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2015
The Days
The Days (그날들) is a Korean jukebox musical built around the songs of the late singer Kim Kwang-seok, interweaving personal memory and political history across two timelines. Its 2015 Shanghai showcase marked an early attempt to introduce large-scale Korean original musicals to the Chinese market through a government-led promotional platform.
English:
The Days
Korean:
그날들
Country: China | Language: Korean
🔗 All images are linked to their original sources or articles. No copyright ownership is claimed.
ORIGIN
The Days premiered in 2013 as an original Korean jukebox musical directed by Jang Yoo-jung, featuring rearranged and recontextualized songs by Kim Kwang-seok. Produced by Insite Entertainment, the musical was developed for large theaters and set against the backdrop of the Blue House, combining political suspense with intimate human drama. Its narrative structure moves between 1992 and 2012, reflecting on loss, loyalty, and unresolved memory within Korea’s modern history.
STORY
Set across two time periods, the musical follows Cha Jeong-hak, a Blue House security officer haunted by an unresolved disappearance from twenty years earlier. In 1992, his colleague Mu-young and a mysterious female interpreter vanish amid the secrecy surrounding the Korea–China normalization talks. In 2012, a new disappearance involving the president’s daughter echoes the past, forcing Jeong-hak to confront buried truths. The tone blends political thriller with lyrical nostalgia, supported by rock-influenced ballads and dramatic ensemble numbers.
POSTER COLLECTION
Poster images are shown for documentation only. All rights belong to the original creators and producers.
KOREAN RUNS
2013 – Premiere, Insite Entertainment
The musical has been revived multiple times at major venues including Chungmu Art Center, Seoul Arts Center Opera House, Blue Square Interpark Hall, and D-Cube Link Art Center, establishing itself as a long-running large-scale repertory title.
It received multiple awards, including honors at The Musical Awards and the Korea Musical Awards, and achieved high box office occupancy during its early runs.
GLOBAL STAGINGS & ADAPTATIONS
China, 2015
Promotional showcase – Korea Brand & Hallyu Product Expo (KBEE)
In August 2015, The Days participated in showcase performances in Shanghai as part of KBEE 2015. Selected highlight numbers were presented to Chinese presenters, cultural officials, and industry professionals at a large-scale exhibition venue. The appearance functioned as a non-commercial promotional showcase rather than a licensed production, aimed at gauging market interest and introducing Korean original musicals to the Chinese performing arts sector. The event positioned The Days alongside other flagship Korean musicals as a potential future export candidate.
REFERENCES
NamuWiki – Production history and synopsis
SportsQ – Report on Shanghai showcase participation
https://www.sportsq.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=75244
Dong-A Ilbo – Coverage of Korean musical showcases in Shanghai
https://www.donga.com/news/article/all/20150831/73337976/1
EToday – “The Hallyu Phenomenon That Rocked Shanghai”
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