“I Still Have the Strength!” 90-Year-Old Legend Shin Goo Returns to the Stage with Park Geun-hyung

Legendary actors Shin Goo (90) and Park Geun-hyung (86) are teaming up once again for the play The Merchant of Venice.

The production will run from July 8 to August 9 at the National Theater of Korea’s Haeoreum Theater. The two veterans will lead the entire run as a one-cast production, with Shin Goo playing the Duke and Park Geun-hyung taking on the role of Shylock.

Shin Goo shared his passion, saying, “There are moments when I can’t hear well or my body doesn’t move the way I want, but the time I spend acting is joyful and rewarding.” He added, “Practicing and performing is my current role and the thing I love most. I can’t beat time, but I still have the strength to stand on stage.”

He even joked with a smile, “To fill a 1,000-seat theater for a month, we need about 30,000 people. Considering the population of Seoul, that’s not a difficult goal at all!”

Park Geun-hyung also expressed his determination, stating, “Putting on a play on such a large stage isn’t easy, but I will deliver a high-quality production.” He added, “At my age, I want to portray Shylock not as a simple figure of good or evil, but as a human being.” This marks his return to the role of Shylock after 67 years, having first played it in 1959 while attending Chung-Ang University.

Based on William Shakespeare’s classic, the play explores human desire, contracts involving money, and questions of fairness. Director Oh Kyung-taek explained, “I wanted to question the meaning of justice and fairness, which can change depending on the situation.”

Additionally, five rookie actors selected through the ‘Theater Tomorrow Fund’—a fund established by the two legendary actors—will join the production as part of the ensemble.