NOL Universe said on Feb. 2 that NOL Theatre Daehangno, the largest performance venue in the Daehangno area, officially opened on Jan. 30.

Located in Dongsung-dong, Jongno district, Seoul, NOL Theatre Daehangno spans three basement levels to five above ground and has a gross floor area of 1,584 pyeong. It is the only venue in Daehangno with a main theatre of about 1,000 seats. The reopening is also significant in that a space left neglected for 12 years has been reborn as a cultural venue.

The opening production is the musical "Secretly, Greatly", staged in the main theatre Woori Card Hall, which premiered on Jan. 30. From Feb. 13, the play "Secret Passage" is set to take the stage at the mid-sized theatre Woori Investment & Securities Hall, with about 500 seats.

Jongno district chief Moon-heon Jung (정문헌) attended the opening ceremony and toured the venue with CEO Cheol-woong Lee (이철웅) and others. Jung said he hoped it would play an important role in helping Daehangno remain loved as a space symbolising K-culture and arts.

Cheol-woong Lee, CEO of NOL Universe, said the company would take the lead in the vision for regenerating Daehangno’s cultural district presented by Jongno district. He said it would work to make it a venue that can also contribute to local businesses and the economy.