150 Korean and Chinese young people create K-musical ‘Imae’ ... captivates 1,500 local Chinese audience members

[Financial News] Hanyang University’s original musical, created in partnership with a local Chinese university, concluded its run to great acclaim after winning the support of around 1,500 Chinese audience members. The collaboration, which combined Korean traditional culture with Chinese folktales, is regarded as a prominent example of cultural exchange through which young people from both countries created cultural content together.
Hanyang University said on the 5th that it had staged ‘Imae,’ a musical co-produced with Shenyang Conservatory of Music, on the 25th of last month at the conservatory’s Changqing Campus in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China. The project was carried out as part of an exchange program supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE).
A total of around 150 people from the two countries joined forces to produce the show, including 77 students and experts from Hanyang University and 78 people from Shenyang Conservatory of Music. Hanyang University was responsible for the overall planning and creative work, including the script, music and direction, while Shenyang Conservatory of Music completed the production by handling set design, makeup and local operations. The performances on stage were in Korean, with Chinese subtitles provided to help local audiences follow the show.
The musical ‘Imae’ was inspired by the folktale of the Imae mask, the only Hahoetal mask without a jaw. It conveys the hopeful message that something can have inherent value even in an imperfect form, and naturally weaves traditional Chinese tales of supernatural creatures into Korean mask dance and Byeolsingut ritual performances.
An educational exchange event to foster young talent was also held alongside the performances. On the 22nd and 23rd of last month, Korean faculty members led master classes in directing and acting for around 250 students at local arts universities in China. On the 25th, the day of the performance, professors from both countries attended an academic exchange meeting to discuss ways to train the next generation of performing arts talent.
Chinese alumni of Hanyang University played a major role in making this achievement possible. Three alumni who earned doctoral degrees in Hanyang University’s Department of Theater and Film and now serve as professors at Chinese universities handled work including the production’s set design and script translation, serving as a bridge between the two countries.
Building on this collaboration, Hanyang University plans to establish regular performing arts exchanges with Chinese universities and use its alumni network to broaden the foundation for K-musicals to enter the local market.
Kwon Yong, dean of Hanyang University’s College of Arts and Physical Education, said, “The greatest achievement was that students from both countries created a work together and experienced each other’s creative approaches firsthand,” adding, “We will join forces with alumni active in China to help ensure that exchanges continue on a sustained basis.”

[email protected] Kim Man-gi Reporter