9th September 1932, the city of Vladivostok. By decision of the Far Eastern Krai Executive Committee, a mobile Korean Theater was created on the basis of Korean drama clubs. It received the official name of the Far Eastern Krai Korean Theater. Kim Thai became its director. It was the first and, at that time, the only Korean theater in the world. Official documents state that his most important task was to stage performances based on original Korean plays. During the first five years, the theatre’s stage productions were “The Torch of Dian Feng Don”, based on a play by Yong Sen Nen, about the liberation struggle of Koreans against Japanese militarism; “Mezha” – about collectivization and “Slaves” about an armed uprising in Korea, based on the works of the playwright Thai Dyan Chun ; “The Tale of Chun Hyang” by Lee Den Nim, “The Tale of Sim Chen” by Tsai Yong.
September 1937. After the deportation, a part of the troupe of the Far Eastern Krai Korean Theater ended up in Kzyl-Orda and the other in Tashkent. In Kzyl-Orda, the artists of the theater organized “a traveling theater troupe to serve the Korean population” (artists performed for collective farmers during the sowing and harvesting campaigns, as well as for schoolchildren during the holidays). During its first years in Kazakhstan, plays such as “Happy People” by Thai Dyan Chun, about the life of Korean collective farms, “Death of the Squadron” by Alexander Korneichuk and “Enemies” by Maxim Gorky were staged in the theater.
In 1939, Hong Beom Do, the national hero of Korea, worked as a watchman in the Regional Korean Music and Drama Theater.
In 1940, the troupe was transformed into the Kzyl-Orda Regional Korean Music and Drama Theater of the 3rd category.
July 7, 1941. The repertoire of the theater includes “defense themes”, a concert program is approved, which is based on songs and poems about the Great Patriotic War. The artists of the theater performed in front of the evacuated population and the wounded in hospitals.
January 13, 1942. By the decision of the Kazakh Council of People’s Commissars, “in order to provide an audience base and normal working conditions”, the theater was transferred from Kzyl-Orda to the Ush-Tobe station of the Karatal district of Taldy-Kurgan region. The theater became known as the Taldy-Kurgan Regional Korean Music and Drama Theater.
In 1942, the production of the play “Hong Beom Do” was staged for the first time on the stage of the theater. The play was written by playwright Thai Dyan Chun based on personal conversations with Hong Beom Do about the national liberation struggle of the Korean people against Japanese colonization. Many years later, the Korean theater held a Memorial Day for the national hero Hong Beom Do and staged the drama “Hong Flying through the Centuries”.
In 1950, The Tashkent and Taldy-Kurgan Regional Korean Music and Drama Theaters were merged. The Ush-Tobe station became the home of the new theater. The problem of the development of Korea became an important subject for the theater, the plays such as “South of the 38th Parallel” by Thai Dyan Chun and “Korea on Fire” by Yong Sen Nen were staged.
Autumn 1955. Tour of the Korean Theater in Alma-Ata, the city of the USSR.
May 30, 1959 By the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR, the Korean theater was again transferred to the city of Kzyl-Orda. The theater takes part in the Decade of Culture and Art of the Kazakh SSR in Moscow.
1968. The theater was transferred to Alma-Ata. The theater changed its status and became the Republican Korean Theater of Musical Comedy.
1982.For merits in the development of Soviet theatrical art and in connection with the 50th Anniversary of its foundation, the theater is awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor.
1989. Theater tours in the DPRK and the Republic of Korea.
1990. The theater became twinned with the State National Theater of Seoul (Republic of Korea).
1992. At the World Festival of National Theater Arts in Seoul, the theater received its first prize for the play “Don’t Rock the Tree” by Han Ding.
2002. 70th anniversary. The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev met with the staff of the theater; the new building was presented. The theater was awarded with the Gratitude of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
2005. The theater was awarded with the Honorary Diploma of the President of the Republic of Korea.
2006. The theater staff took part in the International festivals of theatrical art in Germany and the Republic of Korea.
2007. 75th Anniversary of the theater. Implementation of the projects “Train of Memory” (artists repeated the route of the Far East Koreans and toured Vladivostok, as well as other cities of Russia) and “The Path of the Diaspora” (the troupe performed in all regional centers of Kazakhstan).
The book “History of the Korean Theater” was presented for the 75th anniversary of the theater.
2010. The State Republican Korean Theater of Musical Comedy initiates the Silk Road International Theater Festival in Seoul. Four theatrical groups from Kazakhstan took part in the festival: Kazakh Academic Drama Theater, State Academic Russian Drama Theater, Kazakh Theater for Children and Youth, as well as the State Republican Korean Theater of Musical Comedy.
2011. Artists of the Mulkel and Kothi theaters (Republic of Korea) performed on the stage of the Korean theater as part of the Silk Road International Theater Festival.
2012. 80th Anniversary of the theater. Premieres of plays: “The Prince of Three Kingdoms”, “All over again”, “Karagoz”. The theater took part in the annual theater festival in the Republic of Korea and toured the cities of Kazakhstan. The Theater Museum was presented at the anniversary celebration ceremony. The theater is awarded with the Gratitude of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev.
The theater signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Korea National University of Arts, the artists of the theater got the opportunity to train and improve their professional skills at one of the best universities in Korea.
2013. The Agreement between the Center for the Preservation of the Spiritual Heritage of the Republics of Korea and the State Republican Korean Theater of Musical Comedy was signed. Groups of specialists in traditional national arts annually hold master classes in the Korean theater with subsequent joint performances.
2014. The theater team received a special medal and a letter of thanks from the Association of Theater Societies of the Republic of Korea at the International Theater Festival in the city of Kunsan for the development of bilateral cultural ties.
A tour of the nine largest cities of Russia with the theatrical performance of “Bound by the same fate”, dedicated to the 150th Anniversary of the resettlement of Koreans to Russia, was organized.
2015. The theater received the Grand Prix at the III Republican Festival of National Theaters in Shymkent for the mystical drama “The Love of a Woman” by J. Soltieva .
2016. The work on the second part of the book “History of the Korean Theater” has begun, the publication is dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the theater, which was to be held in 2017.
2017. By the decision of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Korean Theater is awarded the title of “Academic”.
The theater took part in the 28th World Winter Universiade, EXPO 2017 and in the Dulat Isabekov Theater Festival of Plays in London.
85th Anniversary of the theater.
2018. In pursuance of the Government Decree No. 07-03-190/811-i of April 02, 2018, a solemn ceremony was held to transfer the building to the State Republican Academic Korean Theater of Musical Comedy at the address – st. Bogenbay batyr 158 on May 23 at 12:00 in Almaty.
The theater went on tour to the Republic of Korea with the play “Commander Hong Beom Do” within the framework of cooperation with the Hong Beom Do Remembrance Society of the Republic of Korea in Seoul and Jecheon for the 150th Anniversary of the national hero of Korea Hong Beom Do.
2019. Visit of the President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-In to the Korean theater.
Tour to the Republic of Korea with the play “Commander Hong Beom Do” within the framework of cooperation with the Hong Beom Do Remembrance Society of the Republic of Korea.
2020. A memorandum was signed with the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange “KOFICE”. Participation in the international online training under the CPI program.
2022. The tour to the city of Seoul as part of the Year of Cultural Exchange between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Korea on the 30th anniversary year of diplomatic relations between the states;
The participation in the International Theater Festival “Komanaru” in Gong Ju, Republic of Korea;
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation (MOU) with the Office of the Silk Road Culture and Art Union in the Republic of Korea.
90th Anniversary of the theater.
The presentation of the book “Korean Academic Theater”.