Musical ‘Fan Letter’ performance photos from Taiwan, China, Japan, and the United Kingdom

Since its 2016 premiere, the K-musical ‘Fan Letter’ has sustained a decade of box-office momentum and has risen to become a leading domestic steady-selling original musical. As a 10th-anniversary encore, performances run through June 7 at the Grand Theater of the Hongik University Daehak-ro Art Center.

Regarded as a source of pride among Korean original musicals, ‘Fan Letter’ has returned to the Daehak-ro stage to continue its 10th-anniversary encore, showcasing the strength of the K-musical brand.

Premiered in 2016, ‘Fan Letter’ has built a firm base of support in the Korean performing-arts sector on the strength of lyrical dialogue and a robust storyline over the past ten years. With cumulative domestic attendance surpassing 200,000, the production consolidated its power on home stages and grew into a representative global original musical, shifting gears for entry into the English-speaking world, the birthplace of musicals, beyond the Asian market.

Carrying forward the enthusiasm of the 10th-anniversary production that concluded to great acclaim at the Seoul Arts Center earlier this year, it immediately moved into an encore run in Daehak-ro, proving unflagging box-office appeal. Returning to Daehak-ro, this 10th-anniversary encore condenses the milestones to date and presents a path toward sustainable growth for Korean original musicals.

Musical ‘Fan Letter’ 10th-anniversary encore performance photos

Set in the 1930s during Japanese colonial rule, the musical ‘Fan Letter’ is a fact-inspired creation that draws its motif from anecdotes of ‘Guinhoe,’ a circle of writers of the time that included Kim Yu-jeong and Yi Sang. The narrative centered on the genius novelist Kim Hae-jin, the aspiring writer Jeong Se-hoon who admires him, and the secret-shrouded author Hikaru forms the backbone of the piece and has long delivered a deep resonance to audiences.

After being selected as the final work of Season 1 of ‘Glocal Musical Live,’ a program by the Korea Creative Content Agency that supports overseas expansion of original musicals, the piece began to build a solid audience base through its showcase. With continued audience support, it ran across five seasons and secured its position as a representative steady-selling original musical. The analog sensibility inherent in letters and literature, poetic lyrics, and dramatic music have captivated audiences for ten years and sustained its vitality.

Its presence on the global stage has also been notable. In 2018, it became the first Korean original musical to enter Taiwan, presenting performances by Korean actors in a large theater with about 2,000 seats. The Chinese licensed production that premiered in 2022 has been touring more than ten cities in China every year through this year, building a local fandom. In particular, at the ‘Chinese Musical Association Annual Awards’ in 2025, it won in seven categories, including ‘Best Licensed Musical,’ proving the power of K-musicals. The 2024 licensed premiere in Japan recorded daily sellouts and achieved the feat of receiving the work award and the translation award at the ‘17th Odashima Yushi Translation Play Awards.’ Furthermore, selected in 2024 for the Arts Management Support Center program that supports overseas expansion of original musicals, the ‘K-Musical Roadshow in London,’ it successfully completed an English-language showcase in the West End of London, laying the groundwork for entry into the English-speaking market.

The long-term collaboration of the creative team, which has steadfastly preserved the identity of the work, has underpinned its achievements at home and abroad. Led by producer Kang Byung-won, the original creative team of writer Han Jae-eun, composer Park Hyun-sook, and director Kim Tae-hyung has firmly established a unique palette for the production from the premiere onward, adding depth to the piece.

Musical ‘Fan Letter’ 10th-anniversary encore performance photos

Together, the deeply committed performances of past cast members who have led the piece over many years and the fresh interpretations by skilled new cast members that inject vitality into the stage have achieved perfect harmony. Their ensemble work, delivering ever more tightly woven performances each season and each show, has elevated the overall completeness of the work and powered its ten-year growth.

The results that ‘Fan Letter’ has sustained over the past ten years show that Korean original musicals can win empathy from audiences around the world, transcending time and borders. Following the main 10th-anniversary production, the encore run has also been staged to great success, demonstrating its strength as a global brand. Presenting a sustainable future and limitless potential for expansion for Korean original musicals, ‘Fan Letter’ is expected to continue long-term box-office success.

The 10th-anniversary encore run of the musical ‘Fan Letter’ is being staged at the Grand Theater of the Hongik University Daehak-ro Art Center in Seoul through June 7.