Comedians donate full fees for tribute show honoring late Jeon Yu-seong at Busan festival

Junior comedians staging a tribute show for the late Jeon Yu-seong — widely regarded as the godfather of Korean comedy — at the 14th Busan International Comedy Festival will donate their entire performance fees to charity.

The festival's organizing committee announced Tuesday that the cast of "Jeon Yu-seong Show Without Jeon Yu-seong," set for Aug. 22 in Busan, had agreed to give up all their fees.

The show is a centerpiece of the festival, which runs Aug. 21 to 30 in Busan. Comedians Lee Hong-ryeol, Shin Bong-seon and Kim Shin-young, along with the comedy trio Joltan — comprising Lee Jae-hyeong, Han Hyeon-min and Jeong Jin-uk — will perform. All had close ties to the late comedian.

Each act will take the stage for 20 minutes in an omnibus format, celebrating Jeon's memory with laughter rather than grief. The show is also scheduled to travel to Namwon following the Busan run.

The organizing committee said the donations were intended "to repay, even in a small way, the debt owed to a man who devoted himself to the advancement of comedy in Korea." The cast pledged to donate to a cause honoring his legacy and urged audiences to join in remembering him.