The History of Prostitution in South Korea, Play 'Gongju (孔主)deul 2020'

From the 5th to the 14th of next month at Daehakro Arko Arts Theater Small Theater

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Theater company Shinsesang will perform 'Gongju (孔主)deul 2020' from July 5 to 14 at the Arko Arts Theater Small Theater in Daehangno.

'Gongju (孔主)deul 2020' is a story about holes (孔) and masters (主), the masters of holes. Through the protagonist 'Kim Gongju,' it reads the 100-year history of prostitution in South Korea from the 1900s to today in 2020, covering Japanese military 'comfort women' - Korean military 'comfort women' - U.S. military 'comfort women' - Vietnamese Korean military civilian massacres - gisaeng tourism - gathering places - modern prostitution - and the Nth Room incident. 'Gongju (孔主)deul 2020' focuses on unofficial history rather than official history, exposing the 'continuity of the prostitution system' in South Korea through historical facts that we did not know or ignored, and reexamines our current lives. It also questions who the people are that have purchased sex, not those who have been sexually exploited, and who made them purchase sex.

In the play 'Gongju (孔主)deul 2020,' the theater symbolizes the body of the protagonist Kim Gongju. There are three entrances to the theater, each representing Kim Gongju’s upper hole, lower hole, and back hole. These three doors are also used as entrances and exits for actors, expressing how various figures from the era in which Kim Gongju lives constantly come and go, invading her life. At the same time, it conveys that Kim Gongju and the characters invading her holes live together with us in the present era and that we are not very different.

'Gongju (孔主)deul 2020' evokes audience empathy and interest through a wider variety of characters. The cast has increased from the original 10 to 12 actors. The script was newly created reflecting contemporaneity through Shinsesang’s unique collaborative creation method. In particular, it was restructured by excerpting and referencing various historical testimonies existing in this era. The script is mainly based on testimonies such as Moon Ok-ju’s testimony about living as a Japanese military 'comfort woman' in Burma, Kim Soon-ak grandmother’s testimony about living as a Japanese military 'comfort woman' and then a U.S. military 'comfort woman' and sending her son to Vietnam as a soldier, Kim Yeon-ja grandmother’s testimony as a U.S. military 'comfort woman' victim turned women’s activist, and Kim Jeong-ja grandmother’s testimony as a U.S. military 'comfort woman' victim, along with numerous testimonies from South Korean Gongjus.

'Gongju (孔主)deul' premiered in 2018 at Yeongeuk Silheomshil Hyehwadong 1beonji and was selected as an official production at the 40th Seoul Theater Festival last year, where it was restaged. At the 40th Seoul Theater Festival, it won the 'Excellence Award,' 'Audience Jury Popularity Award Audience Medal,' and 'Best New Actor Award (Yang Jeong-yoon as Kim Gongju).' 'Gongju (孔主)deul 2020' marks its third stage as part of the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service’s Performing Arts Mid- to Long-term Creation Support Project 'Women’s History Project.'

In 2018, 'Gongju (孔主)deul' looked into the history of prostitution in South Korea through Kim Gongju’s life; in 2019, it questioned our attitudes and positions in viewing and listening to Kim Gongju’s life and raised questions about the forced victimhood of the affected parties; and in 2020, 'Gongju (孔主)deul' aims to say that Kim Gongju’s life is not at all different from our own.

Theater company Shinsesang plans to hold the performances under quarantine measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including implementing 'distanced seating,' mandatory temperature checks, and mask-wearing upon entering the theater.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.