Receiving Stories from Seoul Citizens, Offering 'Customized Performances' as Gifts... Also Available on YouTube and Naver TV

Seoul City’s COVID-19 Overcome Support Project 'Munhwaro Todaktodak' ... Contactless Performances Until December

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government will present the citizen support project "Healing Through Culture" until December to comfort citizens exhausted by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) through culture and arts.

The project collects stories from citizens and gifts performances to the protagonists. It holds "1-on-1 small-scale performances" limited to fewer than 10 selected story submitters and performers. The "online concert" using a video conferencing platform is open for anyone to watch.

From the 6th to the 31st of last month, a total of 57 stories were received. According to Seoul City, there were performance requests from small business owners struggling due to COVID-19, students and their parents spending time at home because they cannot attend school, and elderly people expressing frustration from staying indoors.

The first performance on the 13th is a "visiting performance" gifted by Seoul City in response to a family's story wishing to show a performance only for their mother battling stomach cancer. Only the mother, who usually enjoys opera and musicals, and her family are invited, and musical actors Kim So-hyun and Son Jun-ho, a married couple, will personally perform six songs including the requested song "On a Wonderful Day in October," "Nostalgia," and the theme song from the movie "Aladdin."

The online concert on the 19th at 7 p.m. will feature traditional Korean music and trot performances that the whole family can enjoy. The "Seoul 365 Street Performance Group," selected through auditions earlier this year, will perform with haegeum player Eunhan, pansori vocalist Uri Ga (家), and trot singers Park Seo-jin and Kim Na-hee, who were requested by story submitters as singers they want to see. The concert will be interactive, with six story submitters and performers communicating in real time, and citizens can safely watch via YouTube and Naver TV.

Anyone can submit stories on the website (www.cultureseoul.co.kr). Regardless of selection, gifts will be given monthly through a lottery among applicants.

Additionally, various performance videos will be showcased on YouTube and Naver TV. Starting with a video of singer "Ali" performing at Donuimun Museum Village on the 26th of this month, new videos will be released every Saturday. Videos of performances by the Seoul 365 Street Performance Group, Seoul City Art Troupes, famous singers at Seoul cultural facilities, and replays of representative Seoul cultural events will be regularly posted.

Seo Jeong-hyeop, Acting Mayor of Seoul, said, "We want to safely gift various performances to citizens going through difficult times due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, delivering warm comfort and a hopeful message for overcoming COVID-19," and added, "We hope for citizens' interest and participation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.