Actor supports stage actors' medical expenses

Song Seung-hwan

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Song Seung-hwan, 58, senior actor and the president of PMC Production, has covered the medical expenses of his fellow stage actors for the last six years.

Song has donated 60 million won ($54,660) to the Players’ Welfare Foundation of Korea (PWFK) by paying 10 million won every year since 2010.

Song said PWFK director Park Jung-ja’s proposal initiated his charity donation to help fellow actors in need.

“How much I donated is not an issue. It is important to help them continuously every year,” said Song.

In 2011, the PWFK established an emergency aid fund for stage actors, called “Save Opportunity with Song Seung-hwan, Seoul Theatre Association” (SOSS), with Song’s donation and parts of the profits from the Seoul Theatre Festival.

The aid fund helped stage actors in need of medical care who could not get government support.

“Many stage actors often buy used cars for shows in provinces. They are excluded from the government’s medical support because their cars are considered assets,” a PWFK official said.

“The fund is used for such actors who need urgent medical operations or have other hospital bills.”

More than 30 stage actors have received benefits from the fund between 2010 and 2012.

The fund changed its name to SOSS in 2013 as Seol Do-yoon, head of Seol and Company, joined Song’s charity.

Song also launched a charity project to introduce 100 pieces of Korean literatures into audiobooks. A hundred of the nation’s most renowned actors and actresses participated in the project by reading each piece.

Parts of the project proceeds were used to create jobs for stage actors.

Song and actors belonging to PMC Production have also held a number of free shows for underprivileged children at welfare centers for many years.

Born in Seoul in 1957, Song debuted as a child voice actor at KBS in 1965.

Song joined the “76 Theater” drama company in 1977. He was with the company until 1988.

He has appeared in a number of movies, TV and radio shows. He was named a best actor of the year at the Paeksang Arts Awards in 1982.

In 2012, Song became a drama professor at Sungshin Women’s University and a president of PMC Production, which is famous for the nation’s longest-running non-verbal performance, “Nanta” or “Cookin.”