◀ Anchor ▶
There is a stage that served as a stepping stone for over 900 actors and musicians.
This is Daehakro Small Theater ‘Hakjeon’, a cornerstone of Korean pop culture.
This historic space closed after 33 years.
Reporter Lim So-jeong captured the final appearance of ‘Hakjeon’.
◀ Report ▶
The 180 or so seats are filled with audiences.
March 14, 2024.
Daehakro Small Theater <학전>This is the day when the last performance of .
A stage filled with singer Kim Min-gi’s songs.
Actor Hwang Jung-min repeatedly wiped away tears of regret.
[황정민/배우]
″If Kim Gwang-seok performs, I will buy the tickets… I spent my 20s eating and sleeping here… ″
In 1991, the dance music craze broke out with the appearance of Seo Taiji and Boys.
<아침이슬>class <상록수> CEO Kim Min-ki, who created famous songs such as <<>, opened an ‘emergency exit’ for singers who had lost their album contract money and had no place to stand.
The name was given to become a ‘bed’ for artists. <학전>.
Numerous singers, including Na Yun-seon, Yoon Do-hyun, and Lee So-ra, gained their wings here, and the late Kim Gwang-seok held his 1,000th performance.
[고 김광석/가수 (1995년 1월, 학전 공연)]
″I sing and see a lot of people, this is my emergency exit.″
We have written numerous ‘firsts’.
“Subway Line 1,” which was performed over 4,200 times, was the first Korean musical to have all the music performed live, and all actors were selected through auditions.
Actors who need no explanation, including Sol Kyung-gu, Hwang Jung-min, and Cho Seung-woo, all passed through this place.
[설경구/배우 (지난해 12월, 학전 어게인 콘서트 기자회견)]
″There was no theater company that would accept me, so I came to put up posters in school to earn pocket money… ″
We also constantly made so-called ‘unprofitable’ children’s plays.
[김민기/극장 <학전> 대표 (2011년, 뉴스데스크 인터뷰)]
″Shouldn’t we just let go of the culture around children? ″
However, it eventually closed after 33 years due to financial difficulties and CEO Kim’s deteriorating health.
It gave opportunities to artists and memories to audiences. <학전>.
[김현주/관객]
″I want to remember it for a long time. I hope you open it again.″
[권진원/가수]
″Academic education is not going away. Someday we will meet again.”
We said our final goodbyes with the word ‘again’ rather than ‘goodbye’.
This is Lim So-jeong from MBC News.
Video coverage: Nam Hyun-taek / Video editing: Jo Min-seo
