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Perpetual Motion

무한동력

Literal Translation

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SOURCE

webtoon

SETTING

Korea

BOOK

adaptation

Based on Joo Ho-min, Perpetual Motion (webtoon)

Korean Premiere

2015

Korean Premiere Theatre

Daehakro TOM, Seoul

Summary

A Korean original musical based on Joo Ho-min’s webtoon about unemployed young adults sharing a rooftop home while searching for purpose and dignity in modern Seoul.

Origin & Development

Premiered in 2015, the musical was produced by PAGE1 and adapted from Joo Ho-min’s well-known slice-of-life webtoon 무한동력. Although often referred to in English as Perpetual Motion, this is not an official international title and is used here only as a functional placeholder. The stage version preserved the webtoon’s realism, situational humor, and portraits of underemployed twenty-somethings living on a rooftop, blending pop-rock numbers with understated dramatic writing.

Its grounded subject matter and small-cast format made it well suited for long-running small theaters and repeat staging. 2013 – premiere, Live Corp. Subsequent return engagements in Daehakro small theaters and regional tours throughout the 2010s, maintaining its status as a steady repertory title for youth-themed drama musicals.

Partial Synopsis

The musical follows Han Soo, a college graduate still searching for full-time work, who moves into a low-rent rooftop unit where three other residents—each with unfinished dreams and stalled careers—live in fragile coexistence. Their daily routines, arguments, and small triumphs unfold as they confront debt, part-time jobs, burnout, and the fear of wasted youth. Rather than offering a dramatic reversal, the story emphasizes emotional survival, chosen family, and the quiet strength of continuing forward in a society obsessed with visible success. The tone is warm, observational, and lightly comic, with songs that mirror everyday speech and inner monologue.

无限动力

2018

2018-10-09

to

2018-10-10

Country:

China

City:

Shanghai

Production Type:

Reading / Showcase

Language:

Korean

Venue:

Shanghai Culture Square

One of six titles presented in excerpt form at the K-Musical Roadshow, a promotional event supported by the Korea Arts Management Service and attended by Chinese producers and press, positioning the musical for future licensing and market testing.

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Last update: October 10, 2026

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