The National Gugak Center said Sunday it will present a Lunar New Year family program, “Seol Ma(馬)jung Gase,” at 3 p.m. on Feb. 17 at its Yeakdang Theater.
The show was planned for 2026, the Byeongo Year (丙午年), described as the “Year of the Red Horse.” It will pair traditional and newly created Korean music and dance to welcome New Year’s blessings and deliver a message of hope about moving forward.
The program opens with the center’s Court Music Orchestra performing “Sujecheon.” It continues with the Folk Music Orchestra’s “Binari” and a medley of folk songs, offering wishes for peace and good fortune. The center’s Dance Company and Folk Music Orchestra then join for a fan dance, followed by “Pangut” and a janggu drum dance.
A one-act changgeuk excerpt from “Simcheongga,” titled “The Road to Hwangseong,” will feature National Changgeuk Company members Seo Jeong-geum and Choi Yong-seok, among others.
In the second half, the center’s Creative Music Orchestra will perform “Sound of Hoofbeats,” filling the stage with driving rhythms. The orchestra will also team with Ssinggeut Arariga for a traditional Korean children’s song set aimed at young audience members.
On the day of the performance, the center will run a Lunar New Year hands-on program, “Umyun Land Returns,” from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on its lawn. Activities include traditional folk games, clay dumpling-making and crafting lucky pouches.
A center official said the Lunar New Year program “brings together tradition and new works, music and dance,” and will serve as “a place to welcome New Year’s blessings and start the year with hope.”
The performance will be held at the Yeakdang Theater, with folk and craft activities for attendees on the lawn beginning two hours before curtain.
Tickets are available through the National Gugak Center website or by phone. All seats cost 20,000 won
* This article has been translated by AI.
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