Is There a Mermaid in Our Country Too?! … National Busan Gugak Center Hosts ‘Mermaid Hwang Ok’ for the 100th Children's Day Anniversary

Promotional poster for the children's Korean traditional music play 'The Little Mermaid Hwangok'.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] The National Busan Gugak Center, a national cultural and artistic institution, will present a special performance to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Children's Day.

The National Busan Gugak Center will hold the children's gugak play "The Mermaid Princess Hwangok," which incorporates Busan's folklore, for three days from May 5 to 7 in celebration of Children's Day in May.

"The Mermaid Princess Hwangok" is an adventure story about Princess Hwangok, a mermaid living in the human world based on the mermaid legend of Dongbaek Island in Busan, who protects the sea with her friends.

The performance is set against famous Busan locations such as Huinnyeoul Village and Kkangkkangi Village, conveying the themes of friendship and the importance of the natural environment.

The Gugak Center expressed Busan's landmarks and the sea through stage design. The overwhelming Dragon Palace and the sea battle against environmental pollution were also depicted through animation to enhance visual effects.

To stimulate children's imagination, familiar and easy-to-understand mermaid stories were enhanced with visual effects.

The production team includes director and scriptwriter Choi Yong-seok, music composer Park Seung-won, stage designer Shin Na-kyung, and about 40 performers from the National Busan Gugak Center's instrumental, dance, and vocal ensembles who prepared the "The Mermaid Princess Hwangok" performance together.

The lobby of the performance hall will be decorated as the Dragon Palace, with a photo zone featuring the mermaid princess and sea creatures. An experiential zone for "Beachcombing" will also be set up in the Gugak Center's outdoor yard.

"Beachcombing" is an environmental protection movement that creates artworks using marine debris.

At the experiential zone, participants can make items such as "Sea Grip Tok" using sea glass, "Sea Turtle Plaster Air Freshener," "Mermaid's Jewel Bracelet," and "Succulent Embracing the Sea."

The experience is available only to ticket purchasers, starting 1 hour and 30 minutes before each performance, limited to the first 100 participants per session. Children who watch the performance will also receive a "Mermaid Tail Keyring" upcycled from swimsuit suits.

The performance is open to children aged 48 months and older, with all seats priced at 10,000 KRW. Advance reservations can be made online or by phone through the National Busan Gugak Center website.

The Gugak Center stated, "Regarding the performance, we are strictly following all related guidelines at the venue, including thorough disinfection before and after each performance to prevent the spread of COVID-19, ensuring no negligence in safety measures."

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