Theatergoers angry after 'Life of Pi' performance gets canceled five minutes before start time
Published: 11 Feb. 2026, 11:07
![A scene from the play ″Life of Pi″ [S&CO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/02/11/8f0c2b30-5bc0-4367-b784-2818b522c3c8.jpg)
A scene from the play ″Life of Pi″ [S&CO]
The play “Life of Pi” starring actor Park Jeong-min was abruptly canceled Tuesday evening just minutes before it was set to begin. Fans who were waiting to see Park perform on stage were left stranded and angry.
The performance was scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. at the GS Arts Center in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, but was canceled at 7:25 p.m. Organizers informed the audience of its cancellation in a notice posted at the venue.
The production company promised to refund 110 percent of the ticket price. Individual text messages were also to be sent out with further details, the company said.
“We once again bow our heads in apology to audience members who came to see the performance,” the notice read.
Despite the compensation plan, frustration among audience members at the venue did not subside. People who had traveled from across the country to see Park on stage criticized the timing of the cancellation as excessively last-minute and said the guidance provided was insufficient.
Reactions poured out on social media accounts and online communities after the cancellation.
![A poster for the play ″Life of Pi″ [S&CO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/02/11/85982486-50df-42ef-b77c-16a95f219364.jpg)
A poster for the play ″Life of Pi″ [S&CO]
“I took time off work and drove for a total of four hours both ways, and they’re only offering 110 percent,” read one comment, while another said, “Dragging it out and announcing the cancellation with four minutes left makes me angry.”
“I came to see Park and this is what happens,” wrote another social media user. “This is disappointing.”
“Life of Pi” depicts the story of Pi, an Indian boy stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, who drifts on a lifeboat for 227 days with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker before being rescued.
The cast scheduled to appear on stage that day included Park, Hwang Man-ik, JooA and Jin Sang-hyun. Park Jeong-min plays the titular Pi, with Park Kang-hyun alternating the role with Park Jeong-min.
Fan attention had been high for "Life of Pi," which marks Park Jeong-min's return to the theater for the first time in eight years.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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