In the morning of October 26, 1909, a train entered Harbin Railway Station in Manchuria, China. There Ahn Jung-geun, a Korean resistance fighter, shot Japanese Resident General of Korea Hirobumi Ito.

The assassination demonstrated to the world the wrath of the Korean people during the era of Japanese occupation. Based on the life story of Ahn Jung-geun, the musical “Hero” never fails to move the hearts of audience members.

- Since the production was about a historical event in Korea, it touched my heart. I even cried at the end.
- I realized that people were that desperate back then. We don’t feel that kind of desperation nowadays. Frankly, our lives are worry-free.
- haven’t thought much about the achievements of freedom fighter Ahn Jung-geun. I felt more patriotic and protective toward my country, which Ahn sacrificed so much for.

The acclaimed musical “Hero” delivers vivid descriptions of the human anguish and pain suffered by the hero, Ahn Jung-geun, and his undying longing for Korea’s independence. Having debuted in 2009, the musical entered its fourth season on October 18th, with an upgraded production.

The musical first opened back in 2009 to mark the centennial of Ahn’s noble resistance. It covers the period from February 1909, when he cut off his finger to show his commitment to bring independence to Korea, to his execution by the Japanese authorities in March 1910. This production was very meaningful to everyone, explains its director Yoon Ho-jin.

The musical “The Last Empress” was produced in time for the 100th anniversary of Empress Myeongseong’s assassination. The first among fifteen reasons cited by Ahn during his trial for his assassination of Ito was because Japan had murdered Korea’s empress. We were looking to produce another musical similar in nature to “The Last Empress” and decided on Ahn when the centennial of his death came up. I wanted to show people what Korea means to Koreans, what Koreans think about their national identity, and that Ahn’s sacrifice was not just to bring independence to Korea, but also to bring peace in Asia.



It is snowing on the stage. Among the birch trees a group of young men sever their fingers and sings a song of fate and devotion. Then 31-year-old Ahn appears to meet the destiny facing him and his fellow resistance fighters. Here’s actor Lim Hyun-soo playing the role of Ahn.

The first scene is where Ahn and eleven other freedom fighters cut their fingers to make a solemn vow. I could not help but feel their resoluteness in the scene. They were real people who fought for Korea’s independence, who sacrificed their families to be there, who saw their loved ones slaughtered by the Japanese. It was a really touching scene in which I could feel their desperation and sorrow. These young people really sacrificed their lives for our country.

The freedom fighters vowed to put their lives on the line to gain independence for Korea. That’s why the scene where they smile in front of the Korean flag taegeukgi for a photo shoot is so heart-wrenching for the audience members.

It could very well have been their last photograph. Even the actors playing these young men feel their hearts pump faster and their eyes well up. Here’s actor Hwang Man-ik who plays Ahn’s friend Woo Deok-soon in the musical.

The scene of a photo shoot is a preview of their future, how they resolve to fight for the day of independence. Ahn and his friends pledge their devotion to the cause and take a picture in front of the Korean flag to strengthen their resolve. It was really touching and I’m sure the audience felt the same way.

Now the freedom fighters carry out their plan to assassinate Hirobumi Ito. The first one to make an attempt is not Ahn, but his friends. Before the train carrying Ito arrives at Harbin Station, they try several times to kill Ito. For this scene a real train car is brought in, drawing awed exclamations from the audience. Here’s musical critic Won Jong-won.

Many modern day musical productions use unusual and imaginative stage props to draw audience response. The train scene is such for this musical. Props and video images were so intricately combined that it was hard to tell where the stage ended and where the video images started. Just the fact that the whole background of Harbin Station and Ahn’s noble deed were recreated through three-dimensional stage production was enough to awe the audience. The musical “Hero” is a rare creation that has the whole package. It even has so many interesting visual elements that it is really fun to watch.



Upon receiving intelligence that Ito may stop at another rail station, the freedom fighters head toward the new destination. Here’s actor Hwang Man-ik playing the resistance fighter Woo Deok-soon.

In this scene the song Arirang plays an important role. Its melody is very sad, but its lyrics are about overcoming sadness. The scene plays that up, with us singing and dancing to the tune of Arirang even in the face of death. I think this is one of the best scenes in the musical.

But the train carrying Ito does not stop and heads toward Harbin Station. The chase scene is like something straight out of an action film, so exciting, fast-paced and real. The dynamic group dance also lends energy to the scene. Now the assassination of Ito is left up to Ahn, waiting at Harbin Station.

Ahn points his gun at Ito and fires three shots.

Ahn is arrested on the spot. Even while he was being arrested, he shouts “Independence to Korea!” Actor Lim Soo-hyun, who plays Ahn, explains the scene.

When Ito stepped out of the train, Ahn had no idea what he looked like, because there wasn’t any photos or newspaper articles about him at the time. He just took a guess and fired three shots at a person who appeared to be the highest-ranking officer. He was that desperate. After the first round of shooting Russian soldiers tackled him, but he kept on firing three more shots. He couldn’t waste even a moment, because he had to make every shot count.

While standing trial at a Japanese court, Ahn never begged for his life.

Ahn’s proud and fearless remarks unnerved the spectators in the courtroom. Undaunted by the court officials, he cites one by one the reasons why Ito had to be killed.

In actuality Ahn’s testimony at the trial publicized to the world the Japanese regime’s atrocities committed against the Korean people. On November 16, 1909 Ahn handed over to a Japanese soldier a note listing fifteen sins of Hirobumi Ito, which has been preserved to this day. But this was the end of the patriotic road for Ahn.



The audience holds its breath as Ahn sings a score of majestic and heart-breaking melody.

Ahn is executed on March 26, 1910, five months after Ito’s assassination. And 103 years later in today’s Seoul his life, his accomplishments, and his memories are honored in a musical. New generations of Koreans are rediscovering Ahn Jung-geun the man and freedom fighter through this great production.

The musical “Hero” was also presented in 2011 in New York, the world’s center of performing arts. Here’s Jeong Sun-young of musical production company Acom International.

“Hero” was performed for three weeks in 2011 at the Lincoln Center on Broadway, New York. Many foreign tourists and U.N. employees came to see the musical. I was first worried about whether the story of one foreign patriot would appeal to the audience of another country. But the emphasis of the play was on not only the fact that Ahn fought for Korea’s independence, but also that Ahn was a pacifist who longed for peace for everyone in Asia. I heard foreigners say that it had a universal appeal, which bolstered our confidence in the musical.

After returning from a month-long tour of New York, the “Hero” production has been presented at the National Theater of Korea and the Seoul Arts Center to sold-out crowds. Sweeping all sorts of musical awards, “Hero” is writing a new chapter in the Korean creative musical history. Here’s Jeong Sun-young of musical production company Acom International again.

People can’t buy tickets on weekends, because all the seats have been sold out. That doesn’t happen that often for a musical without big-name stars, but “Hero” is sold out all the time. That shows how popular the musical is among the ordinary people and we’re grateful for such success.