Sugungga
Sugungga is one of the five surviving stories of the Korean pansori storytelling tradition. The other stories are Simcheongga, Heungbuga, Jeokbyeokga, and Chunhyangga. Sugungga is considered to be more exciting and farcical than the other pansoris because of its personification of animals. The satire is more frank and humorous. It has serious parts as well in the characters of the king and loyal retainers. Therefore Sugungga is regarded as the "small Jeokbyeokga;" so Pansori singers sing those parts earnestly. Sugungga is based on the story of the Dragon King of the Southern Sea, a terrapin, and a wily rabbit. This story is believed to have stemmed from a tale about a terrapin and a rabbit in the early period of the Silla Dynasty. The theme of this story is the relationship of subject to king. Recently, the play was popularized by the Korean band Leenalchi who uploaded their live action performance of the story on YouTube. The video went viral in Korea, amassing over 6 million views as of January 2021. Plot The story begins in a fictional kingdom in the Southern Sea ruled by a Dragon King. The King suffers from an illness that can only be cured by