Professor Lee Kyung-sung of Theatre Invited to Prestigious Avignon Festival… First Korean Theatre Invitation in 28

Professor Lee Kyung-sung of Theatre Invited to Prestigious Avignon Festival… First Korean Theatre Invitation in 28 Years - As the 80th Avignon Festival designates Korean as its official language for 2026, seven Korean artists are announced - Documentary theatre Island Story on Jeju April 3 tragedy conveys messages of peace and remembrance alongside Nobel laureate Han Kang Island Story, a theatre production directed by and featuring Professor Lee Kyung-sung of the Department of Theatre Arts, has been officially invited to the Festival d’Avignon, one of the world’s most prestigious performing arts festivals held in France. The invitation marks a significant milestone for Korean theatre, coming 28 years after its last official selection in 1998, and is regarded as a renewed recognition of the global stature of Korean performing arts. Celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, the Avignon Festival is widely regarded as a “dream stage” where only a select group of leading artists from around the world are invited each year. Notably, the festival’s organizing committee has designated Korean as an official language for the 2026 edition and unveiled its invited artists during a press presentation held in France on April 8. The list includes seven prominent Korean cultural figures, among them Professor Lee Kyung-sung, Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Han Kang, pansori creator Lee Jaram, Ibsen Award winner Jaha Koo, and actress Lee Hye-young. ▲ Festival d’Avignon poster Selections for the official program undergo a highly rigorous review process. According to the festival organizers, extensive research and field interviews on the Korean performing arts scene have been conducted over the past two years, leading to the final selection of works noted for both artistic excellence and social resonance. During the festival period from July 4 to 25, invited artists will participate not only in performances but also in public engagement programs such as “Meet the Audience” sessions and “K-Stage Rendezvous,” offering opportunities for direct dialogue with international audiences. Island Story, created by Professor Lee and his theatre company Creative VaQi, is a documentary theatre work that follows the excavation and identification of remains of victims of the Jeju April 3rd Incident. Based on real historical events, the production transforms collective trauma into a stage narrative, carrying a broader message of mourning and remembrance for victims of violence and war across the world today. During the festival, Professor Lee will also present a series of five performances, including a special reading of I Do Not Bid Farewell, alongside Nobel laureate Han Kang, internationally renowned actress Isabelle Huppert, and actress Lee Hye-young, further emphasizing themes of peace and reconciliation. ▲ Island Story by Creative VaQi poster Professor Lee commented on the invitation, saying, “It is an honor to stand on the stage of Avignon alongside world-renowned masters. As a member of Sungkyunkwan University, I will do my utmost to share the strength of Korean theatre with the world.” Meanwhile, Island Story will hold its final domestic performances in Korea from April 15 to 19 at the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture’s QUAD Theatre in Daehak-ro before departing for France.

Sungkyunkwan University Department of Dance’s WAVE (K-COIL) Course Leads Choreo Lab Project with University of Taipei

Sungkyunkwan University Department of Dance’s WAVE (K-COIL) Course Leads Choreo Lab Project with University of Taipei Rhythms of the World, Written in the Body <Rhythms of the World, Written in the Body> is the culminating work of the Choreo Lab Project, an international collaboration between the Department of Dance at Sungkyunkwan University and University of Taipei. The joint course was co-taught by Professor Kim Na-yi of Sungkyunkwan University and Professor Tung, I-Fen of the University of Taipei, bringing together students from both institutions in a shared creative process that transcended national and cultural boundaries. From March 30 to April 5, Sungkyunkwan University students traveled to Taipei, where they engaged in an intensive period of collaborative creation with their Taiwanese counterparts. The project culminated in performances held on April 4 and 5, both of which were successfully received. The exchange will continue in May, when students from the University of Taipei are scheduled to visit Seoul from May 18 to 23 to participate in Sungkyunkwan University’s dance showcase, presenting the fruits of this cross-cultural collaboration on stage. At its core, the work approaches culture not as a set of outward symbols, but as rhythm—embedded in breath, weight, and tempo. It traces how bodies shaped by distinct training methods and lived experiences encounter one another, collide, intersect, and ultimately reorganize themselves through movement. Rather than seeking uniformity, the piece embraces both harmony and dissonance. Divergent rhythms and movement vocabularies converge, sometimes aligning, at other times deliberately falling out of sync to generate new relationships and forms. In doing so, the work reflects the fluidity and diversity inherent in contemporary society, while posing a broader question: how do individuals with differing backgrounds and sensibilities coexist? The performance offered a meaningful platform for students to present their experimental approaches and artistic growth directly to an audience. Notably, what began as a collaborative course conducted online evolved into an embodied, in-person process of creation and performance. The project ultimately underscores the expanding possibilities of artistic practice through international collaboration.

