CEO Kim Heechul, Theater Opening Policy Effectively Captures Both Popularity and Public Interest
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Ballerina Kim Juwon and actor Song Seunghwan, and next year, conductor Geum Nanse will also take the stage.
Leading stars in Korea's cultural and artistic circles are consecutively appearing on the Jeongdong Theater stage. This is thanks to Kim Heechul, the representative of Jeongdong Theater, who has opened the theater wide for artists.
Kim Heechul was appointed last August. His previous position was Head of Performing Arts at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. When working at Sejong Center, Jeongdong Theater was a "theater of no interest" to him. "Because it continuously held long-term performances of specific genres targeting foreigners, domestic performance stakeholders inevitably thought of it as a 'theater unrelated to me.' It felt closed off."
Jeongdong Theater opened in 1995 and from 2000 held regular performances based on traditional dance. The traditional regular performances continued year-round from March to December. While it was quite effective in attracting foreign tourists, it became distant from domestic audiences' interest.
After his appointment, Representative Kim emphasized "openness." "The primary customers of a performance venue are performance planners, production companies, artists, actors, and staff. They need to be interested in the theater and perform there for the final consumers, the general audience, to take interest." Kim Juwon will appear in the Jeongdong Theater's 25th anniversary production "Sagunjja" this October. Composer Jung Jaeil and famous designer Jung Gooh also participate in the production of "Sagunjja." "If it had been biased toward a specific genre, various artists from different fields would not have come into the theater. This means the theater is changing. 'Sagunjja' is a unique performance combining various genres such as ballet and is a highly anticipated work."
The "Famous Actor Series," which performs one new play every year with actors representing Korea, will also be introduced starting this year. Song Seunghwan is the first protagonist.
They do not pursue only popularity. As a national theater, they also plan not to neglect public interest. This year's brunch concert "Yang Junmo's Opera Date," featuring tenor and musical actor Yang Junmo, is a pure art performance for public interest. Representative Kim said, "Brunch concerts are performances that require spending money, but we plan to expand them next year," adding, "I also proposed to Maestro Geum Nanse, and he gladly agreed." He added, "We will clearly distinguish between performances that spend money and those that earn money. Performances that earn money will be strictly commercial, and those that spend money will be promoted with clear justification and reasons."
With Geum Nanse also participating, next year's performances are expected to be even richer. "This year was tight on time. We are preparing more substantial performances next year. The number of performances will be about 15 to 20. We plan to diversify genres and operate season tickets. We aim to create a system where audiences can enjoy comfortably and affordably, securing loyal members."
They are also expanding the stage for stars. Reconstruction of Jeongdong Theater is underway.
Representative Kim previously served as head at Chungmu Art Center before Sejong Center. Chungmu Art Center's main hall has 1,200 seats, Sejong Center's main hall has 3,000 seats. Jeongdong Theater is a single-theater venue with only 320 seats.
"A national theater operated with citizens' taxes must fulfill a role commensurate with that. That role depends on how many citizens it provides cultural benefits to. I believe the current scale cannot fulfill the role of a national theater."
Representative Kim said, "We received expert consulting that it is fully possible to operate two theaters on the current site: a small theater with at least 320 seats and a medium-sized theater with 600 to 700 seats."
He also has experience expanding Chungmu Art Center's main hall from 500 seats to the current 1,200 seats during his tenure as head there.
"The new performance hall is planned to have 3 floors above ground and 3 floors underground. The medium-sized theater will be underground, and the small theater will be above ground. We plan to include office space, rehearsal space, parking lots, and convenience facilities such as restaurants and coffee shops. The goal is to design next year and start construction in 2022. The construction period is expected to be about two years. We expect to break ground around February or March the year after next and open about four years later."
Kim Heechul's term ends on August 19, 2022. Even if reconstruction proceeds, he will not see its completion.
He said, "This is absolutely necessary for the future blueprint of Jeongdong Theater and someone has to do it. The key is ultimately the budget, and we must coordinate well with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to persuade the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the National Assembly. There will be many challenges ahead."
Jeongdong Theater will celebrate its 25th anniversary on the 17th.
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