How 'Once' translator Hwang Seok-hee honored one of Broadway's most beloved duets

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How 'Once' translator Hwang Seok-hee honored one of Broadway's most beloved duets

Published: 25 Mar. 2025, 15:06 Updated: 27 Mar. 2025, 09:53

LEE JIAN
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Translator Hwang Seok-hee [SEENSEE COMPANY]

When Hwang Seok-hee signed on to translate the folk musical "Once" to Korean, it was soon evident what the most contentious matter would be: how best to translate its breakout, deeply beloved, Oscar-winning number, "Falling Slowly" (2006).

The creative team for the ongoing Seoul production had been pushing the translator to keep the same lyrics from the musical's most recent staging in 2015. “They thought it would be too challenging for the actors who have already practiced with the songs with old translations,” Hwang said in a roundtable interview Monday.

A scene from the ongoing musical ″Once″ at Coex Artium in Gangnam District, southern Seoul [SEENSEE COMPANY]

But he was adamant that, 10 years later, the lyrics needed to be updated to encompass the whole meaning of the love song. He was aware of the significance the English text held to the musical's plot and felt that it was his responsibility as a translator to ensure that it conveyed the original image and nuance.

"Even if it includes many metaphors and translating them to Korean may result in slight awkwardness, I believe it is my role to make that transition as non-jarring as possible," he said.

He begged producers to give him "just a couple of nights" to write up at least a rough translation. When the "Once" team saw his work, they conceded.

“It was impossible to translate the lyrics directly, word for word, because a lot of it was metaphors, and they packed in so much nuance and meaning," Hwang said. "I focused on delivering those rich images that the lines contained.”

The dedication is apparent in Hwang's new translation of "Falling Slowly," currently being performed in the Korean revival of "Once" through May 31 at the Coex Artium in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. Its stanzas are masterfully measured, their beauty lying in simultaneous subtlety and profundity, mirroring the original with such craft that they are inarguably an art of their own.

A scene from the ongoing musical ″Once″ at Coex Artium in Gangnam District, southern Seoul [SEENSEE COMPANY]

“Once” follows the brief yet profound relationship between a Czech immigrant, known as Girl, who has a passion for the piano, and an aspiring Irish musician, Guy. Set in Dublin, the two find themselves caught between reality and unfulfilled ambitions, but their mutual musical passion and instant connection lead them to collaborate on an album.

Hwang, 46, sports an extensive portfolio listing some 600 movies, TV shows, plays and musicals over the past 20 years. His career took a turn to stardom in 2016 when he produced a cheeky Korean translation of the Marvel film “Deadpool” (2016). Today, his name alone attracts Korean audiences to a project. He also has a strong social media presence, with over 725,000 Instagram followers.

“Once” is his 10th musical translation: Previous shows include "Hadestown," "Mrs. Doubtfire" and Something Rotten!

But working on “Once” took the translator back two decades, to before his big-shot translating career when he — like Guy — was an aspiring musician.

A scene from the ongoing musical ″Once″ at Coex Artium in Gangnam District, southern Seoul [SEENSEE COMPANY]

Hwang studied education in college but played guitar in high school and spent nearly all his 20s as part of an obscure indie band. When there were no venues to play, he busked on the streets.

“Now, I have four guitars that hang on my wall, gathering dust, because I am so busy as a freelance translator,” he said.

“My wife, who knew me during my younger band years and came to my concerts, sometimes pities me for constantly being swamped with work in front of my computer. But when I was working on the lyrics of ‘Once,’ she saw me singing and playing the guitar again, and said she felt glad and relieved for me, for the first time in a long while.

“‘This is music too,’ is I think what she said.”

Translator Hwang Seok-hee [SEENSEE COMPANY]

Hwang, known for extensively analyzing and studying the subjects he is working on, described his process for “Once” as one that made him feel “more at ease.” The subject matter was more familiar to him than those of scripts he'd received in the past; he'd worked on the Korean translation of the "Once" movie (2007) musical's subject matter and was also familiar with guitar and Irish folk music.

“The first thing the director said to me about ‘Once’ was that it was ‘not funny,’ though he had found the movie quite humorous,’” he said. But Hwang was confident he could change that. “I saw the script and, contrary to what the director said, found many parts that were funny and had the potential to be funny to Korean audiences.

“This production is a much funnier show than what it was 10 years ago,” Hwang continued. “The original creatives of the show also greatly appreciated this translation that captured the ebb and flow of comedy and heart.”

A scene from the ongoing musical ″Once″ at Coex Artium in Gangnam District, southern Seoul [SEENSEE COMPANY]

At a recent performance, audiences were roaring with laughter about a classically gallow Irish joke: “I’m sorry. It’s just that you’re gorgeous, and I’m incredibly lonely,” the lead Guy apologizes to Girl after a failed attempt to make a move on her.

It may seem like a minor joke, but capturing the humor in these passing moments — just as in the original English script — is a challenge that too often gets lost in translated entertainment.

A scene from the ongoing musical ″Once″ at Coex Artium in Gangnam District, southern Seoul [SEENSEE COMPANY]

During the interview, it was evident that Hwang’s current excitement and passion lay in his translation work, his eyes twinkling as he recounted his favorite number to translate from “Once” ("Raglan Road," a pre-show song).

But he appeared more composed and level-headed when he reminisced about his younger self, with long hair and a guitar slung over his shoulder, at the crossroads of choosing between his dream and reality.

“I think you have to learn to accept that life doesn’t always go how you want it to go,” he said. “And sometimes, it is okay to let life flow where it wills to go.“

Then, he continued, “you do what you can do while also trying not to let go of the dream completely. And along the way, you might have a chance to do what you love, like how I get to sometimes work with music as a translator — or you may build yourself up with something else to realize your real dream later on in your life.

“Having an unrelenting belief in your aspirations is certainly a worthy value, but, as the English phrase goes, you must keep your feet on the ground; at least have one foot in the real world. Many people fell apart because they didn’t.

Intentional or not, Hwang’s point aligns with a theme in “Once”: No dream or ideal is more important than one’s dignity and life.

“Once” isn’t a happy ending — Guy and Girl don’t end up together, nor do we know if they succeeded as musicians. In Hwang’s words, “Who knows, maybe he is flipping burger patties in New York City!”

But it feels like a happy ending, at least a little bit — because, despite whatever happened next, at least they moved forward.

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]