2024
蒲公英笛
Dandelion Flute (민들레 피리) is a Korean original musical about poet Yun Dong-ju and his younger brother Yun Il-ju, weaving their letters and children’s poems into a lyrical portrait of resistance under Japanese occupation. After being developed at the Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF), it made its first overseas appearance in 2024 in Shanghai as The Dandelion Flute (蒲公英笛) and was later showcased in Japan in 2025 under the Japanese title たんぽぽの笛 at the K-Musical Roadshow in TOKYO.
English:
Dandelion Flute
Korean:
민들레 피리
Country: China | Language: Chinese
🔗 All images are linked to their original sources or articles. No copyright ownership is claimed.
ORIGIN
Dandelion Flute (민들레 피리) is an original Korean musical written and produced by Kim Jishik, with music by Yoo Hannah and direction by Youn Sangwon, created by the company Rainbow Works (레인보우 웍스). The work was first introduced as a supported new musical at the 18th Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF) in July 2024, where it was presented at Daegu Culture and Arts Center Biseul Hall. Its full premiere run followed in Seoul at YES24 Stage 2, from 15 June to 7 September 2025. Based on the lives and writings of poets Yun Dong-ju and Yun Il-ju, the musical drew on their letters and poems, including the children’s poetry collection Dandelion Flute, in order to reimagine their story for contemporary audiences. In 2025 it was also selected for the Producers’ Pitching section of the K-Musical Market, where its overseas potential was presented to international producers and presenters.
STORY
Set during the Japanese occupation of Korea, the musical follows Yun Dong-ju, a young man studying at Yeonhui College in Gyeongseong who dreams of becoming a poet. Back in their hometown of Myeongdong Village in Manchuria, his younger brother Yun Il-ju, ten years his junior, longs to write children’s poetry that captures the hearts of the young. Separated by distance and history, the brothers exchange handwritten letters and copied manuscripts, encouraging each other’s literary dreams even as Japan’s assimilation policies intensify, banning the Korean language, enforcing Japanese name changes, and ultimately plunging the region into war. Dong-ju wavers between silence and expression, repeatedly considering giving up writing but always returning to poetry as an act of inner resistance. Like dandelions rooted in cracked earth, the two brothers continue to write poems and verses they hope will someday bloom over the ruins of their time.
POSTER COLLECTION
Poster images are shown for documentation only. All rights belong to the original creators and producers.
KOREAN RUNS
2024 – DIMF showcase, Daegu International Musical Festival.
Dandelion Flute was first presented as a new-work selection at the 18th Daegu International Musical Festival, with performances at Daegu Culture and Arts Center Biseul Hall from 6 to 7 July 2024. The DIMF engagement introduced the musical as a lyrical, historically grounded piece focused on the intertwined lives of Yun Dong-ju and Yun Il-ju, highlighting the use of their original poems as lyrics.
2025 – premiere, Rainbow Works.
The full premiere run opened at YES24 Stage 2 in Daehangno, Seoul, on 15 June 2025 and played through 7 September 2025. Developed from the DIMF version, the Daehangno production expanded the score and book, deepening the brothers’ relationship and the motif of letters and children’s verse. The run positioned Dandelion Flute as a notable new biography-based musical in the Korean small-to-mid-size theatre scene.
GLOBAL STAGINGS & ADAPTATIONS
China, 2024
Special engagement – Korean-language performances with Chinese promotion at Korean Cultural Center in Shanghai.
On 19–20 August 2024, Dandelion Flute was performed at the Korean Cultural Center in Shanghai as a special musical event to mark Korea’s Liberation Day (Gwangbokjeol). Marketed in Chinese as the musical The Dandelion Flute (音乐剧《蒲公英笛》), the production presented the story of poets Yun Dong-ju and Yun Il-ju to local audiences through Korean-language performances with contextual materials in Chinese. The engagement included post-show autograph sessions, reflecting strong audience interest, and was documented through video recordings, including a full-length performance featuring actors Ahn Jaeyoung and Lim Jinseop that circulated on Chinese platforms.
Japan, 2025
Showcase performance – 2025 K-Musical Roadshow in TOKYO 20-minute digest showcase under the title たんぽぽの笛.
On 12 November 2025, Dandelion Flute was introduced to Japanese audiences under the Japanese title たんぽぽの笛 at the 2025 K-Musical Roadshow in TOKYO, held at Hulic Hall Tokyo. Rainbow Works’ team presented an approximately 20-minute digest scene as one of five featured Korean original musicals, alongside The Watermelon Seed and Granny Poetry Club. Hosted by the Arts Council Korea with Japanese partners, the event combined live excerpts and industry networking, allowing Japanese theatre professionals and musical fans to encounter the work’s poetic tone, historical subject, and brother-centered narrative. This showcase marked the musical’s first appearance in Japan and positioned it within a broader One-Asia-focused exchange of new Korean works.
REFERENCES
Namu Wiki – musical Dandelion Flute entry (Korean)
https://namu.wiki/w/%EB%AF%BC%EB%93%A4%EB%A0%88%20%ED%94%BC%EB%A6%AC(%EB%AE%A4%EC%A7%80%EC%BB%AC)
K-Musical Market 2025 – Program Book, Producers’ Pitching “Dandelion Flute”
https://k-musicalmarket.kr/2025%20K-MUSICAL%20MARKET%20Program%20Book.pdf
Wide Daily – DIMF creation-support overview mentioning Dandelion Flute’s first advance to Shanghai
https://www.widedaily.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=253559
Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai – report on Dandelion Flute performance and visit
https://www.mofa.go.kr/cn-shanghai-ko/brd/m_486/view.do?seq=1345923
Korea.net (Chinese) – event notice for musical The Dandelion Flute (音乐剧《蒲公英笛》)
https://chinese.korea.net/Events/Overseas/view?articleId=21676
Bilibili – full recording of The Dandelion Flute Shanghai special performance (2024-08-19)
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1ZKWmemEUk
PR TIMES – 2025 K-Musical Roadshow in TOKYO press release and program details (Japanese)
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000011.000119114.html
AE-ON – 2025 K-Musical Roadshow in TOKYO event overview (Japanese)
Enjoy Tokyo – 2025 K-Musical Roadshow in TOKYO event listing
