Special Performance for the 78th Liberation Anniversary Musical 'Kim Maria'

Songpa-gu to Stage Special Musical 'Kim Maria' for the 78th Liberation Day Anniversary... Reexamining Female Independence Activists

Free Performances of Musical 'Kim Maria' on August 12-13 at 7 PM at Seoul Nori Madang Outdoor Stage

Famous Cast to Perform for About 70 Minutes... Highlighting the Life and Dedication of a Female Patriot

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) will present the special musical 'Kim Maria' for the 78th Liberation Day anniversary on August 12 and 13 at Seoul Nori Madang (136 Samhaksa-ro).

Since its premiere in early 2019, the musical 'Kim Maria' has reached its third run. It was planned to inform the public about the achievements of the real-life heroine Kim Maria and to reflect on the meaning of independence and the value of freedom. This original musical, created by the private arts group ‘700,000 Songpa Musical Making,’ was produced with support from Songpa-gu, Seoul City, and MICE Factory.

Kim Maria, a leading figure in the March 1st Independence Movement, graduated from Jeongsin Girls' School (currently Jeongsin Girls' Middle School, Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu) in 1910 and worked as a teacher. In 1919, she secretly carried the February 8th Declaration of Independence hidden inside a kimono and infiltrated Korea from Japan, distributing it nationwide and igniting the spark for the March 1st Movement.

Musical actress Ahn Yoo-jin has been cast as ‘Martyr Kim Maria,’ and actress Kim Myung-hee will play ‘Martyr Kim Soon-ae,’ a family member of Kim Maria. Ahn Yoo-jin has appeared in musicals such as 'Hamlet,' 'Frankenstein,' and 'Hedwig,' while Kim Myung-hee has performed in 'Billy Elliot' and 'Miss Saigon.' Both actresses have top-tier domestic performance experience, raising expectations for the show.

Outstanding child actors were specially selected through an open audition. Lee Joo-eun, who won the gold prize in the elementary division of the 2022 Dong-A Musical Competition, will play young Kim Maria. Sung Ah-in, who appeared in the musical 'Billy Elliot' and played the lead role Songhwa in 'Seopyeonje,' has been cast as young Kim Mi-ryeom and will deliver a passionate performance.

This star-studded performance will be held at Seoul Nori Madang at 7 PM on August 12 and 13. The 70-minute show is free and open to all without prior reservation. At the end of the performance, a video documentary about Kim Maria’s life will be screened to help the audience better understand her story.

A souvenir giveaway event will also add to the enjoyment of the audience. The first 250 attendees will receive a ‘Kim Maria’ fan, and an ‘Independence Movement Dress Code’ event will distribute mini Taegeukgi flags to audience members wearing white tops and black bottoms.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, “To commemorate the 78th Liberation Day on August 15, we prepared this performance to honor the noble spirit of the patriots who dedicated their lives to the independence movement. I hope that watching this weekend’s performance will provide a meaningful opportunity to reflect on those who devoted themselves to today’s freedom and prosperity.”

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