It was originally established on 9 September 1932 as the Far Eastern Krai Korean Theatre (; ) in
Vladivostok, Around the time of its creation, actors were looked down upon by the community. Another opened in 1937 in
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (; ). The various theatre groups traveled between various Korean communities in the region. One person interviewed in 2012 whose parents were performers during this period recalled that their parents would leave home for six months at a time while performing. If actors were married, often both partners were actors, which led to children being left at home for months, which caused friction in families. to celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2002. On March 11, 2018, the
South Korean National Assembly speaker
Chung Sye-kyun visited the theatre. He gave a speech to the community there, and watched some of its cultural productions. Later that month, the troupe received an award For Merits in the Development of Culture and Art from the
CIS Interparliamentary Assembly. According to the group, by this point the group had over 5 million viewers over its history. In 2019, South President
Moon Jae-in visited the theatre. The group has been well-received even among non-Koreans. Kim Yelena, director of the theatre in 2023, explained that Koreans were just one of a hundred ethnic groups in Kazakhstan, and that many groups shared the experience of having been forcefully moved to the area. To mark the 30th anniversary of
South Korean-Kazakhstani diplomatic relations, the two countries held a Korea–Kazakhstan Mutual Cultural Exchange Year between 2022 and 2023. The two countries produced a play that opened on September 23 at the Korean Theatre. It is about the deportation of Koryo-saram, as well as about the Korean independence fighter
Hong Beom-do. It was consistently sold out after its opening, and was also performed in various locations in South Korea. == See also ==