The Director of the Changgeuk ‘Boheoja,’ Kim Jung, says, “A story that sends off sorrow with a warm heart… Reminds me a lot of the Muan tragedy.”

A Story of the Brothers Suyang and Anpyeong… “Ultimately a Family Story”
Junsu Kim as Anpyeong: “A Character Who Can Portray Family Affection”,

[Seoul=Newsis] On the afternoon of the 27th, the cast of the National Changgeuk Company of Korea practiced for the new play ‘Bohyeoja: Walking on Air’ at the National Theater in Jung-gu, Seoul. (Photo courtesy of the National Changgeuk Company of Korea) 2025.02.27. [email protected] *Resale and DB prohibited,
,
, ‘[Seoul=Newsis] by Intern Reporters Suji Lee and Jae-eun Ko = “I hope this piece becomes one where we can say a warm goodbye to families and relationships lost too soon and not by choice, without being trapped in sorrow.”‘,
,
, “On the 27th, Director Kim Jeong explained the motive behind creating the new play ‘Bohyeoja (步虛子): Walking on Air’ by the National Changgeuk Company of Korea during a round interview at the National Theater in Jung-gu, Seoul.”,
,
, “The new work ‘Bohyeoja (步虛子): Walking on Air’ by the National Changgeuk Company of Korea is a piece that adds artistic imagination to the story of the 7th king of the Joseon Dynasty, King Sejo (Prince Suyang), and his younger brother Anpyeong. The setting is 27 years after the Gyeyujeongnan in 1480.”,
,
,

[Seoul=Newsis] On the afternoon of the 27th, Director Kim Jeong gives a greeting during the practice room open day and round interview for the National Changgeuk Company of Korea’s new play ‘Bohyeoja: Walking on Air’ held at the National Theater in Jung-gu, Seoul. (Photo courtesy of the National Changgeuk Company of Korea) 2025.02.27. [email protected] *Resale and DB prohibited,
,
, ‘Director Kim introduced the work by saying, “It is not about the historical tragedy itself but about the story 27 years later,” and “It shows how people with scars can untangle relationships and history after a long time, offering solace.”‘,
,
, ‘He emphasized, “While working, I often thought of the Jeju Air Muan catastrophe that happened last year,” and “Since the plane disaster was also about families traveling together, I wanted to offer comfort through this piece.”‘,
,
, “Originally, ‘Bohyeoja’ means ‘a person walking in the void,’ a court music praying for longevity and peace. In this work, it portrays those living a life as if walking in a void with no place to step on.”,
,
,

[Seoul=Newsis] On the afternoon of the 27th, the cast of the National Changgeuk Company of Korea practiced for the new play ‘Bohyeoja: Walking on Air’ at the National Theater in Jung-gu, Seoul. (Photo courtesy of the National Changgeuk Company of Korea) 2025.02.27. [email protected] *Resale and DB prohibited,
,
, “The story unfolds with Anpyeong’s daughter Musim, Anpyeong’s concubine An Gyeon, a wanderer Anpyeong, and Suyang, visible only to Anpyeong, setting off to see ‘MongYuDoWonDo,’ which Anpyeong saw in a dream.”,
,
, ‘Writer Bae Sam-sik said, “While looking for various materials about Prince Suyang, I encountered Anpyeong’s daughter Musim (無心) and MongYuDoWonDo,” and “From the irony that Anpyeong’s dream of a spring day in his youth remains while the grimy reality and his body have scattered without a trace, every story began.”‘,
,
, ‘Comparing to existing works that focused on political positions between Prince Suyang and Anpyeong, this piece zeros in on the tragic story between the brothers.’,
,
, ‘Director Kim mentioned, “I thought I should talk about kings within our history, not surrounding stories. Whether it’s tragedy or royalty, ultimately it’s about family. It’s a story of blood ties.”‘,
,
,

[Seoul=Newsis] Actors Lee Gwang-bok (left) and Kim Junsu appear in the National Changgeuk Company of Korea’s new play ‘Bohyeoja: Walking on Air’. (Photo courtesy of the National Changgeuk Company of Korea) 2025.02.27. [email protected] *Resale and DB prohibited,
,
, ‘Actor Lee Gwang-bok, who plays Suyang, mentioned, “Instead of portraying Suyang as a bad character, I tried to express his unavoidable position,” and “I also tried to depict the warm memories between the brothers Anpyeong and Suyang.”‘,
,
, ‘Actor Kim Junsu, who plays Anpyeong, described Anpyeong as “a character who portrays warm family love and affection while walking in a void after a life broken not by his own will.”‘,
,
, ‘Notably, this performance features various traditional instruments such as the cheolhyeongeum, saenghwang, and unla.’,
,
, ‘Composer Jang Seo-yoon noted, “While the ajaeng and 10-string gayageum play roles in directly conveying emotions, we used mystical instruments like pyeonjung and pyeongyeong as it’s a story of the past, involving court music.”‘,
,
, “‘Bohyeoja (步虛子): Walking on Air’ will be performed at the Daloreum Theater of the National Theater from March 13th to 20th for approximately 120 minutes.”