Minister Choi Hwi-young Sends Congratulatory Message to Director Koo Jaha for International Ibsen Award: "Pride of Korean Theater"

On September 30, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that Minister Choi Hwi-young sent a congratulatory message to director Ku Jaha, who received the International Ibsen Award.

The International Ibsen Award is an international theater prize established by the Norwegian government to honor the legacy of world-renowned Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906). It holds global prestige in the fields of contemporary theater and performing arts.

The Norwegian International Ibsen Award Committee announced director Ku as this year’s recipient in March. On September 26 (local time), at the award ceremony held at the National Theater in Oslo, Norway, director Ku received the International Ibsen Award and a prize of 2.5 million Norwegian krone (about 353 million won).

Minister Choi stated, “I sincerely congratulate director Ku on winning the International Ibsen Award,” adding, “Being the first Asian recipient as well as the youngest ever to win this award is a meaningful achievement that demonstrates the originality of Ku Jaha’s artistic world on the global stage. It is also a proud result that showcases the creative capacity and international potential of our nation’s theater.”

He continued, “Director Ku Jaha has translated the narratives and experiences of Korean society into a unique stage language, generating empathy and a positive response from contemporary global audiences. By organically combining various media—including music and video—she has expanded the expressive boundaries of theater and opened new doors for audience experience and reflection.”

Minister Choi concluded, “The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will steadfastly support our theater artists so that they can pursue even greater aspirations on the world stage, grounded in free imagination and a spirit of challenge. I look forward to seeing director Ku Jaha’s distinctive artistic world expand even further and deeper in the future.”

Director Ku, a graduate of the Korea National University of Arts School of Drama, earned her master’s degree from the Amsterdam University of the Arts in the Netherlands and is currently based in Ghent, Belgium. Her major works include “Rolling and Rolling,” “Cuckoo,” “History of Korea,” and “Haribo Kimchi.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.