Recently appointed general director of the Korea National Opera, Han Ye-jin -- known as Regina -- has resigned from her post only 53 days after her inauguration.
Han came under criticism after she was appointed for her young age and lack of experience. According to The Korea Times, opera-relation organizations have claimed that she lacked professionalism and seven of the organizations formed an emergency committee to oppose her inauguration.
Despite these arguments, Han had remained insistent on keeping her post, which is why her resignation has come as a surprise to many.
"My family was hurt by the way I was portrayed in the media without being given any opportunity to test my qualifications through the job," said Han in a press release.
The general director post was vacant for nine months after Kim Ui-jun abruptly resigned in March. Now, the position will be open for the second time, and an uncertainty of who will be willing to take over looms.
"I don't believe that the people who opposed me represent the entire voice of the opera community," Han said.
Han studied at the G. Verdi Conservatorio di Milano before gracing the European and Japanese operatic stages as a soprano. She has won prominent competitions, including the Padova International Music and the Como International competitions. She has taken on a number of leading roles in the Korean Nation Opera’s productions, including Salome and La Boheme. She is also a visiting professor at Sangmyung University.
After taking a break, Han plans to return to the stage.
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