Producer Park Myung-sung named new chair of Korea Theater Artists Welfare Foundation

Park Myung-sung, general director of Shinsi Company, has been named the new chair of the Korea Theater Artists Welfare Foundation as the organization launches a restructured leadership model. The foundation's board recently approved the reorganization, appointing Park to the chairmanship. Gil Hye-yeon, who led the foundation for the past six years, moves to the newly created role of inaugural CEO, overseeing day-to-day administration in what the foundation describes as a "two-top" partnership with Park.

The inauguration ceremony was held at Shinsi Company's rehearsal space in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, and drew about 100 guests from the arts and culture community — including Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young — along with donors who gathered to mark Park's new role.

The foundation said the restructuring was "a strategic choice to build a more comprehensive and sustainable welfare system for theater artists by combining Chair Park Myung-sung's external influence, which has driven fundraising growth, with CEO Gil Hye-yeon's expertise in establishing the foundation's welfare policies through strong on-the-ground leadership."

Park has raised more than 850 million won ($549,000) in donations since 2020, providing a pillar of financial self-sufficiency for the foundation. In 2023, he formed the support group "Bokdeokbang" to lead fundraising efforts, which funded programs including free health screenings for theater artists and emergency medical and living-expense assistance — delivering tangible benefits to 1,884 working theater professionals. Through Shinsi Company and other channels, he also secured ongoing prize funding to establish the foundation's Theater Performance Award and Theater Staff Award, building a values-driven welfare ecosystem.

"It is the role of culture and the arts to embrace the souls of audiences and citizens when they are weary and worn down by daily life, and to give them dreams and hope," Park said at the ceremony. "I will always keep that spirit at the foundation of everything I do as I lead this organization."

He added that "our welfare foundation must rely purely on theater artists running around on their own two feet to raise funds and reach out to their peers, which is why we decided to join forces for this bold structural change." Park said he envisions "a perfect partnership — with CEO Gil Hye-yeon, a theater professional, handling operations and programs, while the chair goes out front to raise funds — to build a self-sustaining foundation that can serve as a role model."

"The warm support of so many people is proof that our society still respects theater and cherishes those who work in culture and the arts," he added. "That fills me with deep pride and a sense of responsibility."

Gil, the inaugural CEO, said she would "combine Chair Park's external influence with the foundation's professional administrative capabilities to firmly build a tight-knit welfare safety net that working theater artists can rely on," pledging to "do my utmost so that the foundation can continue to be a strong shelter for theater artists."

She also expressed gratitude for the years of collaboration, saying that her six years leading the foundation had shown her "how much of a solid support we can be for one another under the name of theater artists," and that "so many of the projects we accomplished were possible because Chair Park voluntarily secured funding from his time as head of the support association."

Gil went on to say that "we would not have come this far without board members who have devoted themselves solely to theater artists, asking nothing in return — they never sit down at events but always stand, watching the faces of theater artists and attending to their needs." She closed by vowing to "keep lacing up my sneakers and going out to every corner of the theater world to deliver the most practical and comprehensive welfare support possible."