Folklore says rabbit made it out of Dragon Palace. But what happened next?

What happened to the rabbit after he was lured by a turtle to the Underwater Dragon Palace, only to outwit his captors and barely make it back alive?

The playful premise gave rise to "Rabbit’s Eight Sufferings" in 2022, one of the National Changgeuk Company of Korea's biggest hits. Four years after its premiere, the pansori-based musical drama, or changgeuk, returns with a newly designed LED stage and a fresh cast of lead performers.

The story picks up where "Sugungga," one of Korea's best-known folktales and one of the five major pansori narratives, leaves off. In the tale, a turtle is sent from the Underwater Dragon Palace to find a rabbit whose liver is needed to cure the ailing Dragon King. The rabbit is lured to the palace but manages to escape by outwitting the turtle and the King.

The new work imagines what happens next, following the rabbit's son, Toja, as he endures a series of hardships and comes to understand what it means to have a place to call home.

"The rabbit in 'Sugungga' survives by using his wits, but I wanted to add more lessons to the story beyond that," director and playwright Ko Sun-woong said during a group interview Thursday at the National Changgeuk Company's rehearsal studio in Seoul.

"In 'Rabbit’s Eight Sufferings,' Toja goes through what is known as the 'three disasters and eight sufferings' — a traditional expression for the hardships people encounter in life — and eventually realizes that the place where he is meant to live is 'here.'"

The story, he said, reflects a familiar human impulse: the belief that happiness lies somewhere else.

"When we make a choice, we often think that everything will work out if only we can escape from where we are," Ko said. "But reality doesn't work that way. That is a story that remains relevant in any era."

People may look for happiness in a new country, a new job or a new relationship, he added. "But perhaps the virtue of life is finding freedom and a sense of fulfillment where you are now."

For this year's production, Ko has pared down the script and expanded the visual elements, including a newly designed LED stage.

The score draws on major melodies from "Sugungga," incorporating a range of traditional rhythms and instrumental timbres to heighten the drama.

"I requested that the music be a little clearer and gave the melodies more highs and lows," Ko said. "We also strengthened the LED video elements onstage, so the production feels much more expansive than it did in the premiere."

New principal cast members include National Changgeuk Company performers Kim Soo-in, Choi Yong-seok and Kim Woo-jeong.

Kim Soo-in, who plays Toja, served as an understudy in the premiere production.

"It is an honor to return as Toja four years later," Kim said. "Toja is an optimistic and positive character, and I want to approach the role with the same care while remembering that the stage is where I belong."

He said he wanted to create his own interpretation of Toja.

"I had a little experience with the character when I was an understudy in the original production," Kim said. "This time, I wanted to create a different Toja — optimistic, but also a little prickly.”

"Rabbit’s Eight Sufferings" runs Sept. 3-6 at Haeoreum Grand Theater at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul. English subtitles will be provided on screens on both sides of the stage.