Play describes subtle psychology of line
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A scene from the play “I was punched for sticking out slightly” directed by Kim Kwang-bo / Courtesy of LG Arts Center
By Kwon Mee-yoo
When there are no boundaries, everyone gets along with each other well. But when imaginary lines are drawn, everything changes. A play titled "I Was Punched for Sticking out Slightly," currently staged at the LG Arts Center in southern Seoul, explores this age-old, interpersonal issue in a comedic way.
The work is an adaptation of Japanese play written by Hideo Tsuchida and revolves around six prisoners and two prison officers in a jail for petty criminals.
In the prison, set in a fictional country of Kkuria in the near future, the eight men get on with each other and spend peaceful yet monotonous days inside. But when Kkuria is divided into Kkuria and East Kkuria, a prison mate draws an invisible line in the prison compound for fun, as the jail stood in the middle of the two countries.
The hypothetical division causes human nature to surface in the eight men. They become divided and their wretched, pathetic sides are exposed.
The prison spins out of control after the prison officers take sides with those aligned to each country and Kkuria and East Kkuria become occupied with Goa, a region in Kkuria that asserts its independence.
The play is an adaptation of a Japanese play written by Hideo Tsuchida, who also wrote hit dramas such as "Tokyo Tower" and "Saitou San."
The playwright said he was inspired by the Senkaku Islands dispute between China and Japan. "I collaborated with Chinese thespians really well when the two countries become locked into chilly relations with each other in the territorial dispute. I began to wonder why individuals on good terms suddenly oppose one another sharply because of nationality," Tsuchida said.
Kim Kwang-bo, director of the Korean production, said he did not dramatize the original much, except for names of the places and characters to familiarize with Korean audiences. The name of the country Kkuria is obviously reminiscent of a country we all know.
The play explores prison as a microcosm of society, reflecting the playwright and the director's interest in people. In the Japanese original, the "line" is more personal and vague, while the "line" in Korea is more evident in its divided state and age-old regionalism.
The border dispute ends in vain as Kkuria, East KKuria and all other countries in the world are integrated into a bigger nation. One of the prison guards asks his colleague if he thinks that now all countries are unified if this will end disputes and speculates what outcome will follow; "Well now the planets will quarrel with each other."
The play runs through Nov. 18. Tickets cost from 30,000 to 50,000 won. For more information, visit
or call 02-2005-0114.