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Korean Musical Awards honors standout productions including 'The Man in Hanbok,' 'Maybe Happy Ending'

Published: 20 Jan. 2026, 13:53 Updated: 20 Jan. 2026, 19:16

PAIK JI-HWAN
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Winners of the 10th Korean Musical Awards pose at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in central Seoul on Jan. 19. [THE WAVE]

Korean musical theater marked the 10th edition of its premier awards ceremony on Monday, as the Korean Musical Awards recognized standout productions like "The Man in Hanbok" and "Maybe Happy Ending" and honored both veteran and emerging talent at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in central Seoul.

"The Man in Hanbok," which imagines a fictional final journey of the 15th-century inventor Jang Yeong-sil from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) to Florence, Italy, won the Grand Prize. The production stands out for its tightly structured narrative and score, which weaves traditional Korean musical elements with Western orchestration.

"Maybe Happy Ending," a musical about two helper robots navigating human emotions, took the Work Award for theaters with 400 seats or more.

Among individual honors, Jo Jung-eun won the Best Lead Performer award for her portrayal of Francesca in "The Bridges of Madison County," while Park Eun-tae received the Best Lead Performer award in the male category for his role as photographer Robert Kincaid in the same production.

In the supporting and newcomer categories, Jung Won-young received the Supporting Actor award for his portrayal of Genie in "Aladdin," and Lee Sung-kyung won the Rookie Actress honor for her debut in the same production.

Kang Byung-hoon won the Rookie Actor honor for his role in "Bare the Musical," a coming-of-age story exploring teenage identity and relationships.

On the creative side, Oh Kyung-taek won the Best Direction award for "The Gashinas" (translated). Kim Ha-jin received the Best Script award for the same production.

Lee Sun-young won the Best Composition award for "Laika," while Lee Sung-jun received the award for Orchestration and Music Direction for "The Man in Hanbok."

This year’s awards, held in the 60th year of Korean musical theater, also offered a moment to review how the genre has changed and what it has accomplished.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]