Nanta theater closes due to drop in Chinese tourists

Nanta performance / Korea Times file

By Yun Suh-young

A Seoul theater that exclusively hosts performances of “Nanta” will close due to the plummeting number of Chinese visitors, the show’s main customers.

Chungjeongno Theater, one of the four Nanta theaters in the country (three in Seoul and one in Jeju), will halt operations next year, PMC Productions, the producer of the show, announced Tuesday.

The theater is suffering a decline in the number of visitors, mainly from China, due to the intensifying diplomatic row stemming from Korea's decision to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. Beijing has been against the move since Seoul's decision last year and has been discouraging Chinese tourists from making group visits to Korea.

Of the three Seoul theaters in Myeong-dong, Hongdae and Chungjeongno, the latter had been specially geared toward Chinese tourist groups. The theater claimed there have been virtually no Chinese groups since April and it will be difficult to keep the theater open any longer although the initial contract is valid until the end of next year.

Nanta, a kitchen comedy featuring drumming, was created in 1997 and debuted at Hoam Art Hall. Nanta has been seen by over 12 million people worldwide in over 46,000 performances.

The first Nanta-exclusive theater opened in Seoul in 2000. Chungjeongno Theater was the third to open in 2013 with 554 seats. The theater will mark the 20th anniversary of Nanta, Oct. 13.