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2023
女神在看
The Goddess Is Watching (여신님이 보고계셔) is a Korean original musical set during the Korean War, blending survival drama with psychological healing through a fictional “goddess” narrative. Since premiering in 2013, it has become a long-running small-theatre classic and later expanded abroad to Japan, China, and an upcoming industry showcase in London, positioning it as a continuing export title in the K-musical landscape.
English:
The Goddess Is Watching
Korean:
여신님이 보고계셔
Country: China | Language: Chinese
🔗 All images are linked to their original sources or articles. No copyright ownership is claimed.
ORIGIN
Premiered in 2013 at Chungmu Arts Center Small Theater Blue, produced by Yonwoo Stage (later Yeonwoo Theater). The musical was first developed through CJ Creative Minds (2011) and selected as the Best Work at the 2012 Seoul Musical Festival reading program, gaining early industry attention before full staging. Written and composed by Han Jeong-seok (book/lyrics) and Park Sang-joon (music), the work was praised for turning an all-male wartime setting into an emotionally intimate ensemble piece rather than a conventional war epic. It later won Best Book at the 2013 Korea Musical Awards.
STORY
During the Korean War, six soldiers—four North Korean POWs, a South Korean officer, and his subordinate—are stranded on an uninhabited island after a transport ship malfunction. The only man capable of repairing the ship, the young POW Soon-ho, is mentally broken by trauma. To keep him calm, Captain Han Young-beom invents a story about a “goddess who watches over them,” which gradually becomes a shared belief system among the men. As the fragile “Goddess Operation” unfolds, the musical explores fear, dignity, fantasy as survival, and the thin line between enemy and companion.
POSTER COLLECTION
Poster images are shown for documentation only. All rights belong to the original creators and producers.
KOREAN RUNS
South Korea (2013 premiere / Yonwoo Stage) — 2013.01.15–03.10
Followed by a 2013 revival (Art One Theater 1), a 2014 third run (Doosan Art Center Yeon-gang Hall), multiple re-runs throughout the 2010s, a 10th-anniversary season in 2022–2023, and a full 2025 revival completed in March 2025. The musical continues to recur regularly in Seoul’s small-theatre repertory and is regarded as one of the most enduring Korean war-themed original musicals outside the large-scale blockbuster format.
GLOBAL STAGINGS & ADAPTATIONS
Japan – Tokyo (2014)
Licensed Japanese-language production
Setagaya Public Theatre, Sep 20 – Oct 5, 2014
Produced in collaboration with Amuse and Yonwoo Stage, featuring an all-Japanese cast including Cho Hyung-kyun, Jeon Sung-woo, Ryeowook, and Jin Sun-kyu in rotating roles. Reception highlighted the balance of tension and lyricism unusual for a war musical, and the production became an early case study in small-scale Korean works successfully adapted for the Japanese market.
China – Multiple Cities (2023)
Licensed Mandarin-language production, titled 《女神在看》
Directed by Park So-young and Shi Yijun, staged with a full local cast
Marketed as a psychological human-drama musical rather than a war piece, emphasizing themes of trauma, survival, and imagined sanctuary. Audience response on platforms such as Douban cited emotional clarity and ensemble staging.
United Kingdom – London (2025)
Industry showcase – English-language highlights presentation
The Other Palace Studio, scheduled for Nov 6, 2025
Co-produced by In-Soo Yu (Yeonwoo) and Jun-Young Kim (ILOVESTAGE) in collaboration with Musical Theatre Network (UK), with music direction by Colm O’Regan (The Book of Mormon – West End). The 90-minute showcase will be followed by a discussion with UK producers regarding full West End development, positioning the title within the current post-Maybe Happy Ending wave of Korean works seeking English-language transfer.
REFERENCES
NamuWiki – Korean production history and award record
https://namu.wiki/w/%EC%97%AC%EC%8B%A0%EB%8B%98%EC%9D%B4%20%EB%B3%B4%EA%B3%A0%20%EA%B3%84%EC%85%94
Setagaya Public Theatre review – 2014 Japanese production photo report
https://www.shinobu-review.jp/mt/archives/2014/0922170659.html
Douban – 2023 Chinese licensed production listing
https://www.douban.com/location/drama/36309009/
BroadwayWorld – announcement of 2025 London industry showcase
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