Ballerino Kim Hee-hyun performs as a soloist in 2019, left, and speaks in an interview with the Hankook Ilbo. Courtesy of Kim Hee-hyun, Korea Times photo by Chung Da-bin
A leading ballerino with 17 years of experience has filed a labor complaint over an unpaid holiday wage of 240,000 won ($180), shedding light on the harsh working conditions faced by dancers in Korea's public performing arts sector.
Kim Hee-hyun, 38, formerly a principal dancer with the Korean National Ballet, recently filed a complaint with the Ministry of Employment and Labor against his former workplace, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.
He alleged that the Seoul Metropolitan Ballet, operated by the Sejong Center, failed to pay proper holiday wages for rehearsals held on national holidays last year.
“It may not be easy, but I felt I had to take legal action because I was frustrated and angry thinking, ‘Do dancers really deserve to be treated this poorly?'” Kim said in an interview with the Hankook Ilbo on March 5. “The Seoul Metropolitan Ballet receives government funding and spends billions of won to license performances. Yet they're unwilling to pay dancers a basic holiday allowance?”
At the core of Kim's claim is that dancers, too, are workers and should be paid 1.5 times their normal rate for holiday labor. He rehearsed 16 hours across public holidays last year, including Independence Movement Day (March 1), General Election Day (April 10) and Liberation Day (Aug. 15), but was only paid the standard 3 million won ($2,250) rehearsal fee without the additional 240,000 won in holiday compensation.
Ballerino Kim Hee-hyun, center, performs in the 2019 original ballet “Ascension.” Courtesy of Kim Hee-hyun
Kim said that despite being labeled a freelancer, his working conditions reflected those of an employee — receiving regular assignments via a company platform, working fixed hours at set locations and receiving a base salary.
While holiday pay is a basic legal entitlement for ordinary workers under the Labor Standards Act, the dance industry, dominated by freelance contracts, rarely provides such protection.
A 2024 Ministry of Culture survey showed that dancers earn an average annual income of 8.02 million won ($6,000), or about 668,000 won ($500) per month, forcing many to rely on side jobs like yoga or Pilates classes.
Even without holiday pay, unpaid labor is common. “Some dancers perform for free while working part-time jobs just to stay on stage. Many end up quitting the profession altogether,” Kim said.
Kim's pursuit of 240,000 won may seem minor, but he says it's a stand for the next generation. “Unless poor practices change, the environment won't improve. Even national ballet companies treat dancers this way, so what hope is there for the rest?”
Kim, who now runs a ballet academy, said, “You can't survive on dance alone. Most young dancers in their 20s have no choice but to stay silent, but I felt I had the freedom to speak out.”
Kim Hee-hyun speaks during an interview. Korea Times photo by Chung Da-bin
Disguised as freelancing
Kim's career began with the prestigious Korean National Ballet, but he joined the newly established Seoul Metropolitan Ballet in February 2023. Despite its public status, he found the employment system unstructured and unstable compared to his previous experience, where most dancers had employment contracts and clear compensation systems.
At the Seoul Metropolitan Ballet, not a single dancer was a full-time employee. Even Kim, a former soloist, signed a freelance “performance contract” for only 10 months. Most other dancers were hired per project, often for just a few months.
“The contract was labeled ‘outsourcing,' and it felt like we were disposable. No labor union, no job security,” he said.
The Sejong Center claimed the system was designed to allow flexible operations, but critics say it reflects a broader pattern of exploiting freelancers to cut costs. One dance critic called the outsourcing contract “the worst form of evasion,” accusing the institution of treating dancers as disposable.
Some contracts even include clauses allowing the company to terminate the agreement unilaterally if a dancer's performance doesn't meet its standards. Kim's attorney, Kim Min-ho, argued this undermines both freelancer protections and basic labor rights.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, fourth from left, poses with the Seoul Metropolitan Ballet's first-season dancers at a press conference marking the troupe's launch at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul on Feb. 20, 2023. Ballerino Kim Hee-hyun stands at far right. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Poor transparency
Kim also criticized the lack of transparency in performance fees. Unlike the national ballet, which has a clear payment chart by role and experience, the Seoul Metropolitan Ballet often notified dancers of fees only shortly before performances.
“Even private companies at least give a verbal estimate beforehand. At the Sejong Center, it was ‘take what you're given,'” he said.
The dispute over holiday pay and performance fees eventually led Kim to resign on Sept. 25. He is still awaiting 1.25 million won ($940) in unpaid wages for work completed in September.
Kim argues that basic labor protections must apply even though he is labeled as a freelancer. In December, the Sejong Center filed a countersuit, demanding 33 million won ($24,700) in damages, including costs for a substitute dancer and promotional materials.
“The lawsuit made me realize how hard it is to speak out,” Kim said. “They're trying to set an example so others won't dare raise their voices.”
Ultimately, whether his complaint is upheld depends on whether authorities recognize Kim as a worker under the law. Korean courts have increasingly acknowledged worker status in similar artistic roles, despite freelance contracts.
Lawyer Kim Min-ho said the issue goes beyond one individual. “The entire contracting system for dancers must be overhauled. Legal protections shouldn't depend on the label of ‘freelancer.' Institutions must stop hiding behind outsourcing to avoid responsibility.”
He added, “We hope that Kim's case becomes a turning point to reform unfair practices in Korea's performing arts industry.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.