The Jeonju World Sound Festival (hereinafter referred to as the Sound Festival), with Executive Director Lee Woong-jun at the helm, is preparing for a second leap forward as it gears up for this year's opening performance of "Shim Cheong."

On the 14th, Executive Director Kim Hee-sun explained the future plans for the opening performance of this year's Sound Festival, which was selected for the genre-specific market hub support project, during a press conference with the Ministry of Culture.

With the recent selection in the genre-specific market hub support project by the Ministry of Culture and Arts Management Support Center, the Sound Festival has been awarded an annual government subsidy of 4.5 billion won (up to 13.5 billion won over three years). This project, aimed at growth as a market hub, is a three-year scale-up planning project specializing in genres, and the Jeonju World Sound Festival was selected as the only festival in the traditional field.

The criteria for the review of this support project, aimed at "market expansion," included the feasibility of achieving project goals, operational capabilities, and the validity of budget plans. Consideration was also given to the nationwide expansion potential of the project, as well as the fidelity and appropriateness of the three-year plan to serve as a launching pad for domestic artists (groups) to enter overseas markets.

In other words, the Sound Festival was recognized during the review process for its potential to expand into a genre hub festival through the advanced development of excellent regional festivals, the nationwide expansion potential of the project, and the fidelity and appropriateness of the three-year plan to serve as a launching pad for domestic artists (groups) to enter overseas markets. This sets the foundation for the formation of a traditional performing arts distribution market centered around the Sound Festival.

With this recent selection in the call for proposals, the Sound Festival plans to leverage its strengths, built upon 25 years of festival operation know-how, a network of over 50,000 artists worldwide, collaboration experiences with domestic and international presenters, and overseas festivals and institutions, to pioneer new market avenues and establish itself as a brand targeting international markets.

In particular, Executive Director Kim Hee-sun expressed the festival's determination to serve as the only traditional genre distributor in Korea, aiming to become an international distribution platform for traditional and contemporary artists, mid-career artists, and emerging artists, thereby contributing to the popularization and globalization of traditional arts.

The opening performance of the 2025 Jeonju World Sound Festival, "Shim Cheong," a collaboration between the most prominent opera director of the present day and the National Theater Company of Korea, has garnered significant attention even before its production. The Sound Festival plans to expand this opening performance into a representative global content of the festival. Furthermore, the festival has set a goal to contribute to the modernization of traditional arts through this work and to promote the excellence of traditional arts to the world through overseas ventures.

The script and direction of this work are led by director Yona Kim, who is active in Europe, particularly in Germany, with set design by a local German creative team that has worked at leading opera festivals worldwide. On the 11th, a production presentation and public audition for "Shim Cheong" were held, with significant participation from local artists and those who have previously performed on the Sound Festival stage, adding to its significance. The production team, having completed preliminary visits, is now fully dedicated to preparing for the opening performance of the Jeonju World Sound Festival on August 13.

By overturning entrenched stereotypes prevalent throughout the country, the production portrays the protagonist "Shim Cheong" as a character representing all the social underdogs of this land who have been oppressed without possessing their unique voice and strength, garnering expectations with a completely different interpretation from before.

Executive Director Kim Hee-sun emphasized, "There is already high interest from domestic and international experts and artists in 'Shim Cheong.' Producing a work that garners attention through collaboration with national institutions and overseas directors in the field of traditional arts performance is an unprecedented task that will confirm the capabilities of the Sound Festival while also serving as a crucial turning point for the festival's future."