From K-pop expert to novelist and musical producer... Na Sang-cheon (CEO) on 'The Power of the Path' [★Research Institute]

*This content was translated by AI.

• Interview ①

Na Sang-cheon (54), CEO of Dream Engine, has embarked on a new second chapter of his life. Na Sang-cheon (CEO), who returned from being a K-pop expert to a novelist and also to a musical producer and director, said he found the strength for his second chapter of life on a path he took without a specific plan.

Recently, when we met Na Sang-cheon (CEO) at the StarNews headquarters, he was moved to tears upon receiving his freshly published novel. He shared his thoughts, saying, "Writing a novel is like walking a pilgrimage path. I feel like I've accomplished one more thing."

_NAME_0__'s resume is impressive. A graduate of Seoul Arts University's Department of Playwriting, Na (CEO) made his debut in 1997 with the play 'Black Box,' winning the Creation Village Playwriting Moon Hak-sang-eul (수상). Since then, he has presented a world of works exploring the human inner self through pieces such as 'Between Question and Answer,' which was selected for the 1st Two-Person Festival, and 'Empty Seat,' which was submitted to the Youth Theater Festival. In 2003, he expanded his activities into the popular music industry. He worked at Music City, Doremi Media, and Dream T Entertainment, overseeing the planning and marketing for various artists including Girl's Day, Momo Land, and Kyungseo.

_NAME_0__ lost his wife in 2017 and subsequently raised his 7-year-old daughter alone. Suffering from mental illnesses such as panic disorder and insomnia due to the pain of losing his wife, Na (CEO) later set out on the Santiago Pilgrimage Path, where he found new hope.

_NAME_0__'s novel 'A Wonderful Escape' topped various book charts and became a bestseller immediately upon its release on the 22nd of last month. 'A Wonderful Escape' is a work depicting the journeys of four individuals with different stories, set against the backdrop of the 800km Santiago Pilgrimage Path in Spain. The protagonists are Kim, a middle-aged chef who started a new life in Los Angeles after losing his wife; Dorothy, a singer-songwriter hopeful who has experienced the bitterness of failing an audition; Roger, a YouTuber attempting the nearly impossible mission of reaching 330,000 subscribers; and Jun-sang, a 21-year-old youth who hides on the path carrying a heavy secret. The novel captures their process of facing the wounds they have each fled from while walking the same path for 33 days, and embracing healing and change.

'A Wonderful Escape' is a novel written by Na Sang-cheon (CEO), who is a K-pop producer, playwright, and novelist, based on his experiences completing the Santiago Pilgrimage Path twice in 2023 and 2024. Encounters with people along the way and self-reflection are woven throughout the story.

Additionally, Na Sang-cheon (CEO) is concurrently developing a musical titled 'Caminante' based on his novel. 'Caminante,' which successfully concluded its Number Showcase in February, is currently preparing for a formal performance in August next year.

-Holding your first full-length novel in your hands seems to evoke special emotions. We are curious about the reason and process behind the novel's publication.

▶ In 2017, I lost my wife, and the next day my mother passed away, causing me to experience an immense pain of loss. At the time, my daughter was 7 years old, so I worried about how to raise her. I developed various mental illnesses, including panic disorder and insomnia. I truly endured each difficult day. Looking back now, I survived because of my daughter. I would not have been able to survive without her. I tried to comfort myself, saying, "I need to see some sunlight," and there was a time when I could not function normally in daily life, so I would just go out to see the sunlight and live like that. One day, I suggested to my daughter that we go to church, but she refused. When I asked why she didn't want to go, she asked, "Dad, is God really there?" She said that she prayed so her mom wouldn't get sick, but God took her away. At that time, I had no answer to give. We spent that painful time, and both my body and mind collapsed. At that time, a senior in the industry saw me, held my hand, and said, "Let's go to Santiago once." I went there, gained good strength, and returned. After returning, I stopped taking all my psychiatric medications as if by a miracle. I felt the power of that path.

-What thoughts did you have while completing the Santiago Pilgrimage Path?

▶ The process and journey of walking that path were so difficult that there were many moments when I wanted to give up, feeling like I was going to die. But after completing it, I felt like I gained some strength within myself. It felt like the power to live in this world. All my worries about my daughter, such as how to raise her, were sorted out and resolved. I came to believe that my life is mine, and my daughter's life is hers. I decided to believe that, just as I have lived this way, my daughter will also have the strength to live well.

-How did you come to conceptualize this story as a novel?

▶ I wanted to share such stories with my daughter when I came back to Korea. I wanted to share my good experiences and words that would help my daughter's life. While having various conversations at the dinner table, my daughter, who was going through puberty, said, "Yes, Dad, I understand. You worked hard." Once I stopped talking, it became harder to continue. So, I wondered how to best convey this experience to my daughter, and I thought, "Since my daughter loves dancing and singing, why not create a musical?" I thought that if it were a musical, she would watch my story in the theater for one or two hours, even if forced, so I wrote the musical script. After completing the musical script, I decided to write a story to help actors and staff understand it better, which led me to write a novel. I had long felt a craving for novels and had been writing practice pieces, so I started writing a novel. I created the novel by including the roles, histories, and current concerns of each character. I felt it was a pity to share this only with musical actors and staff, so I submitted it to publishing companies, and two of them contacted me. Millie's Library contacted me first and suggested publishing it, which is how it came out as a novel book.

-It seems your daughter became the driving force behind this creation. What did you want to say to her?

▶ Surprisingly, the lyrics of the new song by the singer group Akdong Musician were exactly the words I wanted to say to my daughter. I shed tears while listening to the new song. How could they express my heart in a song like that? I was surprised to see Akdong Musician express exactly what I wanted to say to my daughter in a song. In particular, the lyric "It is a beautiful heart that sorrow comes after joy" touched my heart. Our daughter lost her mother. Our lives are not always full of sorrow, nor are they always full of joy. I learned through Santiago that these are all part of a beautiful life, and I believe my daughter can live that way too. I am very grateful for the Akdong Musician song this time. I wanted to convey my feelings but didn't know how to express them, so I sent a letter via Mr. Lee Chan-hyuk's Instagram DM. I told him I wanted to give him a book as a gift. I am truly very grateful and really want to convey my feelings. My daughter is growing up well and is doing even better than me these days. I don't expect my daughter to understand my feelings; I think it's okay if she doesn't. I hope that as she lives her life, she will understand that life is not only full of joy or only full of sorrow. Thank you so much for growing up healthy and well. I also have many good people around me. I thought I was walking this path alone, but I was wrong. It is happy and valuable to walk together.

Continues to Interview ②.

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*This content was translated by AI.