“I will create a theater where people can always expect to find fun and new performances whenever they visit <a href="https://bitcomme.com/seo-seung-man-ceo-of-jeongdong-theater-responds-to-controversy-over-his-expertise-i-have-experienced-many-things/” title=”Seo Seung-man, CEO of Jeongdong Theater, Responds to Controversy Over His Expertise: “I Have Experienced Many Things””>Jeongdong Theater.”
Seo Seung-man, the newly appointed CEO of the National Jeongdong Theater, made the remarks at an inauguration press conference held on the 22nd at Cecil at the National Jeongdong Theater. The event was held nearly five months after he took office as CEO in April. He presented five operational priorities: fostering signature repertoire, strengthening the artistic value of the theater’s troupe, expanding domestic and international cooperation, creating an open theater together with its audiences, and establishing a sustainable organizational foundation.
The National Jeongdong Theater plans to develop a webtoon-based performance with the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency, with which it signed a memorandum of understanding in June. The production is scheduled to go through a staged reading in 2027 before reaching the full stage in 2028. Cecil Theater will continue serving as a “second-production theater” by refining existing works and bringing them back to audiences. The theater is also considering jointly securing intellectual property rights for new creations and participating in their overseas distribution. Seo emphasized, “We will broaden Jeongdong Theater’s spectrum and do anything that is feasible and worthwhile.”
In traditional arts, he highlighted small-scale “fusion madangnori” as a means of differentiation. The theater is preparing a production based on Taebaek City and the story of its miners, while planning to expand madangnori productions to a scale suitable for performances in local communities and small theaters in Daehangno. He said, “I would like to create many examples of our traditional madangnori that can also be performed in small theaters,” adding that he aims for productions that can be staged in local communities and Daehangno as well.
The theater will also expand audience-participation programs. Free outdoor performances will begin on the 29th, followed by monthly book concerts starting in October. The Senior Academy, which is being prepared for launch early next year, will provide six months to one year of instruction before having participants perform on stage themselves. Seo also stressed the importance of on-site safety inspections and operating a separate dedicated safety team.
Seo also addressed the controversy over his professional expertise that arose when he took office. Explaining why he had disclosed his career history on social media, he said, “I posted it to rebut what so many people had repeatedly been saying: that I was a nonexpert and had nothing to do with performances.”
In particular, he cited his directing credits for the musical “Tunnel” and the madangnori productions “Paengpajeon” and “Ownerless Flower Uhwudong” to emphasize that he had developed expertise in his own way. Regarding “Ownerless Flower Uhwudong,” he said he took charge of a four-and-a-half-hour performance created by another director, shortened it to 100 minutes, and staged it. He also made five films, four of which were invited to international film festivals. “I have experienced many things across various areas of culture and the arts in my own way,” he said. “I acknowledge that I have some shortcomings when it comes to pursuing one area in depth and working in it as a specialist.”
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
