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Seoul Arts Center stages ballet portraying life of patriotic martyr Ahn Jung-geun
- August 17, 2021
Seoul Arts Center stages ballet portraying life
of patriotic martyr Ahn Jung-geun
Updated: 2021-08-13 17:08:00 KST
It's Friday, and that means our culture correspondent Kim Bo-kyoung is here with us in the studio to let us know what kinds of exciting cultural events are on this weekend. Hello there Bo-kyoung, what do you have for us today?
Well Conn-young, this weekend has more significance than usual as Sunday, August 15th, is Korea's National Liberation Day. It gives us a chance to think about the heroic deeds and sacrifices made by patriotic fighters, and Ahn Jung-geun is one of them. He's best known for shooting Japan's first resident governor in Korea, Hirobumi Ito, at Harbin station in 1909. Commemorating the National Liberation Day, Seoul Arts Center is using ballet to tell Ahn's life story. Let's take a peek.
The man who cut off his finger to show his dedication Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun. Commemorating Korea's National Liberation Day Seoul Arts Center has staged a ballet dedicated to Ahn Jung-geun, the patriotic martyr who sacrificed himself for the cause. After Emperor Gojong was forced by Japan to abdicate the throne and the army was disbanded in 1907, Ahn launched the independence movement.
He raised an army of around two hundred soldiers to fight the Japanese, and although that army was defeated, he was still determined to complete his mission.
In 1909, Ahn and 11 others each cut off one of their fingers and wrote "Korea's Independence" on the national flag with their blood, making a solemn vow to sacrifice their body and soul to achieve their one and only goal of independence.
The same year, after hearing Japan's resident-general Hirobumi Ito was visiting Harbin, Ahn went there and shot him three times.
He cried "Hurrah for Korea" three times before he was taken to Lushun prison.
This is where the ballet performers' imagination shines.
Ahn's mother told him not to beg Japan for his life, for he had acted on behalf of his country's people. He wore a set of white silk Korean clothes and before his execution, he dances with his wife Kim A-ryeo as if saying farewell.
"He is a historic hero, but also was a person with a family. We wanted to also show Ahn Jung-geun as a human himself."
"At the end, of course the couple couldn't meet each other, but they dance together through their hearts and this scene is where the human side of Ahn is shown."
These were his last words:
"I wish for my bones to be buried near Harbin Park and then reburied in my native country after Korea recovers its sovereignty. () When I hear the news of Korea's independence in heaven, I will dance and shout "hurrah."
Until his remains are returned to Korea, people can still respect his heroic deeds through such performances as this ballet show "Ahn Jung-geun, a Dance in the Heaven".
It sure is a great opportunity for the audience to learn about Ahn Jung-geun's life while enjoying some mesmerizing ballet. Are any other great shows being put on for National Liberation Day?
Well, the feeling of unresolved sorrow, known in Korean as "han", is one that many freedom fighters across the world must have felt while longing for their nation's liberation.
Giuseppe Verdi's well-known opera "Nabucco" reinterpreted by Italian producer Stefano Poda, will be on stage at the National Theater of Korea until this Sunday.
Saturday's show at 3PM will be livestreamed through Korea National Opera's streaming website - KNOmyopera. When Verdi composed this masterpiece, Northern Italy was under the control of Austria.
His desire for Italy's liberation can be seen through the story of the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem, and how the Jews were exiled from their homeland by the Babylonian King Nabucco.
The Korea National Opera is staging the full opera for the first time in 16 years, and tickets are already almost sold out, with opera lovers looking forward to the highlight of the show "Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves" and having feelings of longing for liberation and an end to suffering.
"'Nabucco' is an outstanding spiritual opera that gives us a chance to reflect on ourselves and face the future during hard times like this. Korea's own sentiment 'han' also becomes a constructive emotion the fraternity."
"Like Nabucco who recovered by praying and repentance and liberated the Israelis, I hope our audiences too can be liberated from the pandemic."
This weekend will sure be filled with the spirit of independence. Thank you Bo-kyoung for sharing these cultural events.
Thank you.
Well Conn-young, this weekend has more significance than usual as Sunday, August 15th, is Korea's National Liberation Day. It gives us a chance to think about the heroic deeds and sacrifices made by patriotic fighters, and Ahn Jung-geun is one of them. He's best known for shooting Japan's first resident governor in Korea, Hirobumi Ito, at Harbin station in 1909. Commemorating the National Liberation Day, Seoul Arts Center is using ballet to tell Ahn's life story. Let's take a peek.
The man who cut off his finger to show his dedication Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun. Commemorating Korea's National Liberation Day Seoul Arts Center has staged a ballet dedicated to Ahn Jung-geun, the patriotic martyr who sacrificed himself for the cause. After Emperor Gojong was forced by Japan to abdicate the throne and the army was disbanded in 1907, Ahn launched the independence movement.
He raised an army of around two hundred soldiers to fight the Japanese, and although that army was defeated, he was still determined to complete his mission.
In 1909, Ahn and 11 others each cut off one of their fingers and wrote "Korea's Independence" on the national flag with their blood, making a solemn vow to sacrifice their body and soul to achieve their one and only goal of independence.
The same year, after hearing Japan's resident-general Hirobumi Ito was visiting Harbin, Ahn went there and shot him three times.
He cried "Hurrah for Korea" three times before he was taken to Lushun prison.
This is where the ballet performers' imagination shines.
Ahn's mother told him not to beg Japan for his life, for he had acted on behalf of his country's people. He wore a set of white silk Korean clothes and before his execution, he dances with his wife Kim A-ryeo as if saying farewell.
"He is a historic hero, but also was a person with a family. We wanted to also show Ahn Jung-geun as a human himself."
"At the end, of course the couple couldn't meet each other, but they dance together through their hearts and this scene is where the human side of Ahn is shown."
These were his last words:
"I wish for my bones to be buried near Harbin Park and then reburied in my native country after Korea recovers its sovereignty. () When I hear the news of Korea's independence in heaven, I will dance and shout "hurrah."
Until his remains are returned to Korea, people can still respect his heroic deeds through such performances as this ballet show "Ahn Jung-geun, a Dance in the Heaven".
It sure is a great opportunity for the audience to learn about Ahn Jung-geun's life while enjoying some mesmerizing ballet. Are any other great shows being put on for National Liberation Day?
Well, the feeling of unresolved sorrow, known in Korean as "han", is one that many freedom fighters across the world must have felt while longing for their nation's liberation.
Giuseppe Verdi's well-known opera "Nabucco" reinterpreted by Italian producer Stefano Poda, will be on stage at the National Theater of Korea until this Sunday.
Saturday's show at 3PM will be livestreamed through Korea National Opera's streaming website - KNOmyopera. When Verdi composed this masterpiece, Northern Italy was under the control of Austria.
His desire for Italy's liberation can be seen through the story of the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem, and how the Jews were exiled from their homeland by the Babylonian King Nabucco.
The Korea National Opera is staging the full opera for the first time in 16 years, and tickets are already almost sold out, with opera lovers looking forward to the highlight of the show "Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves" and having feelings of longing for liberation and an end to suffering.
"'Nabucco' is an outstanding spiritual opera that gives us a chance to reflect on ourselves and face the future during hard times like this. Korea's own sentiment 'han' also becomes a constructive emotion the fraternity."
"Like Nabucco who recovered by praying and repentance and liberated the Israelis, I hope our audiences too can be liberated from the pandemic."
This weekend will sure be filled with the spirit of independence. Thank you Bo-kyoung for sharing these cultural events.
Thank you.
Reporter : reina5467@gmail.com
