Sejong Center for the Performing Arts is the largest arts and cultural complex in

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. It has an interior area of 53,202m². It is situated in the center of the capital, on

Sejongno Sejongno (), also known as Sejong-daero, is a street that runs through Jongno-gu in downtown Seoul. It is named after King Sejong the Great of Joseon. The street is 600 meters in length, but due to its central location it is of great symbolic ...

, a main road that cuts through the capital city of the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and r ...

. The center took 4 years to complete, opening in 1978. It was "built as a cultural center for Seoulites." It currently contains one of the biggest

pipe organs The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks' ...

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

History

After the Seoul National Hall was destroyed by fire in 1972, the City Council of Seoul commissioned the construction of a venue to continue the cultural heritage of that structure. Built in 1978, commissioned by the City of Seoul, Sejong Center was largely unsupported financially for 20 years, being under the control of the Special City of Seoul. In 1999, the center was placed under control of a foundation governed by civilians whose passion for the arts fueled its massive newfound success. This venue hosted

Miss Universe 1980 Miss Universe 1980, the 29th Miss Universe pageant, was held on 8 July 1980 at the Sejong Cultural Center in Seoul, South Korea. It was the first time in the pageant's history that the event was held in South Korea. Shawn Weatherly from the Unite ...

. The center's design was based on a fusion of Korean national symbols and the western architectural designs. The name "Sejong" is from the 4th ruling king of the

Sejong the Great Sejong of Joseon (15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), personal name Yi Do (Korean: 이도; Hanja: 李祹), widely known as Sejong the Great (Korean: 세종대왕; Hanja: 世宗大王), was the fourth ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. Initial ...

. On 23 September 2012, the

Seoul Metropolitan Government The Seoul Metropolitan Government is a local government of Seoul, South Korea. The mayor is elected to a four-year term by the citizens of Seoul and is responsible for the administration of the city government. The Seoul Metropolitan Governmen ...

started on a trial basis, a 550-m designated section of

Sejong-ro Sejongno (), also known as Sejong-daero, is a street that runs through Jongno-gu in downtown Seoul. It is named after King Sejong the Great of Joseon. The street is 600 meters in length, but due to its central location it is of great symbolic ...

as pedestrian-only but permitted for cyclists. The section includes the road from the

Gwanghwamun Gwanghwamun () is the main and largest gate of Gyeongbok Palace, in Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is located at a three-way intersection at the northern end of Sejongno. As a landmark and symbol of Seoul's long history as the capital city d ...

three-way intersection, along

Gwanghwamun Plaza Gwanghwamun Plaza (, also known as Gwanghwamun Square) is a public open space on Sejongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The plaza was opened on 1 August 2009 by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and is part of the City's plans for environment ...

in front of the Sejong Center to the Sejong-ro intersection.

Facilities

The Sejong Center is made up of many different halls, centers and theaters.

Main Auditorium

The "Big" Theater as it is called in Korean, is a technologically advanced theater. It opened in 1999 to show Shim Hyung-rae's ''Yonggary'' and has a capacity for 3,000 people and is the biggest Theater at the country.

Minor Hall

Called The "Small" Theater in Korean, is constructed in an interesting style over 2 floors, and can seat 442 people, the stage can allow for 100 people on performance.

Arts Forum Galleries

*Main Gallery: The Arts Forum is a large room (1,056 m²) that is divided into 4 separate rooms for viewings of different sizes and numbers. *New Gallery: The New Gallery is a (594 m²) place for artwork that excels in the social, popular and cultural side of Korean art. *Gwang Hwa Moon Gallery: Originally part of the 5th Line Subway Metro System, it houses artworks that are considered to be outstanding by the youth and new up-and-coming artists. Considered to be an example of Subway Art Galleries.

Gwang Hwa Rang

The Gwang Hwa Rang is situated underneath the

crossroads, it opened on February 17, 2005, with complete free access to pedestrians and art-discerning Seoulites. It includes a window-gallery that enable by-passers on ground level to peek inside.

Sejong Convention Center and Hall

The Convention Center and Hall is usually used for big events and conferences. With a size of 627 m², it can house around 400 people. It is available for many different events. It includes 250 translating systems that interprets five different languages simultaneously. The convention hall has a smaller size convention center that is used for similar purposes and is able to accommodate 120 people.

Sam Chung Gak

Measuring in 19417m², Sam Chung Gak is a collaboration of six traditional Korean Housings. Since 2001, it has been used by the center as a place for traditional heritage experience.

Resident companies

* Seoul Philharmonic * Seoul National Philharmonic * Seoul Metropolitan Theater Company * City of Seoul Musical Company * Seoul Metropolitan Chorus * Seoul National Traditional Dance Company * Seoul Metropolitan Opera * Seoul Youth Orchestra * Seoul Youth Choir

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Jongno District Arts centres in South Korea Theatres in South Korea Concert halls in South Korea Culture of Seoul Buildings and structures in Seoul Tourist attractions in Seoul Sejong the Great