top of page
2025
すいかのプール
The Watermelon Seed (수박수영장) is a Korean family musical based on Ahnnyeongdal’s best-selling picture book, blending animation-style projections with live performance to tell a warm summer story about a girl, her grandfather, and a magical watermelon pool. Premiered in Seoul in 2020, it has since toured nationwide and begun expanding abroad through a full Taiwanese licensed production and showcase appearances in Japan.
English:
The Watermelon Seed
Korean:
수박수영장
Country: Japan | Language Korean
🔗 All images are linked to their original sources or articles. No copyright ownership is claimed.
ORIGIN
The Watermelon Seed (수박수영장) was created by AM Culture (주식회사 에이엠컬처 / AM CULTURE) as a commercial family musical adapted from Ahnnyeongdal’s 2015 picture book. The show premiered at Yerimdang Art Hall in Seoul from July 4–12, 2020, and was designed to function like a moving picture book, combining animated video backgrounds with flexible set pieces. Built around universal themes of family, communication, and childhood imagination, it was later selected for the K-Musical Market and positioned for overseas expansion, particularly in other Asian territories.
STORY
Jin-hee is an elementary school girl whose overworked parents feel guilty for not spending enough time with her, so they send her ahead to her maternal grandfather’s house in the countryside for summer vacation. Excited by the wide-open fields and green hills, Jin-hee tries to enjoy her holiday but discovers an awkward distance with the grandfather she hasn’t seen in a long time. While chasing a fluttering butterfly into the forest, she gets lost and meets a round-faced “watermelon seed” spirit that has also lost its way, and the two decide to find their way home together. Along the journey, they encounter a gigantic cracked watermelon that becomes a “watermelon swimming pool,” fireflies in the night sky, and the quiet kindness of village neighbors. Through this adventure, Jin-hee learns that children, parents, and grandparents are all precious to one another, and that she herself is a shining, irreplaceable part of her family.
POSTER COLLECTION
Poster images are shown for documentation only. All rights belong to the original creators and producers.
KOREAN RUNS
2020 – Premiere at Yerimdang Art Hall, Seoul (produced by AM Culture), initial run from 2020.07.04 to 2020.07.12.
2020–present – Repeated seasons and touring performances across Korea as a family-musical repertoire title, presented in multiple cities and venues.
GLOBAL STAGINGS & ADAPTATIONS
Japan, 2025
Showcase excerpt – Korean-language digest performance at 2025 K-Musical Roadshow in TOKYO
On November 12, 2025, a 20-minute digest of The Watermelon Seed was presented under the Japanese title すいかのプール at Hulic Hall Tokyo as part of the 2025 K-Musical Roadshow. The event, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea and organized by the Korea Arts Management Service, introduced five Korean original musicals to Japanese audiences and industry professionals. The Watermelon Seed was showcased alongside Three Winds and One Tree, The Dandelion Flute, Narcissus and Goldmund – Knowledge and Love, and Very Funny Young Ladies, with Kazuki Kato and Kim TaeHee serving as MCs. While not a full commercial run, the Tokyo showcase positioned the musical for future Japanese collaborations and highlighted its potential within the family-music-theatre market.
Taiwan, 2025
Licensed adaptation – Chinese-language production by Andersen and Mozart Creative Theatre (安徒生和莫札特的創意) in collaboration with AM Culture
In 2025, Taiwanese company Andersen and Mozart Creative Theatre (AM創意), known for family hits such as Musical TARU! and The Wizard of Oz, launched a licensed Chinese-language production of The Watermelon Seed under the title 西瓜游泳池. The show is promoted as “the coolest summer family adventure in Taiwan,” emphasizing its origin from Korean “picture-book queen” Ahnnyeongdal and marketing the musical as a vivid red watermelon world filled with seed spirits, fireflies, and countryside fantasy. Initial performances are scheduled at the Taipei City Hall Family Theater (Taipei City Hall Family Theatre), with multiple showtimes on July 26–27, 2025 and the potential for further touring across Taiwan. Taiwanese promotional materials highlight Korean audience responses, positioning the production as a gentle, emotionally resonant work about childhood, family, and the lingering memory of one unforgettable summer.
REFERENCES
Interpark – 2020 Seoul premiere ticket page
https://tickets.interpark.com/goods/20004047
Econovill – 2024 Seoul family musical review
https://www.econovill.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=664118
TixFun – 2025 Taiwan production listing
https://tixfun.com/UTK0201_?PRODUCT_ID=Q01TH77Q
K-Musical Market – 2025 Program Book (The Watermelon Seed)
https://k-musicalmarket.kr/2025%20K-MUSICAL%20MARKET%20Program%20Book.pdf
PR TIMES – 2025 K-Musical Roadshow in TOKYO press release
bottom of page