The Two Eyes
Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the ACC’s Launch in 2025
A complex harmony of art and technology: “Simcheongga” from the perspective of Sim Hak-gyu, interpreted from a contemporary perspective
- DateMar. 21–22 (FRI–SAT), 2025
- Time19:30 (FRI), 14:00 (SAT)
- PlaceTheater 1
- Age LimitMust be 7 or older
- Seating300 seats
- Price All seats KRW 20,000
- TicketWeb Page / Ticket Booth / Call Center
- Contact+82-1899-5566
- Information50% staff discount (producers, performers)
※ Only available via onsite and telephone reservation
Gallery
Visitor Information
Booking and Visitors Notification
Age Requirement
- Rating: Must be 7 or older
- We ask the visitors to bring certified documents that can confirm their age (national health insurance certificate, passport, resident registration certificate, etc.)
- ※ Visitors below the age restriction are prohibited from entering the performance hall regardless of the presence of their guardians.
- ※ Requests for cancelation or change in reservation will not be accepted if the visitor fails to adhere to age restrictions.
Ticket Reservation and Collection
- Tickets may be collected an hour before the start of the performance.
- ※ The reservation number or the phone number provided during reservation process must be verified before the ticket can be collected.
- For those who wish to book wheelchair seats, please contact us via the Call Center (☏+82-1899-5566) for booking.
- All discounts are applicable to the ticket recipient, not the purchaser.
- ※ Those who purchased discounted tickets must present certificates on-site; discrepancy in the ticket price must be paid if the ticket holder fails to present appropriate certificates
- On the day of the performance, remaining tickets may be purchased on-site from 10:00 until the start of the performance.
Viewing Information
- The performance will be in Korean. A Korean–English script will be included in the program book to help the audience understand the performance. There will be no subtitles.
- National Asian Culture Center strictly restricts viewer rate, mid-performance entry, and photography for a pleasant viewing experience.
- Viewers can enter the venue 30 min before the performance, and will be prohibited entry once the performance begins.
- ※ The entry time may vary by the nature of the performance and on-site situation; please enter the venue 10 min before.
- ※ Latecomers will be restricted from entering after the performance begins. They will be directed to designated seating for late arrivals rather than their purchased seats. If the number of latecomer seats is exceeded, entry may be denied.
- ※ Reentry may not be allowed if you exit during the performance.
- Please note that failure to review the ticket booking and seating regulations will be the attendee’s responsibility. Refunds, cancelations, or changes to purchased tickets due to this oversight will not be possible.
- This concert is a paid performance with a three-hour free parking benefit.
- ※ The parking discount policy has been revised as of Aug. 1, 2024. (Previously) 4 hr → (Revised) 3 hr.
Seat placement
ACC Theater 1 Seats
R Wheelchair seats
예매 가능좌석
- 1층
-
- A : 1(좌 사이드), 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 1(우 사이드)
- B : 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25
- C : 3(좌 사이드), 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 3(우 사이드)
- D : 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27
- E : 5(좌 사이드), 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 5(우 사이드)
- F : 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27
- G : 7(좌 사이드), 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 7(우 사이드)
- H : 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27
- I : 9(좌 사이드), 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 9(우 사이드)
- J : 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27
- K : 11(좌 사이드), 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 11(우 사이드)
- L : 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27
- M : 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28
- N : 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27
- O : 1, 3, 5, 7, 28
- P : 2, 4, 6, 27
- 2층
-
- Q : 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31
- R : 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32
※ The performance will be in Korean.
A Korean–English script will be included in the program book to help the audience understand the performance.
There will be no subtitles.
A Korean–English script will be included in the program book to help the audience understand the performance.
There will be no subtitles.
