The cultural performance will feature the characteristic of water circulating in nature and the southern region’s seasonal wonders and human life cycles under the theme “Circle of Life.” Taking a cue from the atmosphere and tastes of four seasons expressed in “Song of Mount Seongsan,” an ancient poem, the performance will display the life of a traditional singer against the backdrop of spring, summer, fall and winter landscapes.

Members of the Gwangju City Ballet and other artists born in the city or living in the southwestern province will take part in the performance. The spring scene will feature Nam Mi-sun, a famous “haeseum” (two-stringed fiddle) player who was born in Gwangju in 1980, while Lee So-yeon, who will appear in the fall scene, is a member of the National Changgeuk Co. of Korea and starred in the musical “Seopyeonje.” Two children who will perform in the spring and summer scenes were selected through an audition. A performance by South Korea’s renowned “pansori” singer Ahn Sook-sun in the winter scene will likely be the highlight of the cultural performance. Electric guitarist Yang Ji-wan plans to put on a joint performance with the pansori singer. The performance will be directed by Korean dance expert Guk Su-ho, Choi Tae-ji, head of the Gwangju City Ballet, and lighting director Lee Sang-bong.

The official event, slated to take place for 30 minutes at the Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center, will include the entry of the national flags of the participating countries, lowering and transfering of the championships flag, introduction of the next host city and declaration of closure. The next FINA World Championships will take place in Fukuoka, Japan, in 2021.