According to the Korea's independent comedy label which boasts 741,000 subscribers, the R-rated show, called "Comedy Assemble," features explicit subjects including jokes about sex, religion, and political satire.
The show, scheduled for three days from Aug. 15 to 17, is part of "Sync Next 24," the center's seasonal program introducing noteworthy artists. Tickets for Saturday are already sold out.
It will be the first time an adult show takes place at the prestigious concert hall, which is mainly reserved for musicals, classical performances, and grand recitals often accompanied by big orchestras.
The label's CEO Chung Young-joon expressed his excitement about the upcoming show. "We've always dreamed of performing a show on a big stage, but dreams have come true sooner than I expected, proving a growing interest in stand-up comedy, " he said.
"For years, many veteran comedians lamented that we might never have the opportunity to perform at a prestigious venue like the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts," comedian Kwak Beom, managed by the label, said. "That's why I was determined to make this happen, no matter what."
"We believe that inviting comedians who are popular on YouTube for a show would contribute to our efforts to promote diversity while expanding our spectrum into various art genres, thereby attracting broader audiences," a programmer from the center told Aju Press on Tuesday. "Their witty but hilarious jokes might be provocative or uncomfortable to some, but we believe most audiences would consider them as part of artistic expression."
Still new to many Koreans, the art of a comedian making humorous and poignant jokes with just a microphone has a long-established presence in Western countries, especially in the U.S.
The history of modern Korean stand-up comedy traces back to the late 1980s when Korean-American show host Johnny Yune and comedians Joo Byung-jin and Kim Hyung-gon enjoyed their heyday with minor political satire.
Nascent stand-up comedy has emerged in Korea in the late 2010s after traditional comedy programs lost their luster.