Introduction
Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the ACC’s Launch in 2025
A complex harmony of art and technology: “Simcheongga” from the perspective of Sim Hak-gyu, interpreted from a contemporary perspective
From the 2021 ACC Asia Culture Week performance of “The Two Eyes”: “Let’s see”
The next big thing after “Tiger is Coming,”
the second installment in the ACC pansori (epic chant) series!
the second installment in the ACC pansori (epic chant) series!
- ★ Opening performance for the 2021 ACC Asia Culture Week
- ★ Opening performance for the 2021 National Theater of Korea Yeowoorak Festival
- ★ Closing performance for the 2021 K-Intangible Heritage Festival by the National Intangible Heritage Center
- ★ Selection for the 2023 “QUAD Choice” by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture (SFAC) Theater QUAD
- ★ Invitational performance to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Kyrgyz Republic in 2024
The story of Sim Hak-gyu, who had to lose everything to see the most valuable thing:
a message of emptiness and consolation for everyone
a message of emptiness and consolation for everyone
“The Two Eyes” is a performance that reinterprets the classical Korean story of Sim Cheong. Focusing on the “life” of Sim Hak-gyu, who is blind, rather than the “piety” of Sim Cheong, this performance reinterprets the classical tale into a story of a man who continues to live with a positive attitude despite his disability. Media art and stage technology, integrated seamlessly into the Pansori theater, serve a role beyond a simple backdrop to the performance, becoming another cast member alongside the singer and the accompanist. In particular, the kinetic lighting system and full LED screen on the stage floor create an environment for the performance’s stage directions to unfold.
Synopsys
Sim Hak-gyu is a man who lost his vision at the age of 20. Another tragedy strikes his life when Gwak, his wife, dies during the birth of their child, Sim Cheong. Having depended on his wife for livelihood, Sim Hak-gyu is forced to beg the women of the village to share their milk with his daughter. After 15 years of struggling to make ends meet, Sim sends his daughter, Sim Cheong, to become a human offering to the seas of Indangsu because of a promise he had made to a monk he encountered.
The original story of Sim Cheong focuses on the young lady’s filial piety. This performance, however, shifts the center of its narrative to Sim Hak-gyu, with the plot unfolding like a road movie focused on a man who is blind. With the unique visuals created by MUTO, music combining geomungo (six-stringed zither) with synthesizers, and the reinterpretation of the Pansori form by IPKOASON, this performance examines the life of Sim Hak-gyu as an ordinary, everyday figure.
The original story of Sim Cheong focuses on the young lady’s filial piety. This performance, however, shifts the center of its narrative to Sim Hak-gyu, with the plot unfolding like a road movie focused on a man who is blind. With the unique visuals created by MUTO, music combining geomungo (six-stringed zither) with synthesizers, and the reinterpretation of the Pansori form by IPKOASON, this performance examines the life of Sim Hak-gyu as an ordinary, everyday figure.
Original Work: Pansori “Simcheongga”
At first glance, “Simcheongga” is a story of “filial piety” centered around the self-sacrificing figure of Sim Cheong. However, depending on the style, the piece can unfold for up to five hours, and a closer examination of the performance reveals many characters reflecting upon and struggling to navigate the influences of Confucianism and Buddhism. Among the repertoire of traditional Pansori “batang” (piece), “Simcheongga” is notable for its relatively well-preserved “saseol” (narratives) and theatrical character.
Plot
Seven days after the birth of Sim Cheong, Gwak, the wise and crafty mother of Sim Cheong and wife of Sim Hak-gyu (known as Sim Bongsa: Sim the Blind), passes away, leaving the pair to fend for themselves. Sim Hak-gyu tries his best to care for his young daughter, even resorting to begging the women of the community to feed their breast milk to his daughter, and Sim Cheong grows up as a deeply pious, self-sacrificing girl. Despite the difficulties, the father-and-daughter pair carry on by relying on each other. One day, Sim Hak-gyu promises 300 sacks of rice as an offering to a monk, which somehow culminates in the young Sim Cheong deciding to become a human sacrifice in the seas of Indangsu. The profound filial piety of the young maiden, who volunteered to give up her life to restore her father’s sight, deeply moves the heart of the Dragon King under the water, and Sim Cheong is returned to Earth, becoming the queen of the land. However, despite her riches, Sim Cheong spends the next three years in sadness, hoping to meet her father once more.
