[Reporter’s Notebook] Time for K-Musicals to Focus on Substance

Musical Market Driven by Women in Their 20s and 30s
Need for Greater Diversity in Productions and Broader Audience Expansion

The year 2025 will be remembered as a monumental milestone in the history of Korean musicals. In June, the Korean original musical "Maybe Happy Ending" swept six major categories, including Best Musical, at the Tony Awards, which is recognized as the highest honor in the global performing arts scene. This achievement is comparable to the triumph of the film "Parasite" winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

This year, for the first time ever, the domestic musical market is on the verge of surpassing 500 billion won in sales. By the third quarter, musical ticket sales had reached 376.3 billion won, and it is expected that by the end of the year, the total will slightly exceed 500 billion won. Competing with the film market-a goal once unimaginable-has now become a realistic target. Unlike musicals, the film market is shrinking, with ticket sales amounting to only 691 billion won last year, and this figure is expected to decrease further this year.

However, in terms of popularity, it is difficult to say that musicals have narrowed the gap with films to the extent suggested by ticket sales alone. As the market approaches the new milestone of 500 billion won, it is time to focus not only on quantitative growth but also on strengthening the market’s fundamentals.

The rapid growth of the musical market can be largely attributed to its core audience: women in their 20s and 30s. These "revolving door" audiences, who watch the same show multiple times, have driven the market’s expansion. However, there are negative aspects as well. Some production companies have become complacent, focusing only on works targeting this demographic. As a result, there has been a surge in small and medium-sized theater productions with similar content, often relying on the popularity of certain actors. For this reason, there is a growing call for the production of large-scale musicals to broaden the audience base and secure greater diversity.

In this context, productions such as "A Man in Hanbok," which opens at Chungmu Art Center on December 2, and "From Nameless Promises," which deals with the Bodo League massacre during the Korean War, are attracting attention. As the market grows, expanding the spectrum of works is essential for further advancement. This will help broaden the audience base and serve as an opportunity to address the issue of high ticket prices.

The government is pursuing a plan to transform Korea into a cultural powerhouse, aiming for 30 trillion won in K-content sales and 5 trillion won in exports by 2030. Musicals have the potential to play a key role in achieving these goals. While the domestic market has grown steadily, overseas expansion is still in its infancy.

In next year’s budget, the government has significantly increased the allocation for supporting K-musicals, from 3.1 billion won this year to 24.1 billion won. However, there needs to be a parallel effort to consider how to broaden the foundation of musicals. Overcoming the current dependence on women in their 20s and 30s is essential for musicals to become a cultural industry enjoyed by all, just like films.

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