Exchange between Theatres in South Korea and Japan after the Millennium and Its Reflection in the Theatre Criticism in Korea
Exchange between Theatres in South Korea and Japan after the Millennium and Its Reflection in the Theatre Criticism in Korea

Summary/Abstract: This paper examines aspects of Korea-Japan theatre exchange after the millennium. Due to 35 years of the colonial governance of Japanese Empire over Korea, a cultural exchange between the two countries used to be remarkably limited. However, since the change of South Korean policy to accept Japanese culture in 2002, theatrical exchanges have increased significantly. After the millennium, non-public exchanges were organised to introduce Hideki Noda, Yoji Sakate, or Oriza Hirata and their diverse performances brought contemporary issues of Japan into South Korean stages. Japanese artists of the so-called Zero Generation (born in the 1970's and having experienced the Collapse of the Bubble Era in their adolescent years) could also stage in South Korea. Tadashi Suzuki drew the attention of the South Korean audiences with his world-renowned Suzuki Method and the way he modernizes. Exchanges in theatre criticism have not been an exception either. Being founded in 2002, Korea-Japan Theatre Exchange Council served a crucial role. Its counter partner, Japan-Korea Theatre Exchange Center, appointed theatre critics as their board members and started holding symposium with South Korea every year in turn, contributing to sharing the critical issues with each other.

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