The Hidden Art of GukGeuk: The Renaissance and Revolution Of Korean Traditional Theatre

Image by: Jeffry Surianto

Historically, musical theatre has expressed various forms of presentations, embracing gender fluidity with male identifying actors portraying opposite sexes since Ancient Greece, at times discordant to societal standards or deemed a reputable form of art. In either critique, the conversation of gender politics within theatre has always been centered around one gender: men and the seclusion of women in the space. Throughout centuries, the rights and sovereignty of women being limited, there was not a space in the arts for women to partake in, witnessing continual portrayals ridiculing and dehumanizing them in theatre. The musical theatre world was male dominated, until a group of women in the 1940s established an all-female theatrical cast genre known as Yeoseong Gukgeuk to challenge this notion.

After Korea acquired emancipation from Japan in the 1940s, the Korean identity and tradition had been altered, the country had to redefine who they were along with the modernization of Western influence they faced. The Kisaeng culture of female entertainers was eradicated, however the women were enforced into oppressive conditions and were sexualised, having been forced into prostitution once before, presenting it difficult to continue their art. They carried a desire to perform, thus creating their own organisation to protect themselves from any further control of men and the government. They created the Korean Women's Musician Organization, the origin of the Yeoseong Gukgeuk.

Yeoseong Gukgeuk was founded on the principles of traditional pansori, a traditional Korean style of singing and Korean theatre, although it contrasted what had been known with it being an all women production on stage. Women depicting men, women, children, grandmothers, grandfathers; depicting their power and voice. This form challenged the structure of music and theatre in Korea, the pansori and folksong singing style with newly composed songs, displaying intricate stories performed by newly formed all-female troupes with leaders who taught them. Such a style of music and theatre gained immense traction among a majority of female viewers, who saw women portrayed as heroic “masculine” characters, strong-willed, such female masculinity while in control of their femininity and how they wished to present it. Their voices were not allocated only to the standard of delicacy once expected; loud, deep, and rough voices rang out with such character and rawness that moved audiences.

Pansori performance at the Busan Cultural Center in Busan South Korea

This change was not met without contempt from society and male counterparts, who criticized their effort to take on male roles in theatre. As much as the backlash appeared, the women persisted and performed, inspiring others to move away from male-dominated theatre companies and join Yeoseong Gukgeuk troupes. The stories of liberation, tenacity, and love rang in the hearts of many Koreans after the war, presenting deep emotional connections between the performers and the audience, and with heart Yeoseong Gukgeuk rose in popularity. It surpassed Changgeuk, the mixed-gender traditional Korean opera and other theatre groups, placing more emphasis on visual aspects and female actors carrying dynamic vocal ranges.

As Yeoseong Gukgeuk rose in popularity like a flame, it soon came to dim, the art form in the 1960s depleting as actors were promised television roles and broadcasting in return for leaving the theatre. Many women needing monetary stability and having dreams of pursuing their art further could not help but accept the offers, and soon Yeoseong Gukgeuk was no longer performed and has rarely been recorded in history and discussed. Just as the women once took the initiative to pursue their passions and tell their stories, we must not forget theirs and the strength to use their voices for control, independence, and to share their music and art with the world.