Park Jeong-hee, the newly appointed director and artistic director of the National Theater Company of Korea, emphasized raising the status of the National Theater by mentioning a renaissance during a press conference held about 90 days after her inauguration.
Director Park stated that she plans to actively communicate with the audience to increase audience satisfaction with the National Theater's productions, improve the utilization rate of the dedicated Myeongdong Arts Theater, and establish and implement a new standard called 'NTS (National Theater Standard)' to strengthen collaboration with creative teams. Furthermore, she emphasized expanding overseas cooperation and introducing more National Theater productions abroad.
At the press conference held on the 16th at the Myeongdong Arts Theater in Jung-gu, Seoul, Director Park stressed that the National Theater Company of Korea aims to be a representative theater company loved by everyone, befitting its name.
Park Jeong-hee, Director and Artistic Director of the National Theater Company [Photo by National Theater Company]
Director Park emphasized raising the audience recommendation index (NPS) of the National Theater's productions, which had dropped to an average of 23.5 over the past three years, to 50. NPS is the figure obtained by subtracting the percentage of customers who do not recommend a production from those who do.
She stressed the importance of creating good productions that satisfy more audiences and actively introducing them overseas. Director Park said, "We plan to soon meet with foreign directors to discuss exporting Korean productions," adding, "We will showcase excellent works abroad to elevate the status of Korean theater." She also mentioned, "We are currently in the process of hiring a PD specialized in international exchange affairs."
Director Park also mentioned plans to increase the utilization rate of the dedicated Myeongdong Arts Theater. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the utilization rate of the Myeongdong Arts Theater fell to 60%. She said, "We plan to raise the utilization rate to 80% this year and 90% next year," adding, "We will increase the number of externally invited performances from the previous 5-6 productions annually to 8-10."
The National Theater Company of Korea relocated last July from Seogye-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to a temporary base at the Hongik University Daehangno Art Center. It plans to return to Seogye-dong after the completion of a complex cultural facility focused on theater in December 2026. Prior to that, it is scheduled to move back to the Namsan National Theater next year, where performances will also be held.
Director Park explained, "In the first half of next year, we will present productions for one month at the Daloreum Theater of the National Theater, and in the second half, for three weeks at the Haeoreum Theater," adding, "At Daloreum Theater, we will stage contemporary works that pose humanistic questions to current audiences, and at Haeoreum Theater, we will perform large-scale productions expressing uniquely Korean themes and artistic spirit through theatrical forms."
Park Jeong-hee is a theater director who has led the theater company 'Poonggyeong' since 2001. She directed works such as 'Cello,' which won the directing award at the 2008 Seoul Theater Festival, as well as 'The Maids' and 'Lee Young-nyeo.' Park Jeong-hee is the second female head of the National Theater Company following the late actress Baek Seong-hee and the first female director to lead the company. She was inaugurated on April 18 and her term lasts three years until April 17, 2027.
Director Park said, "If my health and time permit, I would like to direct two productions a year myself."
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