Performing Arts Overview

As well as a long national history, Korea boasts diverse cultural art performances with a signature atmosphere of elegance and grace. These performances, which reached their prime era in the Joseon Dynasty, began as outdoor musical performances using traditional instruments or “pansori” (a genre of Korean traditional music).
Pansori, in particular, is the country’s representative musical performance. Sorikun (pansori singer) attracted spectators because of their powerful singing voices accompanied with the beat established by an accompanied drummer. In the modern times, this tradition has been combined with the elaborate and tech-savvy culture of pop concerts to become the most popular traditional entertainment.

Foreign visitors to Seoul have easy access to various performances all year around meaning there is wealth of cultural performances for them to enjoy on a daily basis. Performance halls in Seoul are easy to find and convenient to get to by public transportation, and the ticket prices are very reasonable.

Each district of the city has numerous diverse performance venues, varying from open-air stages and underground clubs to huge indoor stadiums. There are also different kinds of concert halls for traditional and modern performances.

The major art centers in Seoul are defined by their elegant designs which incorporate superb sound and lighting technologies to double the pleasure of the audience. Amenities are well equipped and most of the performance halls offer interesting asides to the performances, like the picturesque landscaping and sculptures within them. Also, in many of these venues English-speaking guides are on hand to offer their services to non-Korean art fans.

But most of all it seems to be the passion of Koran fans that impresses foreign visitors the most. Many families visit these art halls on weekends to enthusiastically cheer and applaud the performers of the various shows and concerts. It is a solid recommendation that should foreign visitors take the time to visit an art performance in Seoul, it will be one of the unforgettable experiences of their stay.