Geumsan Darakwon to Stage 'Iltahong,' the Beautiful Love Story of a Courtesan and Scholar

Capturing the Extraordinary Life and Legacy
of the Maitreya Buddha Statue’s Protagonist in Gyejin-ri, Geumsan-eup

Iltahong Statue

'Iltahong,' a story that encapsulates the beautiful romance between a courtesan and a scholar, will premiere at the Geumsan Darakwon Grand Theater on September 4 at 7:30 p.m.

The narrative centers on the courtesan Iltahong, who guided Sim Heesu-once interested only in leisure-toward success. Thanks to Iltahong's support, Sim Heesu passed the state examination and ultimately served as Chief State Councillor, embodying a tale of sincere love.

This work was first performed as a traditional outdoor play at the 42nd Geumsan World Ginseng Festival last year, receiving an enthusiastic response from the audience. This year, after a process of consultation and meetings to complete the production, a new version of 'Iltahong' will be presented.

'Iltahong' is the protagonist of the female statue Maitreya Buddha, located midway up the open ridge leading to Seongongam in Gyejin-ri Village, Geumsan-eup.

Following last year, the nonprofit theater troupe Madanggukpae Ugeumchi will once again participate in the production. The performance promises a moving stage and a variety of attractions, with a spectacular and innovative direction that goes beyond the traditional outdoor play genre.

Photo by Geumsan Darakwon

Invitations can be reserved on the Geumsan Darakwon website starting August 19.

A representative from Darakwon stated, "We have enhanced last year's outdoor play content and are presenting a new theater version this year," and added, "We hope for great interest in this performance, which offers a chance to discover the hidden treasure of Geumsan, the story of 'Iltahong.'"

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