Comedy takes root in Korea's Russian-speaking community
Lyazzat Khan, a proud resident of Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, has quietly been building an empire of laughter. Originally from Kazakhstan, she is the mastermind behind Event Max, a business that brings Russian-speaking comedians to Korea. For Korea’s Russian-speaking population of nearly 200,000, there is a growing market for entertainment services. Most of these residents are Koryo-saram, or…
In Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Lyazzat Khan has quietly cultivated a thriving market for laughter. Born in Kazakhstan, Khan is the founder of Event Max, a company that brings Russian-speaking comedians to Korea. With nearly 200,000 Russian speakers residing in Korea, there is a burgeoning market for entertainment services. Most of these residents, known as Koryo-saram, trace their origins to the former Soviet Union and are often employed in Korea's heavy and light industry factories, working long hours.
The entertainment options for this group remain underdeveloped due to language barriers, as Korean entertainment is not easily accessible to them. Over half of Korea's Russian-speaking population resides in Ansan and Incheon, where Russian is frequently spoken in certain neighborhoods. In response to this unmet demand, Russian-specific restaurants and lounges have emerged in these areas since the early 2000s.
However, a newer demand is emerging for community-centered entertainment as many businesses were closed during the pandemic.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Comedy takes root in Korea's Russian-speaking community koreatimes.co.kr
