Traditional Korean Tale 'Simcheongga' Reimagined as Modern Elegy

Classic tale of filial daughter returns as modern elegy for unjustly dead

In the traditional pansori “Simcheongga,” the story of a daughter who sacrifices herself for her blind father, one of the most arresting moments is her leap into Indangsu, the fabled sea, as an offering to appease the waters in exchange for rice promised by sailors. In the lead-up to that scene, Simcheong encounters a chorus of lamenting spirits, many drawn from Chinese folklore. In a new production, the director Nam In-woo reimagines them in a contemporary Korean setting. Here, the spirits are

By The Korea Herald