Tony sweep by Korean musical breaks industry norms

The name Park Cheon-hyo may not ring a bell for most people. Although well known within South Korea’s musical theater scene, Park had remained largely out of the public spotlight. That changed on June 8, when the Korean original musical 'Maybe Happy Ending' swept six categories at the Tony Awards, one of the most prestigious honors in American theater. Only then did many begin searching for Park’s background and body of work, including this reporter.

Unlike novelist Han Kang, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature last year, or director Bong Joon Ho, who took home the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2019, Park had never been a household name. But his achievement is historic. 'Maybe Happy Ending' won Best Musical, Best Direction, Best Leading Actor, Best Book, Best Original Score and Best Scenic Design. It was the first time a Korean original musical claimed a Tony Award. With this milestone, South Korea has now earned all four major U.S. pop culture honors: the Emmy (Netflix’s Squid Game), the Grammy (soprano Sumi Jo), the Oscar (Parasite by Bong Joon Ho) and the Tony.

Set in a future Seoul, 'Maybe Happy Ending' follows two abandoned helper robots who discover love and friendship, ultimately finding emotions that feel more human than mechanical. The production, though modest in scale, won over Broadway audiences with its emotional depth and tightly crafted storytelling. Since its Korean premiere in 2016, the show has been praised for blending universal themes of loneliness and connection with evocative music. Still, few expected it to reach such global recognition.

Park studied creative writing in Korea before beginning his career as a lyricist in the pop music industry. He later moved into theater, choosing to tell stories that resonated with him personally rather than following proven commercial formulas. In 2013, he won Best Lyrics and Composition at the Korea Musical Awards for Bungee Jump, yet he was not widely considered a major figure in the field.

Is winning a Tony at 42 considered young? Not particularly. British composer Toby Marlow won Best Original Score in 2022 at age 28. In contrast, American songwriter Adolph Green received the same award in 1991, at the age of 77. The takeaway is that neither age nor résumé should define artistic achievement.

When Han Kang won the Man Booker International Prize in 2016, some in Korea’s literary world called predictions of a future Nobel premature, noting that many senior writers had yet to be internationally recognized. Yet just eight years later, Han became Korea’s first Nobel laureate in literature.

Seniority and hierarchy continue to carry weight in Korean arts and culture. Artists are often evaluated based on how many years they have worked or which creative lineage they follow. Park’s Tony win challenged those expectations. It served as a reminder that in art, there are no juniors or seniors. What matters most is how deeply and originally a piece moves people in the present moment.

Perhaps we should hope to see more unfamiliar names in the headlines. To feel a little humbled by what we don’t yet know, to look up artists we’ve never heard of, and to discover their work, even if belatedly. That kind of curiosity is something worth carrying into the theater.