Seoul Arts Center announced Wednesday that its revamped Towol Theater will be named “CJ Towol Theater.” CJ Group is providing 15 billion won ($13.6 million) for the renovation.

“We were planning to confirm the name in December 2012 when the theater reopens but moved up the announcement of the new name in consideration of the theatrical world’s interest in the matter,” said Seoul Arts Center via an official statement.

When the revamped theater was to be tentatively named “CJ Theater,” theatrical organizations in South Korea strongly protested and started a petition drive against the proposed new name. “Towol,” which comes from the name of a modern theater troupe during the Japanese colonial period, has significant meaning in Korea’s theatrical history.

As part of the renovation, the originally small-sized theater will be expanded in size and the number of seats will be increased from 675 to 1,030. The renovation will start later this year and is expected to be completed in 2012.

Seoul Arts Center said that the remodeled theater would hold the same proportion of plays, dances, operas and musicals as before.

By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldcorp.com)