 Image: Heewon Theater Company |
On March 24th, the Heewon Theater Company premiered its new production, “Until the Day,“ a musical based on the
true story of two North Korean defectors aimed at shedding light on the brutal
political prison camp system, starvation, and oppression of religion
in North Korea.
The protagonist, Joo Myung Shik, is the
deputy head of the Propaganda and Agitation Department in North Korea.
Disillusioned by all the rampant persecution and starvation taking place in his
country, Joo decides to flee to South Korea where he can speak out to the world
about the atrocities occurring above the 38th parallel. He tries to persuade his
girlfriend, Kang Soon Chun, to defect to the South with him. Kang initially
refuses, saying that her duty is at home, taking care of her destitute and
persecuted brethren. Joo also asks his best friend Kim Sun Kwan–a fellow member of the Propaganda Department–to help him defect. Such a plea puts Kim
in a dilemma given his years of indoctrination on loyalty to the Marshal
Kim Jung Eun, which stipulates defection as an unforgivable betrayal against the
Supreme Leader.
The Daily NK interviewed three of the
show’s actors, all of whom expressed gratitude for being able to participate in a
project through which the public can gain awareness of and exposure to the harsh realities of North
Korea. They mentioned how rewarding it was to have audience members come up to
them after the show to say how much they learned about life for many of North Korea’s residents through the
performance.
 Image: Heewon Theater Company |
“We also had some North Korean defectors
tell us they cried a lot because the musical reminded them of the homes and
family they left behind in the North. They also complimented our ability to
effectively mimic North Korean dialects and accents,” said Kim Il Kwan, who
played the role of Kim Sun Kwan.
The actors urge the audience to take
more interest in and action on North Korea’s systematic human rights violations. In one
scene, Yang Jung Yoon, who played the role of Kang Soon Chun said, “Someday,
our South Korean compatriots will speak out for us. They are just not aware of
our plight yet. But the day they speak out for us will definitely come in the future.”
“It aches every time I say the line, ‘Shouldn’t we now
live like human beings?‘ during the performance. What kind of ideology
persecutes and kills people?” said Kim Hong Pyo, who plays Joo Myung Shik in the production.
He explained that the word “day” in the
musical’s title refers to the day the two Koreas are reunified, as well as the
day the people of North Korea are released from the oppressive grip of heinous human rights violations .
“If my message can reach them, I would like
to tell North Koreans that we South Koreans are not indifferent about their
situation. We are working hard to shed light on what’s happening in North Korean society. Please
hang on until the day of reunification,” Yang concluded.
The show will run until April 12th;
productions will be held at 8:00 p.m. on weekdays [no productions on Monday],
with 3:00p.m. and 7:00p.m. shows on Saturdays, and a 5:00p.m. show on Sunday.
No shows will take place on March 28th or March 31st. All the performances will
be held at CTS Art Hall, located only a few minutes away from exit no.6 of
Noryangjin Station. Tickets are available on Interpark or by calling
070-8263-4533.
 Image: Heewon Theater Company |
