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Gwanghwamun Love Song
광화문 연가
Literal Translation
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SOURCE
jukebox
SETTING
Korea
BOOK
original
The songs of composer Lee Young-hoon
Korean Premiere
2011
Korean Premiere Theatre
Sejong Center, Seoul
Further Korean run reference:
https://namu.wiki/w/%EA%B4%91%ED%99%94%EB%AC%B8%20%EC%97%B0%EA%B0%80(%EB%AE%A4%EC%A7%80%EC%BB%AC)
https://www.themusical.co.kr/Musical/Detail?num=1695
The Musical search cue — “광화문연가 2011”
Summary
A Korean jukebox musical built around the songs of composer Lee Young-hoon, first staged in 2011 and revived in 2012.
Origin & Development
Premiered in March 2011 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, produced by Seensee Company, directed by Lee Gina (이지나), with arrangements by Lee Kyung-seob (이경섭) and music direction by Kim Moon-jung (김문정). The musical was conceived as a tribute to the late composer Lee Young-hoon, using his hit songs (〈광화문 연가〉, 〈사랑이 지나가면〉, 〈옛사랑〉 등) to frame a three-person love story set against 1980s Seoul. ⚠ Title clarification: This 2011 version is not the same work as the 2017 CJ ENM musical of the same title. The two productions share the song catalog but have completely different books, plots, and production teams.
A separate follow-up concert version, 광화문 연가2 (2013), also exists and was later licensed to China — but it is considered a different work from the 2011 musical. The 2011 production was revived in 2012 and later exported to Japan in 2013, where it was staged in Korean with Japanese surtitles at the Meijiza Theatre. 2011 – Premiere (Sejong Center Grand Theater, Seoul)Large-scale original production with Yoon Do-hyun, Song Chang-ui, Kim Moo-yeol, and Lisa leading the cast. 2012 – Revival (LG Arts Center, Seoul)Re-staged with revised ensemble structure and continued box-office success, leading directly to overseas interest.
Full Synopsis
Sang-hoon, now an established composer, is pulled back into the memories of his youth when a familiar melody reminds him of a long-buried past. The story shifts to 1980s Seoul, where the young Sang-hoon, his protégé Hyun-woo, and a singer named Yeo-ju meet inside the live café “Blue Azit,” bound first by music and then by growing affection. Both men fall for Yeo-ju, but their musical ideals collide with the reality of student protests, censorship, and the commercial pressures of the era. A song completed with Sang-hoon’s guidance spreads through the protest movement, turning Hyun-woo into an unintended symbol of resistance — and eventually leading to his arrest. While Hyun-woo disappears from sight, Sang-hoon and Yeo-ju slowly grow closer, only for Hyun-woo to return years later and reopen wounds neither of them has fully faced. Blending romance, memory, and the longing of songs that outlive their singers, the musical paints a portrait of love and artistic youth forever tied to the streets of Gwanghwamun.
光化門恋歌
2013
2013-01-01
to
2013-01-26
Country:
Japan
City:
Tokyo
Production Type:
Licensed
Language:
Korean
Venue:
Meijiza
Marketed as the musical's first overseas presentation, it was performed by a full Korean cast including U-Know Yunho (TVXQ), Sungjae (Supernova), and Choi Min-hwan (FTISLAND). The production kept the original Seoul staging with Japanese surtitles and drew significant press attention as an idol-led Korean musical export.
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