Comedians reigniting Seoul's stand-up scene

Stand Up Seoul group photo / Courtesy of Tatata Studio

By Kyung Lee

Move aside, LA, New York and London ― Stand Up Seoul hopes to make Korea the next global hub for stand-up comedy.

With members from America, Russia, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, Indonesia, India, China and more, the one thing that unites this global network of foreign and local comics is their love for English-language stand-up comedy.

Stand Up Seoul has a long history of dedicated leaders over the years, starting with its founder Brian Aylward who released his stand-up special "Big in Asia" last month. It is now led by Korean comedian, host and beatboxer Sang Don Park and Korean comedian, comedy podcaster and producer Fernando Kim.

Sang Don Park performs at Lupine Studios in Melbourne, Australia. / Courtesy of Maximal Focus

Stand Up Seoul hadn't always been bursting with life. When Park (also known as TheSangShow) returned from a student exchange program in Australia, the group was struggling to find venues for open mics or even attract an audience. Using his experience working at the biggest comedy club in Australia and headlining across the country, Park worked hard to turn a group of hobby comedians into a professional performance network. He began sourcing new venues, investing in equipment and building a social media presence for the group.

Stand-up comedy has since become a foundational experience for comedians, aspiring comics and audiences alike. From weekly open mics, comedy writing workshops, to professional showcases, Stand Up Seoul is the place to have fun onstage, to practice listening to English or to be embraced by a fun-loving community of people from all over the world.

Stand Up Seoul's comedians have performed in various venues around Itaewon and other areas in Seoul, as well as other parts of the country.

Despite setbacks from COVID-19 and key members moving away, the current group remains committed to keeping the stage lit and the crowd bursting with laughter.

"What I'm trying to do is set it [Stand Up Seoul] up so that we always have reliable people and a clear direction of where we want to take the group," Park said.

Kris James, one of Stand Up Seoul's first comedians, organizes and hosts the writing workshop for comedians to help them hone their new material and get it ready for the stage.

Comedians Esther Ku and Kris James pose in Comedy Haven in Seoul. / Courtesy of Kang Eun-byeol

"I wanted to have a place where we could critique and grow creatively with each other," James said.

The materials presented go through each critiquing comedian's laugh meter, regardless of their own contrasting personal styles.

"At the end of the day, if it's funny it's funny," said Kristen Pimley, an American female comic with five years of comedy writing experience. A regular attendee of the workshop, Pimley started her own satirical newspaper in the United States and trained at The Second City in Chicago with The Onion, but Korea has been her favorite place to entertain people so far. "I think the ultimate goal of the group is to consistently attract new audiences every night and try to show that comedy is a serious industry and profession.

Kristen Pimley performs at an all women's show at the Cocky Pub Yatap in Bundang. / Courtesy of Michelle Agatstein

A marketing manager by day, comic by night, Pimley joined the group in February and helps market Stand Up Seoul's activities on social media and through word-of-mouth channels. For her, stand-up is a great creative outlet, adding that she loves to incorporate dark humor in her stand-up routines.

Comedy during COVID-19

Despite the pandemic, Stand Up Seoul has been able to hold several shows safely, and many bars across South Korea have been eager to have them perform. However, when COVID-19 cases started increasing and Seoul enacted Level 2 social distancing measures, they canceled all future events until further notice for the safety of the performers and the audience.

Fernando, who also organizes venues and lineups for upcoming shows alongside Sang, added that he too had planned to open his own comedy club Dark de Gary ― which translates to "chicken's head" in Korean ― near Ewha Womans University, but the pandemic has delayed his plans.

"I want to encourage people to come and make their own shows and take charge in the name of Stand Up Seoul," Fernando said. "When we have four or five people eager to run the place, then that's democracy. I'm not going to be Moses and ride a boat."

With the pandemic slowing in-person events for Stand Up Seoul, Sang and Fernando are currently working on a podcast to perform comedy online and to promote shows once COVID-19 cases decrease.

In 2021, the group plans to organize even more showcases, to build a camaraderie between members and audiences and to give everyone in Korea a reason to laugh again.

Visit standupseoul.com or follow them on fb.com/StandUpSeoulOfficial or instagram.com/standupseoul for more information on Stand Up Seoul.