Comedy takes root in Korea's Russian-speaking community
Veronika Kim, left, and Lyazzat Khan, right, pose with a fan. Courtesy of Event Max
Lyazzat Khan, a proud resident of Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, has quietly been building an empire of laughter. Originally from Kazakhstan, she is the mastermind behind Event Max, a business that brings Russian-speaking comedians to Korea.
For Korea’s Russian-speaking population of nearly 200,000, there is a growing market for entertainment services. Most of these residents are Koryo-saram, or ethnic Koreans from former Soviet Union countries. Many are employed in the country’s light and heavy industry factories, working grueling hours.
Leisure services for this group of workers remain underdeveloped, mostly because of the language barrier to accessing Korean entertainment. Over half of Korea’s Russian-speaking population lives in Ansan and Incheon, where in some neighborhoods, it is common to hear Russian spoken on the street.
Restaurants and lounges catering specifically to Russian-speakers have sprung up in these neighborhoods since the early 2000s. However, a demand for more community-centered entertainment is on the rise as many businesses were shuttered during the pandemic. Enter Khan and Event Max.
“People want to laugh!” Khan said, her eyes lighting up as she recounted the details of recruiting local comedians for her stand-up comedy business. “But the talent pool is small so far; we need to build it up.”
For now Khan invites established comedians from Kazakhstan or Russia for tours in Korea. Earlier this summer, Kazakhstani comedian Veronika Kim, an ethnic Korean, performed in several cities with significant Russian-speaking populations, including Busan and Asan.
Local comedians building their repertoire are the opening acts at these events. Ansan-based Artem Tsoy and Sasha Pak of Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, were the first to realize their passion for making people laugh. The two met through mutual acquaintances, and quickly gathered a band of aspiring comedians to get together for writing sessions once a week. Pak’s jokes are often puns on Russian-speaking Korean culture, while Tsoy material is about relationships.
Mary Kim, middle, stands with Madina Baibolova, left, and Zarina Baibolova. Courtesy of Event Max
Or take Mary Kim, another one of the budding comedians. An ethnic Korean from Russia, she works at a cosmetics factory during the day. She writes about the daily troubles of having a disability, breaking down taboos around this topic one joke at a time. “I don’t write political jokes," she said. "I just so enjoy making people happy over things we can all relate to.”
This sentiment — the genuine desire to make people smile — is what drives Event Max and the comedians committed to it. In labor-intensive jobs, in a country with some of the highest suicide rates in the world, Russian-speaking immigrants are a group vulnerable to fall victim to the depressive routines of modern life. Khan, Tsoy, Pak and Kim are here to make sure that doesn’t happen.
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Visit eventmax.co.kr for more information.
Nathalie M. Kwon is a visiting researcher at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Her specialty is in migration and exchange between Central Asia and Korea.