Everyone is born differently

Lim Ji-Yun has parents, two older brothers, and one older sister in her family. As the youngest in her family, she took for granted receiving care from her parents and siblings. Even though she was short with short arms and twisted wrists at 90 degree angle without two thumbs, she did not feel uncomfortable enough to regard it as disabilities. What actually made her feel uncomfortable was people’s gaze. But she made nothing of their gazes.

After graduating from high school, she chose to enter Korea National University of Arts because she was a lot interested in performance, so she wanted to study performance directing properly. Most people think it is not easy for the disabled to enter Korea National University of Arts. Fortunately, however, she got through it in 2013. 

As a student of Korea National University of Arts

Living in dormitory, she majored in Arts Management in the Department of Theatre in School of Drama, Korea National University of Arts. In the middle of studying about theatre planning, she also minored in Directing. The School of Drama had an atmosphere of feeling a sense of accomplishment in the field each one liked. She loved performance really a lot, so she developed abilities by directing 2-3 performances in each semester whenever she had a chance even though she was required to perform only one performance in each semester.

Without going back to her hometown, Daegu even after graduating from school, she tried to find works as a director. At that time, she applied for the Disability Arts & Culture Support Project by Korea Disability Arts & Culture Center, and then presented her work on the stage in 2021 and 2022.

Process of finding herself

One day, five years ago, Ji-Yun talked about the ways of the world with her father while having a drink deep into the night. Her father who was a bit drunk brought up something hesitatingly.

“Now, you are old enough to know it.”

Ji-Yun’s father confessed that she was adopted when she was eight month old. As he got older, he probably thought that he should let her know about her root. When Ji-Yun heard his words, her mind went blank with a shock great enough to shake the ground she was stepping on.

The being of her biological mother shook her violently. She was really wondering ‘Why did my biological mother abandon me?’. Secretly from her parents in Daegu, she started searching the past time 25 years ago by holding the name of orphanage. And she got to know that her biological mother was living in the United States. Considering the possibility of receiving no responses at all, Ji-Yun contacted her biological mother, and she called Ji-Yun in October 2021. She just repetitively apologized to Ji-Yun.

“Everyone was born differently and they have their own ways of life. Please do not regard my own method as something really different. People who know me already know about my own charms. I live on such charms.”

She artistically responded to a question about her future activities

“If I do performance, that becomes disability arts, I think. It is correct that I am a disabled artist. And it is also correct that I am just an artist. For this reason, I just want to perform arts where everyone can meet with each other.”

Lim Ji-Yun

Graduated from Korea National University of Arts by majoring in Arts Management and minoring in Directing in School of Drama

2022 Directed & appeared in

2022 Appeared in

2022 Appeared in of A+ Festival

2021 Appeared in of Asia Theater Director’s Workshop

2021 Directed & appeared in

2021 Appeared in of the 4th Feminism Theatre Festival