Musical 'ARANG' Makes History at Baeksang Arts Awards; 24 Years of Dedication Pays Off

The musical 'ARANG' has written a new chapter in the history of Korean original musicals by winning the first-ever Best Musical award at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards.

Winning the inaugural Best Musical award at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards, 'ARANG' holds even greater significance as it returned to the stage 24 years after its premiere in 2002. Rather than a simple revival, the production team completely restructured the script, music, and overall direction, effectively recreating it as a "2026 premiere" level production.

Director Yoon Ho-jin shared his thoughts, stating, "Since the 2002 performance, I have never stopped preparing to bring this work back to the stage in its perfect form for over 20 years. After countless deliberations and revisions, we were finally able to realize it on stage. It is one of the most emotional moments of my directing career."

Based on the novel 'Dream of Strolling in a Peach Garden' by Choi In-ho, this production received acclaim for harmonizing Korean sentiments with Western musical conventions. It was recognized for its high level of perfection, blending fantastic stage art, grand musical numbers, and dynamic choreography with costumes reflecting the era and ink-wash painting aesthetics.

Production company ACOM is preparing to enter the global market in 2028, building on the success of this domestic run. The plan is to showcase the competitiveness of Korean original musicals with sights set on overseas stages such as Broadway and the West End.

'ARANG' featured Min Woo-hyuk and Kim Ju-taek as 'Yeo-gyeong', Ha Yoon-ju and Yuria as 'Arang', Lee Choong-joo and Kim Sung-sik as 'Domi', Seo Young-joo and Jeon Jae-hong as 'Hyang-sil', Hong Ryun-hee and Jung Eun-hye as 'Bia', Kim Jin-soo as 'Haesu', and Yoo Sung-jae as 'Jin-rim'.

The production was performed at the National Theater of Korea's Haeoreum Grand Theater from January 27 to February 22, and met with audiences at Charlotte Theater from April 11 to May 10.

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)