"Hope for Youth"… The Life of Shin Kyuk-ho Told Through Musical

Musical 'The Leader' Depicting the Life of Founder Shin Kyuk-ho
Jang Hye-seon: "90% Similar to Grandfather's Life Story"
Shin Young-ja, Chairwoman of Lotte Foundation, Also Attended

"The current era is a harsh world for young people to live in. I thought that showing them a play about their grandfather who created something from nothing could give them hope."

Jang Hye-seon, director of the Lotte Foundation, explained the reason for planning this performance during a meeting with reporters after the rehearsal of the musical The Reader held on the afternoon of the 3rd at the National Theater of Korea’s Haeoreum Theater in Jung-gu, Seoul. The purpose was to convey a message of hope and a spirit of challenge to young people through the story of her grandfather, Shin Kyuk-ho, the founder of Lotte. Director Jang is the great-granddaughter of Shin Kyuk-ho, honorary chairman of Lotte Group, and the eldest daughter of Shin Young-ja, chairwoman of the Lotte Foundation. Shin Young-ja also visited the Haeoreum Theater just before the performance started.

Jang Hye-seon, Chairperson of the Lotte Foundation, director Park Jun-young, and actor Jo Sang-woong are meeting with reporters and answering questions on the afternoon of the 3rd at the National Theater of Korea's Haeoreum Theater in Jung-gu, Seoul. (From left)
[Photo by Lee Myung-hwan]

The musical The Reader, which depicts the life story of Shin Kyuk-ho, honorary chairman of Lotte Group, and his favorite literary works as its theme, premiered on the 3rd.

Prepared by the Lotte Foundation to celebrate Family Month in May, this performance portrays the founding process of Lotte Group inspired by literary works that Chairman Shin enjoyed reading. The play introduces the business development process of a character called "Man," modeled after Chairman Shin, in chronological order. Another main character, "Woman," the daughter of Man, watches over his life and tries to understand him. The role of Woman appears to be modeled after Shin Young-ja, chairwoman of the Lotte Foundation and eldest daughter of Chairman Shin. Actor Jo Sang-woong plays the role of Man, and actress Lee Hee-jin, formerly of the group Baby V.O.X, plays Woman.

The performance features literary works that Chairman Shin enjoyed, including The Sorrows of Young Werther, Pushkin’s poem Though You Deceive the World of Life, Yun Dong-ju’s poem Counting the Stars at Night, Park Mok-wol’s poem Song of April, and Andersen’s novel The Little Mermaid. According to the Lotte Foundation, Chairman Shin’s youthful dream was to become a writer. Although he grew into an entrepreneur by founding Lotte, he never forgot his passion for literature. The company name "Lotte" itself was derived from "Charlotte," the heroine of the novel The Sorrows of Young Werther.

This musical covers the life story of Chairman Shin, who went to Japan during the Japanese colonial era to start a business, founded Lotte, and then returned to Korea to expand his business. Throughout this process, the literary works he enjoyed reading were incorporated. After the rehearsal, Director Jang recalled, "(My grandfather) always read books, and even when he was ill, he was reading to the point where we had to stop him."

Director Jang said, "(The content of the performance) is more than 90% similar to my grandfather’s life story. Most of the words spoken in the play were things my grandfather said," adding, "The trust and spirit of challenge emphasized and practiced by my grandfather are parts I witnessed up close." Actor Jo Sang-woong, who plays the role of Man, said, "I tried to express the will and belief that one can overcome any hardship and adversity."

The performance will be held five times until the 5th. At the premiere, scholarship students of the Lotte Foundation, multicultural families, elderly living alone, people with disabilities, and current and former CEOs and executives of Lotte Group affiliates were invited as guests.

A representative of the Lotte Foundation explained, "We prepared this performance to commemorate the founder who cared for the country and family together with Lotte people and the foundation’s beneficiaries."

Actor Jo Sang-woong, Jang Hye-seon, Chairperson of the Lotte Foundation, and director Park Jun-young are taking a commemorative photo after the performance of 'The Leader' at the National Theater of Korea's Haeoreum Theater in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 3rd. (From left) [Photo by Lotte Foundation]