Theater in Korea

Before the 20th century there were few scripted plot-driven drama plays; stories were handed down orally for generations.

Performative presentations, including dance, shamanic rituals, and circuses, were called noreum (놀음) or yeonhui (연희; lit. playing).

It was originally a dance that was performed to drive away evil spirits from the annual royal court.

One example of a New Theater production was Yi Injik's "Eun Segye", which opened in November 1908 and performed at Wongaksa.

[1] The Changgeuk Movement, which was centered on Wongaksa Temple, was pushed back to the provinces and the Sinpa Theater filled the place.

They performed a number of plays with themes of Korean independence activist sentiment.