The Korean National Opera will present a Cultural Sharing Concert at the Seoul Eastern Detention Center on June 24, 2025.

This is the latest in a series of annual events aimed at providing opportunities for the culturally underprivileged to enjoy the arts. In 2023, the company presented a showcase at the Suwon City Welfare Center for the Disabled, and in 2024, the event took place at the Hyeneung Daycare Center in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, the Cheoin Senior Welfare Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, and the Seum Welfare Center in Gangnam, Seoul. 

Performing during the concert are soprano Lee Mi-young, Kim Hyo-joo, and tenor Yoo Shin-hee, as well as mezzo-soprano Kim Sun-hyung, baritone Lee Seung-woo, and bass Kwak Jae-won, all members of the Opera Studio. The repertoire will include notable passages from “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” and “Carmen,” as well as Korean songs. 

“The Cultural Sharing Concert is a valuable opportunity to share the emotion of opera with more people,” said Choi Sang-ho, the director of the National Opera Company, per an official press release. “In the second half of this year, we plan to visit correctional facilities across the country, including Tongyeong and Yeongwol.”

This is one of several initiatives the Korean National Opera has taken to make opera more accessible and inclusive. The organization recently announced a partnership with the Korean Autism Love Association, with the aim of expanding the participation of people with disabilities in culture and the arts, as well as providing a means to improve the quality of life through the arts. The company is also extending its reach and recently showcased a series of concerts in Spain.

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