Theatre Professor Yoon Jae-ho’s Feature Film “Left Behind” Selected for the 27th Jeonju International Film Festival

Theatre Professor Yoon Jae-ho’s Feature Film “Left Behind” Selected for the 27th Jeonju International Film Festival A new feature by director Yoon Jae-ho, following “Beautiful Days” and “Fighter,” exploring family fracture and loss with a cast including Park Chul-min and Kim Yoon-seo “Left Behind” is a feature-length narrative film presented by director Yoon Jae-ho approximately five years after gaining international recognition with “Beautiful Days” (2018)—which opened the Busan International Film Festival and starred Lee Na-young and Jang Dong-yoon—and “Fighter” (2021), starring Lim Sung-mi and Baek Seo-bin, which was selected for the Berlin International Film Festival. Notably, the film draws attention for having been completed through a “one-person production system,” in which Yoon single-handedly carried out the entire process, including screenwriting, cinematography, directing, producing, editing and color grading. Yoon also maintains a longstanding relationship with the Jeonju International Film Festival. Following his documentary “Madame B” (2016), short film “Jjigae” (2023), and documentary “Breath” (2024), “Left Behind” marks his first invitation to the festival with a feature-length narrative film, adding further significance to the selection. “The fracture of the family is a central theme that runs through my work,” Yoon said. “With this film, I sought to examine division and loss within a capitalist society through a subtly humorous lens,” he added, explaining his directorial intent. Led by veteran actor Park Chul-min, the cast—including Kim Yoon-seo, Lee Tae-kyu, Kang Seok-cheol and Han Su-woo, all recognized for their solid acting—delicately portrays the disintegration of a family. Set during one summer, “Left Behind” follows siblings who reunite after a long time apart, as long-standing conflicts surrounding their father resurface. The film is scheduled to meet audiences for the first time this spring in Jeonju. [Film Information] * Title: Left Behind * Director/Screenwriter: Yoon Jae-ho * Cast: Park Chul-min, Kim Yoon-seo, Lee Tae-kyu, Kang Seok-cheol, Han Su-woo * Production: K PLUS Y * Music: Wooju (eyears) * Sound Mixing: Sung Jae-hyun (Dr. Avenue) *Synopsis: One summer, siblings gather for the first time in years. However, long-standing tensions surrounding their father resurface, and the family’s fragile peace begins to collapse. Filmography of Director Yoon Jae-ho [Nowhere to Go] (2024) – Short narrative film; Seoul Independent Film Festival (2024) [Breath] (2023) – Feature documentary; Jeonju International Film Festival (2024) [Jjigae] (2023) – Short narrative film; Jeonju International Film Festival (2023) / Seoul Independent Film Festival (2023) [Fighter] (2020) – Feature narrative film; Berlin International Film Festival (2021) / Busan International Film Festival (2020), NETPAC Award, Best Actor Award [Songhae 1927] (2020) – Feature documentary; DMZ International Documentary Film Festival (2021) / Busan International Film Festival (2020) [The Hunter] (2019) – Short narrative film; Paris Courts Devant (2019) / Seoul Yeongdeungpo International Short Film Festival (2019) [Beautiful Days] (2018) – Feature narrative film; Opening Film, Busan International Film Festival (2018) [Letters] (2017) – Feature documentary; CPH:DOX (2018) / Busan International Film Festival (2017) [Madame B] (2016) – Feature documentary; Cannes ACID Section (2016) / Moscow International Film Festival (2016), Documentary Award at Zurich International Film Festival (2016) / Jeonju International Film Festival (2016) [Hitchhiker] (2016) – Short narrative film; Tokyo Short Shorts Film Festival (2017) / Directors’ Fortnight, Cannes Film Festival (2016) [Pig] (2013) – Short narrative film; Tokyo Short Shorts Film Festival (2014) / Directors’ Fortnight, Cannes Film Festival (2013) [Searching for North Koreans] (2012) – Feature documentary; Hamburg International Film Festival (2013) / Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival (2012) [Promise] (2010) – Short documentary; Grand Prize, Asiana (Gwanghwamun) International Short Film Festival (2011)

Blooming as One on Canvas: Sungkyunkwan University Fine Arts Club “Seongmihoe”