Ceremony' was scheduled to be held on April 29 in the plaza in front of the Daloreum Theater at the National Theater. The National Theater planned to hold the ceremony by inviting senior figures from the cultural and artistic community who have been part of the history of the National Theater and National Theater Company, as well as various dignitaries, but decided to cancel it to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The 'International Academic Event for the 70th Anniversary of the National Theater's Establishment,' which was scheduled for April 28, has been tentatively postponed. Domestic and international artists and heads of performing arts organizations were expected to gather, but considering the global spread of COVID-19, the event has been deferred. The rescheduled date will be announced later.

The National Theater will celebrate its 70th anniversary on April 29. The National Theater opened on April 29, 1950, at Bumin-gwan (currently the Seoul Metropolitan Council building). On the 58th day after its opening, the Korean War broke out, and the theater relocated to Daegu, where it reopened at the Daegu Culture Theater. After returning in 1957, it went through the Myeongdong period and then moved to its current location in Jangchung-dong in October 1973, marking the beginning of the Namsan era.