Jeong Eui-shin Brings Zainichi History to Stage in 'Yakiniku Dragon'
Creatrip Team
4 months ago
Playwright-director Jeong Eui-shin, a 2.5-generation Zainichi (재일·Korean residents in Japan) Korean, returns to Seoul with his acclaimed play 'Yakiniku Dragon' from Nov. 14–23 at Seoul Arts Center. Set in 1970s Kansai, the drama centers on a Zainichi family running a grilled tripe (gopchang) restaurant, weaving personal and historical wounds—Pacific War, Korean War, and repatriation—into a story of survival and dignity. Jeong, known for blending tragedy and comedy and for adapting Bong Joon-ho’s 'Parasite' for the stage, focuses on marginalized lives (including sexual minorities) and uses eating scenes to express human humor and sorrow. Though he still feels like a border-crossing outsider, Jeong aims to offer small kindnesses and hope through theater, keeping Zainichi narratives visible amid changing Korea-Japan relations.
