THE MAKKAN SHOW THE TRIUMPH OF KOREAN ENTERTAINMENT THEATER (TAEJUNG-GŬK) OF THE 1930S
THE MAKKAN SHOW THE TRIUMPH OF KOREAN ENTERTAINMENT THEATER (TAEJUNG-GŬK) OF THE 1930S

Summary/Abstract: The research subject of the article is the ‘makkan show’ (makkan-gŭk). It de-veloped in the early 1930s as an integral part of Korean entertainment theater(taejung-gŭk). Initially, it included simple vocal songs and dialogue scenes pre-sented by actors between different plays. As its popularity grew, it transformedinto an autonomous show that combined vocal and dance performances, popu-lar Western music, film, and most importantly, improvised satirical scenes, pre-sented either solo or in duets. The ‘makkan show’ dominated the program ofmany taejung-gŭk companies and became a symbol of taejung-gŭk theater. Theprimary purpose of this article is to describe the ‘makkan show,’ explain the rea-sons of its popularity, and try to answer the question of whether its function waslimited solely to entertainment purposes.

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