Major Scenes (The eye-opening scene)
#Opening one’s eyes
A humble blind man dares to speak
Let’s see
#Going beyond
Eo Neomja Neohwa Neom
#Just the two of us
At our home
Sleep well, sleep well
#Raising a child alone
Begging for milk
A merchant from Namgyeong
#Seed of regret
The brook
Sinmyojanggu (Nilakanta)
#Gazing at death
A boat adrift in the middle of the current
Indangsu (Indang Sea)
Behold the Dragon King
#In the end, it’s about humans
Beautiful and sad
#Where to go after setting off on a journey
Day by day
The northern sky is said clear
#The two eyes
Both eyes wide open
A humble blind man dares to speak
Let’s see
#Going beyond
Eo Neomja Neohwa Neom
#Just the two of us
At our home
Sleep well, sleep well
#Raising a child alone
Begging for milk
A merchant from Namgyeong
#Seed of regret
The brook
Sinmyojanggu (Nilakanta)
#Gazing at death
A boat adrift in the middle of the current
Indangsu (Indang Sea)
Behold the Dragon King
#In the end, it’s about humans
Beautiful and sad
#Where to go after setting off on a journey
Day by day
The northern sky is said clear
#The two eyes
Both eyes wide open
Stage Concept
The borderline of life and death, depicted on a 12×22 m LED panel with colorful media art, wondrous music, and the profound depth of Pansori
Crew
- Based on Traditional Pansori “Simcheongga”
- Joint Creator (Format and Music)
MUTO Park Hunkyu, Shin Bumho, Park Woojae, Hong Chanhyuk | IPKOASON Lee Seunghee, Lee Hyangha, Yoo Hyeonjin, Kim Sojin - Producer MUTO × IPKOASON
- Video and Stage Design Park Hunkyu
- Lighting Design Hong Chanhyuk, Park Junhyung
- Stage Directors Kim Sehun, Baek Yongmin (ACC)
- Sound Director Na Inkwon (ACC)
- Lighting Director Moon Seongjae (ACC)
- Technical Director Im Jongmin (ACC)
- Costume Minju Kim
- Photography Kim Jonghun
- Poster Design Lee Gyuchan, Park Hunkyu
- Title Design Seoksan, DDBBMM
- Translation (English) Alyssa Kim
- House Manager Park Jisoo (ACC)
- Producers Yoo Hyeonjin, Kim Jongwon (ACC), Moon Jeongin (ACC)
- * Afterlife Video Production
Direction Park Hunkyu, PD Sim On, Filming Im Jaebin, Lighting Oh Sung-min, Props Kim Suhee, Performance Seo Jeongbin, Production 96WAVE
Performers
Electronic MusicShin Bumho
GeomungoPark Woojae
Pansori SingerLee Seunghee
Pansori SingerKim Sojin
DrummerLee Hyangha
DrummerKim Hongsik
Joint Creators
-
MUTO is a project group featuring the graphic artist Park Hunkyu, geomungo musician Park Woojae, Idiotape’s producer Shin Bumho, and graphic designer Hong Chanhyuk. Having been founded to explore two concepts of great importance in contemporary performing arts—originality and contemporaneity—MUTO’s works are based on the convergent sounds of the East and the West as it seeks to expand its format of expression to media art and lighting art, with the goal of creating a new form of performing arts based on Korea’s traditional music. -
IPKOASON was formed to facilitate various experimentations on the boundary between tradition and creation. Based on the cumulative experience of its creators, IPKOASON seeks to continue creating works that can reveal the unique musical characteristics and themes of its members.
Place Info.
ACC Theater, Theater 1
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