THE South Korean county of Jeongseon – which is located in Gangwon Province on the western side of the Korean peninsula – boasts beautiful, verdant and mountainous scenery. Indeed, its mountains and cold winters account for Jeongseon hosting the alpine skiing events during the 2018 Winter Olympics.
However, when I arrive at the impressive, modern Jeongseon Arirang Centre, I am in pursuit – not of the county’s natural beauty or its sporting reputation – but a famous work of Korean cultural heritage that will be coming to the Edinburgh Fringe next month. The Arirang, Korea’s most noted traditional song and a cornerstone of the nation’s culture, has its origins in Jeongseon.
With more than 1000 years of history, the Arirang (the title means simply “beloved one”) fanned out from Jeongseon across Korea. Passed down from generation to generation, this simple folk song has, over the centuries, inspired many adaptations and innovations (so much so that it is estimated that there are more than 60 versions of the song, with in excess of 3600 variations; which puts JS Bach’s 30 Goldberg Variations into perspective).
Such is the significance of the Arirang that Unesco has designated it a work that belongs to the “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”. Little wonder, then, that – during a meeting with a small cultural delegation from Scotland – Jeongseon County mayor Choi Seung-Jun expresses himself “very proud” of the Jeongseon Arirang.
Indeed, such is the pride of the civic authorities of Jeongseon County in this cultural heritage that they have, since the turn of the millennium, been supporting a musical theatre performance based upon the Arirang. In the year 2000, Mr Choi explains, the local authority first arranged for the singers of the town to perform a show based upon the Jeongseon Arirang.
The success of this early production led to ever larger shows, culminating in a major stage production that has been playing in the large and beautiful auditorium of the Jeongseon Arirang Centre since 2018. It is an 18-strong version of this production that Edinburgh audiences will see at the Assembly Hall venue throughout this year’s Fringe.
Written by Yoon Jung-Hwan and directed by him and co-director Im Han-Chang, the show – titled ARI: The Spirit of Korea – tells the story of young lovers Shin Ki-Mok (a woodcutter, raftsman and carpenter of the county) and his wife Lee Jeong-Seon (who comes from a nearby mountain village). The king of the Joseon dynasty (which ruled Korea between the late-14th and late-19th centuries) orders Jeongseon pine to be sent across the country to repair the great Gyeongbokgung Palace in Hanyang (present-day Seoul).
Leaving behind his wife, his young daughter Ari and his widowed mother, Shin travels to Hanyang, where he finds his carpentry skills in much demand by the royal household. However, he also discovers a courtesan, named Aewol, and an addiction to gambling.
It isn’t long before Shin has spent all of his money, including his fare back to Jeongseon. Yoon’s story spans some 15 years, and encompasses such universal themes as love, loss, betrayal and travel in search of a better life (indeed, so important is the latter theme that the writer dedicates the show to the sizeable Korean diaspora).
As the action of the play shifts between Jeongseon and Hanyang, and many points in-between, the audience is treated to a diverse show that draws together: traditional and modern Korean music and song; theatrical drama; dance and physical performance; circus skills; and fantastically vivid costume, set and video designs.
While the story and costumes are set resolutely in Korea’s pre-industrial past, the production makes numerous allusions to the 21st century, not only in its use of modern musical instruments and stage technologies, but also in a scene titled “Jeongseon’s Got Talent”.
The acrobatic and gymnastic dimension of the show is reminiscent of the stage phenomenon known as New Circus, but (like New Circus) it draws upon traditions that are hundreds of years old. So accomplished are the physical and circus elements of the piece that ARI received the Best Physical Performance award at the 2023 Adelaide Fringe festival.
After watching a well-attended matinee performance of ARI at the Jeongseon Arirang Centre, I had the opportunity to talk with writer/director Yoon. From the outset, he says, he wanted to bring together traditional and modern elements that made the show interesting, not only to Korean people, but to international audiences.
His narrative, he explains, is based upon “the traditional story of two lovers separated by two rivers”. However, Yoon’s key innovation on the original folklore is to have the lovers marry and have a child prior to their separation.
In that way, the writer is able to have the elderly widow sing the most traditional form of the Arirang, with Shin singing the “transitional Arirang” and the child Ari giving expression to “new Arirang”. It is a sign of the production’s importance in taking the tradition of Arirang forward that the “new Arirang” sung by the child character was created by Yoon specifically for the show.
Another notable aspect of the production is that performers Uk Gye-Hyeon and Ah Cho-Seul (who now play the lead characters of Shin and Lee) have been with the show since it first started in rehearsal seven years ago. In fact, in the course of ARI’s long run, they have got married.
ARI comes to Edinburgh as part of the Korean Season on the Fringe. Angella Kwon – who, alongside the authorities in Jeongseon, hosted the Scottish delegation in South Korea – is artistic director of the Edinburgh Korean Season.
ARI is, she says, the “flagship” production of this year’s Korean programme in Edinburgh. “It’s a proud moment to see our rich cultural heritage showcased on such a prestigious international stage”, she comments.
“The Fringe is renowned for its diversity and creativity, making it the perfect venue to share the beauty of Korean culture with a global audience.”
Mark Brown travelled to South Korea courtesy of the Jeongseon County and Global Cultural Exchange Committee
ARI: The Spirit of Korea plays Assembly Hall, Edinburgh, August 1-25: assemblyfestival.com
