Comedy festival kicks off amid local comedians wrestling with job loss
Reporters and guests gather to photograph comedians during the blue carpet event at the Busan International Comedy Festival that kicked off last Friday in the port city. / Courtesy of Hankook Sports Economy
Park Jin-hai
BUSAN ― The length of Haeundae beach and streets of Busan have been turned into a giant comedy club.
Amid comedy losing popularity in this country, the 6th Busan International Comedy Festival, one of Asia's largest comedy festivals, kicked off last Friday for a 10-day run, aiming to revive the good old days of comedy.
Celebrity comedians like “Celeb Five” members, comedy performing troupe “Ongals” as well as legendary comedians like Lim Ha-ryong and Shim Hyung-rae are expected for the opening gala concert today. Forty invited comedy teams from 10 countries gathered to throw free street performances and comedy shows in and around the scenic Haeundae beach.
Currently, the comedy industry is facing one of its most daunting challenges. TV comedy shows that previously worked as the gateway to instant fame for aspiring comedians have nearly dissipated, with just one KBS show “Gag Concert” remaining among major broadcasters. For several years now, it has been skippering with single-digit viewership.
Comedians of Comedy Monster pose during the blue carpet at the Busan International Comedy Festival, Aug. 24. / Courtesy of Hankook Sports Economy
People no longer turn to comedy shows for laughs, but rather the prospering reality shows, many say. Once-crowded theaters in Seoul's Daehangno theater district that used to put up comedy shows have closed and comedians are struggling more and more to find stages where they can show their talent.
Leaving the old platform of TV, comedians either seek a second career on YouTube, broadcasting beauty tips and unique content, or gather comedy crews and make their own clubs to host comedy shows. Along with standup comedy-only club Comedy Haven that opened earlier this year by comedian Jung Jae-hyung and others in Gangnam, many more famous comedians like Kim Dae-hee, Kim Jun-ho, Yoo Min-sang and Park Young-jin have either performed or plan to perform standup comedy shows at JDB Square, a theater near Hongik University exclusively for comedy shows.
In this context, this year's comedy festival has diverse repertories that include drawing circus team “Croquiky Brothers,” horror comedy team “Comedy Monsters” and adult joke-throwing female quartet “Dlip Girls.” It also has more free-of-charge open concerts and street performances in “comedy street” to expand communication with the public.
Celebrity comedians “Celeb Five” members seen in the gala show on the festival's opening day. / Courtesy of BICF
Veteran comedian Li Ha-ryong, marking his 40th anniversary, held a comedy dinner show, while “Standup Live Comedy Show” will perform standup, a genre that has been enjoying rising popularity in recent days.
Comedian Kim Jun-ho of popular reality show “2 Days & 1 Night,” who heads the comedy festival's executive committee, says although TV comedy shows are struggling, live comedy shows are prospering. “With less comedy shows on TV, offline comedy shows are becoming a commodity. Comedy shows like standup comedian Yoo Byung-jae's and veteran comedian Lee Kyung-kyu's all sell out. And those who came for their shows come again, building a fan base which in turn makes their next shows a success,” he said. “What I've felt from the Melbourne comedy festival was that those comedians performing there stuck around after their shows for beer or snacks for a chance to communicate with fans. I think it is a good way to build one's fan base and not make the show a one-off event.”
Live comedy houses in vogue
If people don't have time to visit Busan, where the International Comedy Festival is ongoing, they can drop in at nearby live comedy clubs that have sprung up in Gangnam and Hongik University areas.
Comedy Haven is a standup comedy club established in June this year, aiming to showcase aspiring standup comedians. Located near Sinnonhyeon Station in southern Seoul, the club opens every night from 7 p.m. until 1 to 4 a.m. except Mondays. It hosts open-mic nights at 8 p.m. on weekdays and special guest shows on Friday night and weekends at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. With admission ranging from 10,000 won to 20,000 won depending on the day, visitors can enjoy standup comedy of 10 comedians and aspiring comedians during a 90-minute show over drinks.
Shows are mainly in Korean, but the club hosts English standup comedy shows with invited foreign guests and expats living in Korea. Visit fb.com/comedyhaven for more information.
Near Hongik University
The area is the hottest place to find many newly opened standup comedy clubs. Check out JDB Square (jdbsquare.com) and comedian Yoon Hyung-bin's theater (seoulgag7.modoo.at) which host special guest comedy shows. Comedian Jung Tae-ho's comedy theater (fb.com/taehoplay) and Kim Dae-beom Hall (kdbhall.com) also offer comedy shows in the area.