Korean director, writer, composer, and performer Koo Jaha is bringing his acclaimed production 'Haribo Kimchi' to Seoul audiences this week, marking a homecoming for the Europe-based artist who continues to explore the complexities of living between cultures. The innovative performance, which premiered in Brussels last year, will run from Thursday to Sunday at Quad in Daehangno, Seoul's renowned small theater district.
Following his celebrated Hamartia trilogy consisting of 'Rolling and Rolling,' 'Cuckoo,' and 'A History of Korea,' Koo presents this latest work that has been described as a hybrid form merging music, video, and robotic performers. The production navigates the conflicts and paradoxes of cultural assimilation while unfolding a bittersweet narrative designed to provoke both thought and emotion among audiences.
In 'Haribo Kimchi,' Koo turns his artistic lens inward, positioning his identity somewhere between Haribo gummy bears and kimchi, the quintessential Korean food. 'Food is one of the most primal and essential ways to express one's identity,' Koo explained during an interview in Seoul on Monday, adding that the piece reflects both his cultural roots and the direction he is heading as an artist.
The performance is set in a Korean-style street tent, where the production weaves together food, robots, and video elements. On stage, a street food stall becomes a refuge for the displaced, where the sounds of sizzling food and shared memories work together to conjure the meaning of home. As part of the interactive experience, two guests from the audience are invited to join the performance.
'Kimchi is an inborn part of my cultural DNA, while Haribo gummy bears represent an acquired taste I discovered after moving to Berlin,' Koo said. 'Through this contrast, I wanted to express a sense of cultural identity that exists somewhere between Korea and Europe.' This exploration of dual identity has become a central theme in his artistic work.
Koo, a graduate of the Korea National University of Arts, moved to Europe driven by curiosity about whether 'the kind of performance medium or form I was imagining might exist outside Korea.' He continued his studies in contemporary theater directing at the Academy of Theatre and Dance in Amsterdam, where he has since emerged as one of the most distinctive voices in Europe's contemporary performing arts scene.
His talent gained international recognition in 2017 when he received the Young Artfund Amsterdam Award in the theater and music category. The jury praised his work for its power to make European audiences reflect on their own societies through Korea's historical and tragic narratives, demonstrating the universal appeal of his culturally specific stories.
Koo's artistic journey began with his debut work 'Rolling and Rolling' in 2014, which was developed during his graduate studies. This piece examined Korea's fixation on English and the unconscious imperialism behind it, earning invitations from several European festivals. His subsequent works have continued to explore themes of cultural identity and globalization through innovative theatrical forms.
His other notable productions include 'Cuckoo' (2017), which transformed a rice cooker into a robotic performer to depict the loss of economic sovereignty, and 'A History of Korean Theatre' (2020), which traced Korea's modern theater scene as shaped by Western influence. These works demonstrate Koo's ability to use everyday objects and technology to tell complex stories about cultural transformation.
'My work speaks about Korea, but audiences overseas tend to see their own stories in it,' Koo observed, highlighting the universal themes that emerge from his culturally specific narratives. This ability to create work that resonates across cultural boundaries has become a hallmark of his artistic approach.
Looking ahead, Koo's next major project, scheduled for 2027, will turn his attention to K-pop with a production titled 'Born to be K to be POP.' 'It's not about the K-pop we know now, but what might come after – what I call post-K-pop,' he explained. 'Through that idea, I want to look at the K-culture and K-pop as global phenomena, and examine the unseen dimensions that lie beneath their success.'
Unlike his previous works, Koo will not appear on stage for this upcoming production. Instead, he plans to hold auditions not necessarily for professional performers, but for social activists, industry experts, and members of the K-pop fandom. This approach represents part of his ongoing attempt to expand the boundaries of audience participation.
'I've been thinking a lot about how to blur boundaries – how to make those lines a little softer – and how to draw in audiences who might not usually be interested in the performing arts,' Koo said. 'Part of it is about bringing new people into the scene, but it's also about developing the strength to cultivate my own audience. And, in a bolder sense, I want to create a kind of shock within the global performing arts scene.'
