[Gwangju Universiade] ‘Gwangju Universiade all about uniting young people’

The Gwangju Universiade opening ceremony was designed to unite young people from all over the world and encourage them to work for peace and harmony, said Park Myung-sung, chief director of the event’s opening ceremony.

Attended by more than 13,000 university students from 148 countries, the event was held under the slogan of “U are Shining.” The official theme of the opening ceremony epitomizes the spirit of the youth and brings hopes and passion to young people.

“(Through the theme) I wanted to deliver the message that young people are truly the light of the future,” said Park. “I think the Universiade is all about bringing together young people and seeking peace and harmony. Once young people are united, they will create a force to achieve the goal,” he said.

Park also works as an artistic director at Seensee Company, a Seoul-based theater firm dedicated to plays and musicals. The 52-year-old producer is renowned for producing Korean musicals that can cater to the taste of international viewers.

Not only did he adapt Korean plays to musicals such as “Forest Fire,” but also brought in a number of big-name musicals that won international acclaim. Among them are Broadway hit musicals such as “Mamma Mia!” “Rent,” “Urinetown,” “Batboy,” “Hairspray,” and “Last Five Years.”

“I focused on a show that can bring out the Korean culture and appeal to the international viewers,” he said. “I also wanted to highlight that the event is for young people. Unlike the Olympics, the Universiade is an event where young people gather to compete.”

Besides creating a perfect mix for the local and international audience at the ceremony, Park added that he wanted to put on a show that sets Korea apart from previous host nations -- China of the 2011 Shenzen Universiade and Russia of the 2013 Kazan Univerisade.

“It gives me a burden if you compare (Gwangju) to the Chinese or Russian event based on the event’s scale. But what is important is how to show unique features of Korea, not how much budget we have,” said Park.

“Rather than putting on a flamboyant show, our team focused on delivering a strong message to the viewers and leaving them with lingering impression. I believe our efforts will pay off and hope the event will come down in history as one of the most creative and compelling.”

Park was selected as chief director for the event’s opening and ending ceremonies in 2013. The Gwangju Universiade Organizing Committee (GUOC) selected him from among some 20 candidates.

Acknowledging the gravity of his work, Park vowed to emphasize the spirit of Gwangju, the birthplace of Korea’s democratic movement where citizens rose up against the authoritarian military regime.

“What makes Gwangju today is people. What makes Gwangju the birthplace of Korean democracy and human rights is their respect for humanity and living things. I think these are what Gwangju stands for and what I wanted to share with people at the opening ceremony,” Park said.

Now that the event has just kicked off with 11 days to go until the end, it is too early to tell how the closing ceremony will look like. Park, however, gave a sneak preview. The closing ceremony will feature K-pop stars and renowned Korean artists.

“The closing ceremony will be something like a concert. Along with K-pop stars and other artists, athletes, volunteers and all the attendees will join in and enjoy the event,” said Park.

“Considering that the opening ceremony was an occasion for young people to realize that they are the light of future, the closing ceremony will make them share the light with one another,” Park added.

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)