The Painters Featured in Kukmin Ilbo as Live Shows Become a Reason to Visit Korea

The Painters, Korea’s non-verbal live drawing performance, was featured in an Oct. 28, 2026 Kukmin Ilbo report on international travelers who now plan their trips to Korea around live performances. The article highlighted The Painters’ Oct. 22 show at Kyunghyang Art Hill in Jeong-dong, Seoul.

On stage, four performers draw to music as if dancing, recreating Klimt’s The Kiss, Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam and a Van Gogh self-portrait, which then come alive through media art. Since its “Season 2” update in fall 2022, the cast has performed with a K-pop idol-inspired look and choreography. There is no dialogue. The story is told through painting, dance, music and video.

The Painters was created for international visitors from the start. It premiered in 2008, began touring abroad in Singapore in 2011, and sold out all four of its shows in Changhua County, Taiwan last year. About 70% of this year’s Seoul audience is estimated to be from overseas.

After the show, guests made marbled eco-bags with the performers as part of “Korea in Motion,” a performing arts tourism campaign led by the Korea Tourism Organization and partners. The Painters plans to offer this as a regular experience for international visitors, including a keyring with each guest’s name written in Hangul.

Merve Kim, a Turkish resident of Korea, named the tiger painting as her favorite scene. She said the show taught her that she could fully enjoy live theater without understanding every word.

The related article can be found on the Kukmin Ilbo website. (https://www.kmib.co.kr/article/20261027501934)

The Painters Official Website: www.thepainters.co.kr/en