Senior Vice Chairperson Park Hyunsun Elected New Chairperson of the Korean Theatre Association

The Korean Theatre Association announced on the 10th that Senior Vice Chairperson Park Hyunsun has been elected as the 28th chairperson.

According to the association, the election for the 28th chairperson was held at the 65th regular general meeting at Rown Art Hall on the 9th, where candidate Park Hyunsun was elected as the new chairperson after a runoff vote.

Park Hyunsun, new chairperson of the Korean Theatre Association [Photo by Korean Theatre Association]

Four candidates ran in the election for the 28th chairperson: Oh Taekeun, Park Hyunsun, Park Jeongui, and Lee Honggi. The candidates held two public debates, one at the Gwanjeo Munye Art Center in Daejeon on January 29 and another at The Good Theater in Daehangno, Seoul on February 2.

As no candidate won a majority in the first round of voting, a runoff was held between the first- and second-place candidates. In the runoff, candidate Park Hyunsun received 268 votes, defeating candidate Oh Taekeun, who received 177 votes, and securing the election.

President-elect Park Hyunsun has served as senior vice chairperson of the association since 2022, and has previously served as a director of the Federation of Artistic & Cultural Organizations of Korea, a director of the Korean Theatre Association, and head of the Daegu branch of the Korean Theatre Association. Park has also received the Chairperson's Award of the Korean Theatre Association (1981), the Best Director Award and Best Stage Design Award at the Mokryeon Theatre Festival (1992), and the Geumbok Culture Award (2003).

The term of office for the new chairperson, Park Hyunsun, is four years. Emphasizing a "strong will to act and outstanding problem-solving skills," Park stated a determination to "stand at the very back when it comes to authority, and at the very front when it comes to responsibility."

The association stated that 463 delegates from 16 branches nationwide attended the general meeting, together with the executives of the 27th executive committee.