108 Employees and Seoul Institute of the Arts Students to Perform
First Overseas Stage for a Privately Organized Gugak Troupe
Part of Global Promotion for the 2025 Yeongdong World Gugak Expo
Crown Haitai Confectionery employees will perform traditional Korean music in Osaka, Japan. This marks the first time that a privately organized Gugak troupe from a private company will appear on an overseas stage.
On June 16, Crown Haitai announced that it will hold a total of four Gugak performances at the site of the '2025 Osaka Expo' over two days starting June 22. This performance is part of an overseas promotional campaign to raise global awareness of the '2025 Yeongdong World Gugak Expo' scheduled for September.
At the Crown Haitai Hanumhoe, the employees' Gugak club is performing on stage. From the top left corner clockwise: Pansori (Panpanse), Palilmu (Palpungui Momjit), Minyo (Minyohanbeondeureobollae), and Samulnori (Kkumeulgupneun Samulnori) teams. (Photo by Crown Haitai)
Crown Haitai has been running its Gugak club activities for 15 years. Employees have regularly performed on stage, focusing on traditional genres such as Jongmyo Jerye Ilmu, Pansori, Minyo, and Samulnori. For the Osaka performance, 108 employees were selected through auditions held over the course of a year. In addition, 15 students majoring in Gugak at Seoul Institute of the Arts will join, forming a total troupe of 130 performers. The students, selected by grade, plan to present a fusion Gugak stage that reinterprets traditional Minyo in a modern style.
The performance will begin with 'Botaepyeong Jimu Huimun,' a Jongmyo Jerye Ilmu piece that is National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 1 and listed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This will be followed by Pansori pieces such as 'Sacheolga,' 'Insaeng Baeknyeon,' and 'Jindo Arirang.' The atmosphere will be further enlivened with traditional Minyo pieces 'Janggi Taryeong' and 'Jajin Baetnorae,' and the finale will feature 'Samdo Nongak Garak,' sharing the excitement and energy of Korean traditional music with the audience.
The reason the troupe is visiting the Osaka Expo is to promote the '2025 Yeongdong World Gugak Expo' to the world. The 'Gugak Expo' is a major cultural event to be held in Yeongdong, Chungbuk, from September 12 for one month, featuring traditional music performances and experience programs from more than 30 countries. It is the world's first international expo dedicated to Gugak. At the Osaka venue, Crown Haitai will operate a promotional booth together with the organizing committee and will also introduce limited-edition Gugak Expo products on site.
The participating employees will not only perform on stage but also tour the expo grounds to experience the technologies and cultures of various countries. Since the theme for June is artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, it will also be an opportunity to glimpse future trends in the confectionery industry.
For the past 15 years, Crown Haitai has held touring performances nationwide under the name 'Hanumhoe.' From planning to performing, everything has been carried out voluntarily by employees. Following performances in Daejeon and Daegu last year, this year the company held invitational performances in Gwangju and Daegu, attracting about 4,000 audience members. To date, more than 7,000 employees have performed on stage. The company invites professional instructors to offer Gugak lessons once a week during work hours and provides full support for each club's preparation, including instruments and costumes.
Yoon Youngdal, Chairman of Crown Haitai, stated, "It is a deeply meaningful experience to be the first private company to introduce the Yeongdong World Gugak Expo to the world and to share the beauty of traditional music on stage." He added, "We will continue to learn and enjoy traditional music ourselves and strive to spread its beautiful fragrance across the globe."
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