Lee Yountaek was born July 9, 1952 in South Korea. A poet, dramatist and producer, Lee Yuntaek debuted in 1979 with Jack-O-Lantern which appeared in Contemporary Poetry. As the 1970s ended Lee worked as a reporter for Busan Daily while also focusing on writing and staging plays. In 1986, Lee formed his own theatrical company called Yeonhuidan georipae in Busan and since that time has traveled around the country staging plays.
Work
According to the Korea Literature Translation Institute: Yi has proved his talents many times over through his production of movie scenarios, TV drama scripts, dance and musical stagings, and theatrical programs for international events. He is not only able to span a broad range of artistic forms, but also brings something new and experimental to each project he undertakes. He injects Korean sentiment and unique humor into his art forms, and is thus widely known as a “cultural guerilla.” While Yi’s themes generally contain something of the dark and serious, his stages teem with a vibrant energy. His plays contemplate and investigate human “lives” inching their way to their mortality. Even after a hearty laugh, the audience is always left with much to reflect on. Recently, Yi has been active as a director at the National Theatre, where he directed a musical version of Shakespeare’s Tempestin 1999. His production of a musical entitled Dreaming at Hwaseong performed at world cultural heritage sites, is but one of his many continuing theatrical experimentations. His movies have included:
On February 13, 2018, several women, including former actress Kim Soo-hee and actress Hong Seon-joo, accused Lee of sexual harassment. Lee allegedly forced many women in his theater troupe, for 18 years, to massage his genital area prior to raping them. In addition, Kim Soo-hee stated that in 2005, Lee raped her and got her pregnant, for which she had an abortion. Moreover, actress Hong Seon-joo alleged that Lee forcibly penetrated her private part with sticks and wooden chopsticks, saying it will help her vocalization. As a result, Lee resigned from all his positions in the theater world and formally apologized to the victims.
