Korean and Chinese Actors Share the Stage... Will the 'Three-Foot Ice' Melt?

[Anchor]

In China, the unofficial ban on South Korean content, known as the "Hallyu ban," has persisted for a decade. Amid rising expectations that this ban might ease following successive South Korea-China summit talks late last year and early this year, a jointly produced South Korean-Chinese opera has been staged at a national theater in China.

Correspondent Han Sang-woo reports from Beijing.

[Reporter]

With grand music, the song of the jester Rigoletto echoes through the hall.

Splendid stage facilities then recreate the scene of a royal banquet.

This is the scene of a performance of Verdi's representative opera "Rigoletto" in Beijing, China.

The lead role of Rigoletto in this performance, held at the National Center for the Performing Arts—China's largest performance stage—was played by South Korean baritone Leon Kim.

As a joint South Korean-Chinese production ranging from planning and direction to the cast, it has drawn fervent interest within China as well.

Earlier in April, when the show was performed in Daegu, it drew explosive interest, selling out all seats.

[Hwang Bo-ran / Director of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Daegu Metropolitan City: In the case of Rigoletto, it is one of the most popular works, and the general public in both China and South Korea find the many arias featured in it very interesting and love them a lot, which is why we chose it.]

While China maintains its official stance that there is no "Hallyu ban," President Xi Jinping effectively acknowledged the restriction during the South Korea-China summit in January, remarking, "How can three-foot-thick ice melt all at once," while promising a gradual expansion of cultural exchanges.

[Noh Jae-heon / South Korean Ambassador to China: Cultural exchanges shouldn't be limited to certain occasions; they are something we must pursue continuously. I hope we can make the most of next year, which marks the 35th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and China, to further promote cultural exchanges.]

Following this opera performance, a gradual expansion of cultural exchanges in museum exhibitions, sports, and films is projected to continue starting late this year.

(Video filming: Choi Deok-hyun, Video editing: Jung Yong-hwa)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.