Singer Who Belted 'Seobangnim' as a Teen Takes on Musical Scriptwriting After Law Career

Singer Lee So-eun, beloved for her hit "Seobangnim," is embarking on a new chapter as a musical scriptwriter, following her career as a lawyer.

NHN Link, the company behind ticketing platform Ticketlink, announced Friday that Lee will write the script for its upcoming family musical "Geonjenji Eomma" (Battery Mom).

Lee debuted in 1998 with "Jakbyeol" (Farewell) and went on to score a string of hits including "Seobangnim," "Orae Orae" and "Datjanjana." After graduating from Korea University, she earned a law degree from an American law school and has since built a multifaceted career as a New York-licensed attorney and essayist.

A mother herself, Lee said she hopes to bring a nuanced, richly layered portrayal of parental love and a keen interest in children's media to the production. "I hope it becomes a time for the whole family to enjoy together and rediscover the courage that lies within," she said.

Director Hong Seung-hee, whose credits include the predecessor musical "Geonjenji Appa" (Battery Dad) as well as "Al Satang" (Sugar Ball) and "Sarangeui Hachuphing" (Love Hachuphing), returns for the new production alongside composer Park Sang-woo.

The source material is a 2021 stop-motion animation of the same name directed by Jeon Seung-bae and Kang In-suk. The film, praised for the warm texture of its wool-felt puppets and its inventive direction, won the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award at the 2022 Korea Content Awards and took the Golden Gate Award in the family film category at the San Francisco International Film Festival. It also competed at Italy's Giffoni Film Festival and was invited to the Fantoche International Animation Film Festival in Switzerland. The series has since expanded to include "Geonjenji Halmeoni" (Battery Grandma) and additional installments.

"Geonjenji Eomma" is scheduled to run from Jan. 2 to Feb. 28, 2027, at the Youngsan Theater in the ECC building at Ewha Womans University.