"Eodo Becomes a Runway"... Director Yang Jungwoong Showcases Tradition and Future at Gyeongbokgung Palace

'2026 Royal Palace Culture Festival' opening ceremony director Yang Jeong-woong is posing ahead of an interview held on the 15th at Hanokjip, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

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The royal path, known as Eodo, will transform into a runway. Traditional Korean music will blend with EDM, and foreign models will walk the stage in hanbok. This is what audiences can expect at the opening ceremony of the '2026 Spring Royal Court Culture Festival', to be held at Gwanghwamun Square in front of Heungnyemun Gate, Gyeongbokgung Palace, on April 24.

Director Yang Jungwoong, who is in charge of the production, met with reporters at Hanok Korean House in Seoul on April 15. He said, "I've long been interested in adapting classics and utilizing palaces, so it's an honor to have this opportunity at Gyeongbokgung." Yang has served as chief director of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics opening ceremony and as artistic director for the APEC Summit, among other national mega-events. His sensibilities, honed across theater, opera, dance, and musicals, will be fully expressed in this production. The show overlays modernity onto tradition and reinterprets the palace in a new language.

Historic palaces present many limitations as performance venues. The stone-paved floors and constraints on installing lighting and sound equipment pose challenges. Audience seats cannot be placed on the royal path. Director Yang, however, sees these difficulties as a foundation for creativity. "It's actually become possible to use this space as a stage," he said. "The key will be to treat the entire space as the stage and to harmonize its unique atmosphere," he emphasized.

The theme of the opening ceremony is 'Palace Awakens Art - Hyper Palace.' The goal is to create a stage where tradition, present, and future blend together, dissolving boundaries. To embody this worldview, a circular stage reminiscent of a space station will be installed in front of Heungnyemun Gate.

'2026 Royal Culture Festival' opening ceremony, General Director Yang Jeong-woong is giving an interview at Hanok Jip, Jung-gu, Seoul on the 15th. Photo by Yonhap News

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Upon this stage, performances that traverse tradition and modernity will unfold. Beginning with the National Dance Company's "Dream Journey to the Peach Blossom Land," the program will feature a reinterpretation of "Ganggangsullae" by rapper Woo Wonjae and the National Heritage Foundation Art Troupe, a collaborative performance by dancer Choi Hojong and geomungo virtuoso Heo Yoonjeong, a "Dae Jang Geum Onara" collaboration between vocalist Choi Yerim and the NOA Choir, and a modern take on the Bongsan Mask Dance by dancer Aiki and dance crew Hook.

The subsequent hanbok fashion show will transform the royal path into a runway, showcasing the beauty of hanbok to the world. Director Yang explained, "I often see foreigners visiting palaces in hanbok, and they look so beautiful. I wanted to bring that scene to the stage." The finale will feature a media facade and laser show set against the backdrop of Heungnyemun Gate.

The worldview behind the name "Hyper Palace" is not simply about fusion. Director Yang stated, "Tradition is a treasure of history given to us, and my way of creating performances is to integrate the present and future into it."

Whether at the PyeongChang Olympics opening ceremony or the APEC banquet performance, he always asked himself the same question: How can we translate what is ours into the language of today? This time, the stage is Gyeongbokgung Palace. Director Yang expressed his hope that "the media facade at Heungnyemun will go viral and spread like light around the world." His ambition is to transform this traditional space into a stage that captivates global attention.

Director General Yang Jung-woong of the '2026 Royal Culture Festival' opening ceremony is being interviewed on the 15th at Korea House in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

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Even now, attention is turning beyond the opening ceremony. Director Yang shared, "I would like to stage an immersive play that guides people through different locations in Gyeongbokgung, such as Geunjeongjeon and Gyeonghoeru. I also hope to present my early work 'Sangsamong' against the backdrop of the palace." Though casually mentioned, his words carried genuine passion. "The deep black of the roof tiles, the age etched into the old dancheong paintwork-there is an aesthetic in the palace that cannot be felt anywhere else."

The Spring Royal Court Culture Festival will begin with the opening ceremony and run for nine days from April 25 to May 3 at the five major palaces and Jongmyo Shrine. All eleven advance reservation programs have already sold out.

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