Korean Playwright Hansol Jung Invites Exonians to Embrace “Weirdness” at Morning Assembly
By JINMIN LEE, LILY RAMPE and LEON XIE
At the schoolwide assembly on Friday, April 26, renowned South Korean playwright and translator Hansol Jung addressed the student body about how her childhood impacted her life philosophy to become bolder and more unique. Following her speech, she opened the floor for questions from the audience and spoke one-on-one to students after her assembly.
Jung, the Academy’s Haley Lecturer this year, is currently a member of the Ma-Yi Theater Writer’s Lab, and during her career, she has written six plays and translated more than 30 English-language musicals into Korean. She has also been a writer on two television series, including Netflix’s Tales of the City (2019) and the critically acclaimed Pachinko (2022). Jung is the winner of the 2017 Helen Merrill Award for Playwriting, the 2018 Whiting Award for Drama, the 2020 Steinberg Playwright Award, and a 2024 Off-Broadway Theater Award in playwriting. Her works combine her knowledge of her native South Korean history and culture with commentary on the state of major social issues such as the adoption system, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and racism.
Austin Desisto / The Exonian
In her talk, Jung introduced students to her life story: although she was born in South Korea, her family moved to apartheid South Africa at a young age. When she eventually moved back to Korea, she struggled to adjust to Korea’s education system and social norms. Even though she didn’t feel comfortable in her own skin and even resented how other people thought she was “different,” she embraced her “weirdness.” Reflecting on this experience, she highlighted how “weirdness” was not a negative word, and encouraged students to rethink the word as an individual’s unique set of experiences and thoughts that give them a special insight into the world.
Students found her speech encouraging self-acceptance empowering. “I found the idea of creating these ‘weird’ characters that people love and embracing weirdness and who you genuinely are to be inspiring,” recalled lower Dylan Richardson.
“I liked hearing her talk about writing and how she always channels her inner ‘weirdness’ in a good way,” agreed upper Catherine Yan, whose English class is reading Jung’s Wolf Play. “Since Wolf Play had a style I had never encountered before, I enjoyed hearing where she drew her inspiration from.”
Lower Benny Wang concurred, saying, “I was thrilled to see what led her to write a play involving unusual characters, like the wolf puppet; in my English class, we discussed the wolf’s intentions and motivations extensively. Jung’s speech powerfully elucidated why she made her stylistic choices.”
“Her opinions on ‘weirdness’ helped me unpack the symbols and imagery in her play that I initially didn’t understand,” said upper Leo Mizuno. “Some of the graphic imagery was shocking at first, but I was able to grasp the significance of her ideas after her speech.”
Teachers also expressed their excitement for Jung’s speech. “I loved Jung’s discussion of weirdness, and I think it paired so well with the characters and the style and structure of Wolf Play. I chose this book because I knew Hansol Jung was visiting this spring, and I think it is wonderful when my students can meet and interact with those who write the texts we read in class,” said Emily Quirk, an English instructor who taught Jung’s play in class.
Instructor of English David Rhee, who invited Jung and introduced her at the beginning of the assembly, agreed and conveyed his enthusiasm: “On top of her excellent original plays, I was especially interested in bringing her to Exeter because she’s been an integral part of a growing interest in theater in Korea. She has translated over 30 English-speaking musicals into Korean, and those interested in plays and theater know her impact on the community.”
From reading this book, animated Harkness discussions took place. “I loved discussing this play in class because we read it together in class. It was fun to see students take on the personas of the characters and have fun with the acting bits. Plus, this book brings up some discussion-worthy topics (i.e. misogyny, gender politics, gay rights), so it was important for my students to make sense of those themes together at the table,” Quirk said.
Rhee’s advisees had an opportunity to have a Q&A session with Jung after her assembly. When asked about what inspired her impactful plays, Jung emphasized, “We’re always feeling intensely toward certain topics. However, artists allow themselves to delve deeply into their feelings more intensely. Then, they always ask how their art relates to the world. That’s where I begin my writing process.”
Jung concluded by encouraging all high school students to read more: “When you are watching something, you are being told how to think about it. Reading allows you to develop critical thinking; it gives you a sense of how to make your own judgments and lets your imagination fill the void.”
Austin Desisto / The Exonian