Overview

• Since 2011, the circus has attracted several hundred weekday spectators and up to 2,000 on weekends at its seaside big top in Ansan.
• Animal acts and death-defying stunts were discontinued to align with changing audience tastes and animal welfare concerns.
• All 35 acrobats are recruited from China due to low domestic interest in the industry’s perceived dangers and low pay.
• The troupe narrowly avoided closure in 2009 after a flu outbreak cut attendance to as few as 10 per show until sympathetic media coverage restored packed houses.
• Experts say Dongchoon has preserved traditional Korean performance techniques by integrating pre-1925 artists into its contemporary repertoire.