Kim Jung-ok, the theater director widely regarded as the godfather of Korean theater, died on the 17th. He was 94.
Born in Gwangju, Kim studied French literature and film at the Sorbonne in France. He began his directing career in earnest with the founding of Minjung Theater in 1963. After establishing Theater Company Jayu with Lee Byung-bok in 1966, he rose to prominence as one of Korea's leading directors with works including "Feast of the Wretched" (1966). He relentlessly pursued experimental approaches that transformed realist theater, directing translated works spanning salon dramas, Molière comedies, and absurdist plays. Over more than 60 years, he directed some 200 productions on stages in Korea and abroad.
In June 1995, Kim became the first Asian to serve as president of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), a position he held for three consecutive terms. In 2002, he became the first Korean to receive the Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France's highest cultural honor. He also received the Nikkei Asia Prize for Culture, South Korea's Gold Crown Order of Cultural Merit, the Korean Academy of Arts Award, and the Ilmin Award for Culture and Arts.