By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
When it comes to popular Korean performances overseas, they're usually nonverbal.
But ``Choonhyang: True Love,'' presented by Theater Seoul and performed in English throughout the world, appeals to non-Koreans by overcoming the language barrier with a good translation.
The English musical will be on stage at the National Theater of Korea Dec. 25-28.
The musical has already received rave reviews since it began a world tour in 2005.
The musical is based on a centuries-old Korean folk tale.
The show revolves around the story of Choon-hyang, a young lady who falls in love with Mong-ryong, a young man.
They meet through her maid and his man servant (who also develops feelings for one another).
One day, Mong-ryong leaves her with his father and gives a token of his love for her and during his absence, a cruel local governor locks her up because she refuses his marriage proposal.
The simple story is told through traditional Korean music and dance and Korean children act in English.
Founded in 1995, Theatre Seoul is the nation's largest English musical theater troupe, with around 100 members, ranging from kindergarteners to high school students.
The group helps children learn English through acting. They have taken their production of ``Choon-hyang'' to New York, Shanghai, Edinburgh and throughout Korea. For more information, call (02) 747-0035.