Joe Wong brings cross-cultural comedy to Seoul
Asian American comedian Joe Wong / Courtesy of Joe Wong
Acclaimed comedian Joe Wong, known for his sharp wit and cross-cultural punchlines, is set to make his Seoul debut. The Korean-Chinese American funnyman will perform at Lit Lounge in Itaewon on Thursday, Sept. 25, marking his first stand-up performance in Korea.
Wong has long been celebrated for turning cultural misunderstandings into laugh-out-loud comedy. Born in China, he immigrated to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. in biochemistry at Rice University before making an unlikely leap into stand-up in Boston in 2001.
“I used to tell some jokes to coworkers and other students, but they didn’t quite respond,” he recalled. “Still, I had this idea from nowhere that if I told them on stage, they would laugh.”
After attending a live show, he was hooked. “Later I took a stand-up comedy class and learned the most valuable lesson in my life: Humor can be learned, practiced and honed.”
Since then, Wong has gone on to perform on some of the world’s biggest stages, with appearances on "The Late Show with David Letterman," "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." He also drew headlines for roasting then-Vice President Joe Biden at the 2010 White House Correspondents’ Dinner and, more recently, performed a solo set at the 2024 Netflix is a Joke Festival.
Asian American comedian Joe Wong / Courtesy of Joe Wong
Despite such high-profile achievements, Wong has never forgotten his roots. “Of course I’ve tried Korean food — I grew up with it!” he laughed. “My family used to make kimchi in the fall and store it in a cellar we dug in the yard. My favorite food has to be a combination of kimchi, pollock, Korean tofu stew and cold noodles. I can’t be dismissed with just one dish!”
These personal memories often find their way into his act. While politics, he admits, are “more sad than funny nowadays,” his shows lean heavily on personal storytelling. In "Between Jobs," his show to be performed here, Wong explores themes of cultural identity, life as an international student and the humor in navigating between different worlds. Known for his ability to bridge East and West through comedy, Wong’s material resonates with diverse audiences — proof, he says, that humor is a universal language.
When asked what the audience in Korea can expect, Wong had a typically offbeat reply: “Mother.”
“I hope Koreans and expats can have a good laugh together, which is hard now given all the stresses from our daily lives,” he said. “I’m not a Hyundai worker deported from America, but in a sense we all are. People are the same deep down, and we shouldn’t let bigotry and xenophobia get the best of us.”
The Seoul show will be at Lit Lounge in Itaewon on Sept. 25, starting at 8:30 p.m. It is presented in collaboration with Stand Up Seoul and will also feature comedian Steve Gallas, with Rory Kelly hosting the night. Doors open at 8 p.m., and tickets are priced at 45,000 won ($33) for general admission and 70,000 won for VIP, which includes priority seating, a meet-and-greet and a photo opportunity.
Visit www.planethustle.com or www.standup-seoul.com for more information, or check out joewongcomedian.com to learn more about Wong.
Alice Hong is a freelance writer and comedian based in Seoul. Follow her at @hippohong on Instagram.