The musical Maybe Happy Ending wins big at the Tony Awards｜Courtesy of NHN Link

On June 8, 2025 (local time), the Korean musical Maybe Happy Ending won six awards at the 78th Tony Awards, often called the Oscars of the theater and musical world. This extraordinary feat–sweeping major categories including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score–marks a historic milestone for Korean content on the global stage, comparable to Parasite’s groundbreaking Best Picture win at the Academy Awards.
What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that Maybe Happy Ending began in a small 300-seat theater in Daehakro. With its unique theme centering on a love story between two aging humanoid robots, combined with heartfelt musical numbers and lyrical dialogue, the show earned a 9.8 audience rating at its premiere, and its fame rapidly spread through word of mouth.
For its third season in 2020, actors Jeon Mi-do and Jung Moon-sung–who had gained recognition through the hit drama Hospital Playlist–returned to the stage after the premiere, drawing strong interest from audiences. During its fifth season in 2024, the musical achieved an impressive 99.4% seat occupancy rate.
The six Tony Awards won by Maybe Happy Ending mark not only the global recognition of a musical that began in a humble Korean theater, but also a symbolic moment that highlights the rising stature of Korea’s performing arts industry on the world stage.

Now, as acclaim pours in from Broadway, one question comes to mind:
“Where did this remarkable story begin?” The answer? Daehakro.

Marronnier Park, a landmark of Daehakro

Located in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Daehakro is the hub of Korean creative performing arts, with around 200 theaters concentrated in the area. As the world’s largest cluster of small theaters, it showcases hundreds of performances every single day. Here, limited-run productions tailored to devoted fans coexist with open-run shows designed for broader audiences.
Has the news of the musical Maybe Happy Ending’s Tony Award win has sparked your interest in musicals and plays? Then why not start with some open-run performances that are perfect for first-time theatergoers? Here are three such productions that showcase the distinctive charm of original Korean musicals!

A scene from the musical Finding Mr. Destiny｜Courtesy of NEO Production

Since its premiere in 2006, Finding Mr. Destiny has become one of Korea’s most representative original musicals, with over 8,500 performances and a cumulative audience of 1.55 million. The story follows a woman who sets out to find her first love, Kim Jong-uk, whom she met on a trip to India. She teams up with the CEO of a company called “Finding Your First Love,” with the story unfolding in the style of a Korean romantic comedy.
Finding Mr. Destiny has featured a star-studded cast, including Um Ki-joon, Oh Man-seok, Jeon Mi-do, Oh Na-ra, and Kwak Sun-young. It was also adapted into a film in 2010 starring Gong Yoo and Lim Soo-jung. If you are looking for a heart-fluttering Korean-style rom-com, this musical is a must-see.

• Finding Mr. Destiny
• • Genre: Musical
• • Minimum Age: 7 years
• • Running Time: 100 minutes
• • Performance Period: Permanent
• • Ticket Prices: All seats ₩50,000
• • Performance Venue: Bricks Theater (Bricks Theater, 25, Daehak-ro 8-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Dongsung-dong))

A scene from the musical VAMP X HUNTER｜Courtesy of KONTENTZ Planning

Premiering in 2024, VAMP X HUNTER became a breakout hit, captivating audiences with its powerful musical numbers and enchanting choreography. This musical tells the story of a fateful clash between a vampire who is bent on drenching the world in blood and three heroes who form an alliance to save both the world and themselves, delivered with a blend of humor and thrilling energy. If you are a fan of K-zombie hits like Netflix’s Kingdom or the film Train to Busan, the K-vampire musical VAMP X HUNTER is one to watch.

• VAMP X HUNTER
• • Genre: Musical
• • Minimum Age: 12 years
• • Running Time: 90 minutes
• • Performance Period: Permanent
• • Ticket Prices: All seats ₩60,000
• • Performance Venue: JS Art Hall (B1, JS Building, 94 Dongsung-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul(Dongsung-dong))

A scene from the musical Sunny Ten｜Courtesy of Hama Company

Sunny Ten is a jukebox musical featuring K-pop hits from the 1990s and 2000s, including “You in Vague Memory” and “Murphy’s Law.” Centered on a blind date between a man about to study abroad and a woman with a wounded heart, the musical weaves together a sweet love story and nostalgic K-pop hits. Since its premiere in 2019, it has continued to grace the stage, winning the hearts of audiences. If you are a K-POP fan who longs for the heart-fluttering charm of retro vibes, Sunny Ten is the perfect show for you.

• Sunny Ten
• • Genre: Musical
• • Minimum Age: 10 years
• • Running Time: 100 minutes
• • Performance Period: March 7, 2025 – September 30, 2025
• • Ticket Prices: All seats ₩66,000
• • Performance Venue: JTN Art Hall, Theater 1 (B1, 26 Ihwajang-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Ihwa-dong))