Korean Musical Eyes of Dawn Shuts Down Early After Actors Boycott Over Unpaid Wages

The Korean stage production Eyes of Dawn closed roughly a month ahead of schedule after a dispute between the production company and cast members over unpaid fees.

According to Chosun Biz, the musical — based on the beloved 1991 MBC drama of the same name — had been extended through April 26, but went dark after its March 19 performance. Some actors declared a boycott after producer Next Sketch failed to pay a portion of their contracted fees. On average, 80% of fees had been paid, with 20% outstanding, and the issue reportedly extended to production staff as well.

The situation was compounded by poor ticket sales: on some days, the 1,000-seat venue sold as few as 15 to 20 tickets. The production had hoped that adding veteran actor Baek Sung-hyeon and former Jewelry member Park Jung-ah to the cast for the extended run would boost revenue enough to cover the arrears — but the plan never got off the ground. Both actors reportedly continued showing up to the theater even as the boycott unfolded.