National Busan Gugak Center to Host Dance Drama 'Joseon Tongsinsa - Drawing Yumado' Performance

Busan's Historical and Cultural Assets and Symbol of Peace, Newly Performed

Held at National Busan Gugak Center Yeonakdang from May 2 to 11

The National Busan Gugak Center (Director Lee Jeong-yeop) will hold the Hallyu Expansion Gugak Performance Season III, "Dance, Joseon Tongsinsa - Painting Yuma-do," for two weeks from May 2 to 11.

▲ Delivering a message of peace through regional tourism performance content linked to Joseon Tongsinsa

Since 2015, the National Busan Gugak Center has been leading the Hallyu wave of gugak by developing tourism performance content for domestic and international tourists and citizens visiting Busan.

Following Busan’s representative tourism performance contents "The Queen’s Feast (2015?2017)" and "A Match Made in Heaven (2018?2019)," the center presents the Hallyu expansion gugak performance "Dance, Joseon Tongsinsa - Painting Yuma-do (2023?2024)."

This performance takes place during the Joseon Tongsinsa Festival held annually in Busan (the first week of May), a historical and cultural asset of Busan and a symbol of peace. It conveys a message of transcending confrontation and conflict today through artistic exchange and the pursuit of peace.

▲ Beyond language barriers, refined and deepened anew in 2024 with our dance and music

The dance drama "Dance, Joseon Tongsinsa - Painting Yuma-do" is inspired by the novel "Yuma-do" (original work by Kang Nam-ju), which depicts the journey of the Joseon Tongsinsa, registered as a UNESCO Memory of the World. It explores the secret of the painting "Yuma-do" created by the anonymous painter Byeon Bak during the Tongsinsa’s diplomatic mission.

After receiving high praise for the perfect harmony of dance, music, and stage in its premiere in 2019, the performance was more meticulously and solidly restructured in 2023, achieving sold-out shows and standing ovations. This year, it returns with renewed depth and grandeur to meet audiences. It is a masterpiece that reexamines the Joseon Tongsinsa from the novel and expresses the vast ocean and journey they crossed 400 years ago through Korean dance and music.

▲ Overwhelming scale from dynamic group dances to stage art reflecting historical background

To enhance the completeness of the dance drama, the performance vividly portrays the long journey of the Joseon Tongsinsa delivering the national letter (Gukseo), which carries a message of peace at the boundary between life and death, through the elegant movements of the National Busan Gugak Center Dance Company and the refined performances of the National Busan Gugak Center Instrumental Ensemble on stage.

The depth of dance and music is complemented by splendid lighting and video, and the stage, highlighting colors and textures, is newly arranged with choreography, music, and video for key scenes to help the audience understand and immerse themselves more easily.

In particular, the reenactment of the Haesinje ritual and the cultural envoy procession involves local artists (actors) to promote exchange, expansion, and further approach popular appeal.

Especially, by utilizing the visual elements of the LED backdrop filling the stage, the audience can experience the charm of moving between virtual and reality through a vivid stage.

The stage art centered on the "Sahaengseon," the ship carrying the Tongsinsa delegation, has been newly designed to ensure safety. With multi-angle scene depictions enabled by a revolving stage and spatial and depth effects created by over 80 cast members, the performance promises enjoyment and emotional impact.

▲ The overwhelming emotion revived at the brush tip of "Byeon Bak"

The performance will be held seven times from May 2 to 11. It runs at 7:30 PM on weekdays except Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and at 3 PM on weekends.

Advance reservations are available online through the National Busan Gugak Center website and by phone. The performance is open to school-age children and older, with ticket prices at 20,000 KRW for S seats and 10,000 KRW for A seats. Detailed information on viewing and discounts can be found on the website.