Besides Korean pop (K-Pop) and drama, South Korea has thriving live art performances. Here are some of them:

FIRE MAN SHOW

Besides the Cookin’ Nanta performance, which foreign tourists may be familiar with, Seoul is home to many creative performances that are dedicated to a global audience.

One such performance is Fire Man. Taking place in the Cecil Theater with a capacity of around 200 seats in Jung-Gu, Seoul, Fire Man combines dynamic acrobatic movements and parkour, which involves rapid gymnastic movements.

It tells about people of various backgrounds and different personalities undergoing training in a fire department.

The plus point of the performance is the funny storyline and interactive approach to the audience.

The highlight of the show is at the end when the actors throw tissue rolls at the audience and ask them to dance and have fun.

SA CHOOM: BEYOND DANCING

If Fire Man focuses on acrobatic movements, Sa Choom is a dance musical about life journeys. It also represents Korean Wave, which has swept the world in the form of choreography, music, costumes and stage design.

The story of the performance is about three friends with the narrative following stages in their lives.

The main attraction of Sa Choom, premiered in 2004, is the choreography and the performance, which is far from dull as it is divided into several segments.

At the end of the performance, the audience is asked to feel the groove of the music and dance.

JEONJU INTERNATIONAL SORI FESTIVAL

Anyone wanting to experience authentic Korean music traditions can visit Jeonju, which is a three-hour drive from Seoul. They can participate in the Jeonju International Sori Festival, usually held in September or October.

The Sori (voice in Korean) Festival features not only traditional local singers but also those from other countries.

Park Je-chun, the festival director, said the festival, held for the 15th time, hosted 1,300 artists from 28 countries.

“We have traditional and modern musicians from many countries, including India and South Africa,” he said.

Although the highlight of the festival is Pansori, which is a traditional Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a vocalist and a drummer, the event offers much more for visitors.

Besides musical performances, the festival offers many other activities, including craft workshops for children and exhibitions of gayageum (traditional Korean zither-like string instrument).