Han Ki-myeong

Han Ki-myeong (born 1995 in Paju, Gyeonggi Province) is recognized in Korean media as the country's first stand-up comedian with a physical disability. At age seven he sustained a traumatic brain and physical injury in a traffic accident, spending six months in a vegetative state; he has said that watching the sketch show Gag Concert while recovering inspired him to pursue comedy.

He first performed at an open mic in Hongdae, Seoul, in February 2018, and that August was invited to perform at the Busan International Comedy Festival. He became more widely known in 2019 through the stand-up showcase 'Comedy Alive Show' and an appearance on KBS 2TV's stand-up comedy program 'Stand Up!' in November 2019, where material drawing on his own disability drew a strong audience response. He performs under the self-given nickname 'Ppun-jang-ko', combining Korean words evoking shamelessness and disability, and has said he uses his own condition as comic material on his own terms. He continues to perform stand-up sets built around his experience of disability, framing comedy as a way of connecting with audiences rather than eliciting pity.