A hands-on program for “The Painters,” a nonverbal art performance, allows audience members to join performers onstage after the show to create designs on ecologically friendly tote bags. CHOI SEUNG-PYO Who says you need to understand Korean to enjoy a Korean play or musical? Foreign tourists are flocking to small theaters across Seoul, laughing, cheering and sometimes reacting even more enthusiastically than locals. Forget the massive concerts of BTS and Blackpink. From intimate musicals and traditional performances to hands-on experiences with performers, Korea's theater scene is becoming an unexpected tourist attraction. At 2 p.m. on Oct. 22, most of the audience members waiting to enter the dedicated theater for “The Painters,” a homegrown nonverbal art performance in Jeong-dong, Jung District, central Seoul, were foreigners. First staged in 2008, “The Painters” has built an international reputation. 릴황금성 It toured 71 cities across 16 countries and attracted more than 8 million audience members worldwide. As the curtain rose, a cast of handsome performers who could easily pass for K-pop idols took the stage. Combining energetic dance routines with dazzling visual art, they captivated the audience with marbling art, which involves floating paint on water to create designs, and glow-in-the-dark drawing, which uses light to create images on LED screens. Gasps of amazement erupted whenever the performers recreated famous masterpieces, including Vincent van Gogh's "Self-portrait" (1889) and Gustav Klimt's “The Kiss” (1907-08). The experience did not end when the curtain fell. Audience members who booked a special hands-on program were invited onstage to create marbled designs on ecologically friendly tote bags alongside the performers. 모바일 야마토 릴게임 “The Painters” combines dance, music and visual art in a nonverbal performance that is particularly popular among foreign audiences. CHOI SEUNG-PYO “It was a special experience to learn how to do the very art performance I had just watched onstage,” said Aleksandra Talantseva, a visitor from Russia. “The Painters” is not the only show offering such experiences. “Nanta,” Korea's longest-running nonverbal performance, offers a workshop where visitors can make keychains shaped like gat, or traditional Korean hat. “Jump,” a show inspired by traditional martial arts, lets audiences take taekwondo lessons at a nearby martial arts studio. The activities are part of “Korea in Motion,” a performing arts tourism campaign organized by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) in collaboration with the performing arts industry. Running through Nov. 30, the campaign features hands-on programs linked to seven performances 야마토게임다운로드 “We can feel the popularity of K-culture spreading to regularly staged performances,” said Park Min-woo, marketing team leader for “The Painters.” “We're looking into ways to continue offering these hands-on experiences even after the campaign ends.” The campaign is being promoted through global online travel platforms such as Klook and Ctrip. In addition to discounted tickets and activity packages, it offers smart glasses that display subtitles for 12 plays and musicals. The cast of the nonverbal show "Jump" pose for a photo with audience members from Turkey after a show at Myeongbo Art Hall in Jung District, central Seoul. KIM KYOUNG-ROK Live performances have emerged as a new attraction for foreign tourists since the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of international visitors who attended live performances such as musicals, plays and ballet, but excluding K-pop concerts, rose 41 percent from 408,000 in 2023 to 574,000 in 2025, according to the Korea Performing Arts & Tourism Association. 모바일 바다이야기 고래 출현 Spending by foreign visitors in the performing arts sector also jumped 48.8 percent in the first seven months of this year compared with the same period last year, according to Shinhan Card. A report on international visitor surveys by the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute describes the trend as being in the “early stages of expansion.” Despite the sharp increase, foreign theatergoers still account for only a small fraction of international arrivals. Of the 18.93 million foreign tourists who visited Korea in 2025, only about 3 percent attended a live performance. The biggest obstacle discouraging foreign visitors from attending performances is the language barrier. Nonverbal productions such as “The Painters” and “Jump” are relatively accessible, but plays and musicals that rely heavily on dialogue tend to attract less interest. Foreign visitors watch the musical “Finding Mr. 황금성게임종류 Destiny” while wearing smart glasses that display subtitles in real time. KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION A survey found that 78.6 percent of dialogue-driven productions currently do not provide subtitles in foreign languages. That is why 12 productions participating in the campaign are offering AI-powered smart glasses that display subtitles. Adam Jillstrandt, a British visitor who watched the musical “Finding Mr. Destiny” last month, praised the subtitle glasses for helping him catch even the subtlest jokes. He added that he would recommend them to tourists who don't speak Korean. The KTO plans to expand opportunities for foreign visitors to experience Korea's performing arts scene. “Opportunities to see performances by world-famous K-pop groups are rare, but the advantage of small-theater productions is that they are staged every day,” said Baek Man-seong, head of the Hallyu Content Team at the KTO. “We plan to keep the performing arts tourism campaign going in the years ahead.” BY CHOI SEUNG-PYO [] e plan to