Most tourist books on Korea describe the neighborhood Myeongdong in central Seoul as one of the capital city's main shopping districts and one of the most commercialized areas.
So tourists may not know that Myeongdong was once the cradle of Korean performance culture and art.
But it is not just tourists who may not know about this, but many locals, especially youngsters, are not aware that culture-savvy people and artists flocked to Myeongdong in the 1960s and 70s for poetry readings, music shows, theatrical performances and art exhibitions.
Now after decades, the district is trying to restore its cultural reputation by renovating and reopening theaters in the area.
Heralding this rebirth is the reopening of Myeongdong Theater, formerly the National Theater of Korea.
After a three-year makeover, the theater with 552 seats arranged in three tiers has reopened on June 5, exciting artists, culture vultures and the like.
This performance space was originally built in 1934 and served as Korea's national theater, a cultural center where countless operas, plays and concerts were held until it moved to Jangchung-dong in 1973.
Since then, artists left and Myeongdong began losing its fame as the center of Korean culture and art, and all that was left was the commercial district.
However, cultural circles had requested the reopening of the theater since the mid-1980s and the government listened and purchased the building in 2004. It later began to renovate its interior, while preserving the classic Baroque-style exterior.
The theater plans to focus on producing in-house pieces that appeal to a wide range of audiences.
The opening performance is “A Happy Day of Maeng Jinsa'' written by Oh Young-jin and directed by Lee Byung-hoon. It will run through June 21.
Meanwhile, other smaller theaters are also to open or are looking to reestablish themselves in the area.