King of the Road 1980 is a theatrical masterpiece by Oriza Hirata that has been frequently performed in Japan. King of the Road 2002 is a new joint production by Sung Ki-Woong, who won the Award for the Best Play in the 2013 Dong-A Theatre Awards, and the South Korean staff and cast of the 12th Tongue Theatre Studio. The long-awaited performance of both plays in South Korea is being staged to mark the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea.

“1980 and 2002: both are set in Istanbul. What do they depict, stuck in the midst of a turbulent time in world history, unable to move east or west…? A revival of King of the Road 1980, Oriza Hirata’s only autobiographical play, and a performance of King of the Road 2002, a new work that brings the action forward in time. They spotlight Japanese people and the current state of relations between Japan and South Korea from one location in the world.”

King of the Road 1980
Producer & Director: Oriza Hirata
Performers: Kenichi Akiyama, Satoshi Kobayashi, Hiroshi Ota, Chikako Suzuki, Tadashi Otake, Madoka Murai, Tatsuya Kawamura, Makoto Sato, Tadashi Kaizu, Yuko Kibiki, Taichi Ishimatsu, Tsuyoshi Ito, Kanami Kikuchi, Maki Tomita, Takakuni Moriyama, Shigeru Sato, Lee So Jin, Masahiko Shirota
King of the Road 2002
Co-writers & Co-directors: Oriza Hirata & Sung Ki-Woong
Performers: Hiroshi Ota, Tadashi Otake, Madoka Murai, Tatsuya Kawamura, Makoto Sato, Yuko Kibiki, Takakuni Moriyama, Bryerly Long, Shigeru Sato
Chun Jungha, Sun Myungkyoon, Ma Duyoung, Baek Jongseung, Joun Soo Ji, Park Minji, Kang Heeje