Jaha Koo wins International Ibsen Award

Theatre artist Jaha Koo has been honored with the International Ibsen Award in Oslo. The award, established by the Norwegian government, includes a prize of 2.5 million kroner (approximately £200,000).

In his touring production, ‘Haribo Kimchi’, Koo explores themes of cultural identity and the Korean diaspora. He uses the fusion of Korean kimchi and European Haribo gummies as a metaphor for his experiences living between South Korea and Europe. Koo describes his personal philosophy of ‘jelliness’, using the resilience of gummy bears to represent the ability to recover one's shape after being pushed or changed by external circumstances.