'Nanta' gets blow by THAAD retaliation

A scene from the non-verbal performance "Nanta" / Courtesy of PMC Production

Korean gallery withdraws from Shanghai

By Kwon Mee-yoo

The cultural exchanges between Korea and China face an uncertain future, after launchers for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) arrived in Korea Tuesday amid controversy.

China is retaliating against Korea, including ordering a ban on group tours to Korea, passed down earlier this month.

Non-verbal performances, relying highly on Chinese tourists, are taking a direct hit. "Nanta," one of the most popular Korean non-verbal performances, will close down its 600-seat theater in Chungjeongno, Seoul, in April for a few months. The theater mainly targets Chinese tour groups. The number of visitors has been on the decrease since last summer, reaching almost zero following the recent ban, according to PMC Production.

"Nanta," premiered in 1997, is a non-verbal performance based on the rhythms of samul nori, a form of Korean percussion music. It attracted 10 million viewers as of 2014 and runs four theaters in Korea as well as one in Guangzhou, China, and another in Bangkok, Thailand.

The company said it will concentrate on marketing the show to tourists from other countries such as Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Other non-verbal performances are also suffering the same fate. "Original Drawing Show," a non-verbal show combining art and performance, temporarily closed its theater in Myeongbo Art Hall, central Seoul. Percussion performance "Drumcat" did not renew its contract with its theater when it expired in February.

The homegrown musical "Laundry" cut short its China tour last August. Another musical "Little Jack" planned to hold a showcase promoting the musical, but called off the event featuring Korean actors last October.

Korean art exhibition canceled

China’s retaliation has far-reaching consequences across Korea’s cultural sector. Major exhibitions of Korean artists in China have been canceled or postponed and a Korean gallery closed down its Shanghai branch.

Yuz Museum Shanghai, founded by Chinese-Indonesian entrepreneur Budi Tek, announced last year it would hold an exhibition of “Dansaekhwa,” or Korean monochrome paintings, from the 1970s. However, the museum recently notified the artists and the Korean partner Kukje Gallery that the exhibition has been put on hold.

Joint exhibitions of Korean and Chinese institutions were also canceled. Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art said the museum planned an exhibition commemorating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and China, but it was canceled due to the chilled relations.

An exhibition of Korean artists originally scheduled for December at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai, was canceled too.

Hakgojae Gallery pulled out its Shanghai branch after its final exhibition in January. The gallery opened the Shanghai branch in the city's free-trade zone in 2013, aiming to introduce Korean art to China, but withdrew after three years.

A gallery official mentioned difficulties, as the gallery hasn't received full payments for some of the works sold during its opening exhibition. It took measures before the situation worsens due to the THAAD retaliation and is considering opening a new branch in Hong Kong.