What if the sentence that changed your life wasn't advice? What if it was just permission? Broadway performer Joomin Hwang shares the six words a professor said that sent him from South Korea to Wisconsin at 30 with no English and a dream he wasn't sure was even possible.
Joomin is a founding cast member of The Prom on Broadway and the first native Korean to perform at the Tony Awards. He currently performs in And Juliet. He is also the author of a journaling method developed during a deeply personal season, which helps people face difficult moments with honesty and self-compassion.
In this conversation, we talk about:
- Growing up without a stable home and finding power for the first time through breakdancing
- Two teachers who told him he wasn't talented and why he didn't stop
- The six words from a professor that changed everything
- What it felt like to stand on the Radio City stage at the Tony Awards
- Going through divorce in 2024 and creating a journaling method to help himself heal
- Why he believes you should dream your dream as a verb, not a noun
Joomin Hwang began his journey as a breakdancer in South Korea. While touring and performing a dance show at London’s Peacock Theatre in 2007, his life was changed after seeing a performance of Billy Elliot. Shortly after, at the age of 29 and despite not speaking English, he moved to the US to study Vocal Performance at the University of Wisconsin. He made history in 2018, just 5 years later, with his Broadway debut in The Prom by becoming the first native Korean to perform at the TONY Awards. He later joined the original cast of & Juliet, making another breakthrough as an actor from South Korea to play a non-Asian principal role in Broadway’s history. Joomin brings a dynamic and multidisciplinary energy to the stage and screen. His diverse credits include performances in the off-Broadway production of KPOP at A.R.T., In the Heights at Axelrod Performing Arts Center, and screen appearances in Iron Fist, Isn’t It Romantic, Pose, and the film adaptation of In the Heights.
Now based in New York City, Joomin continues to expand his artistic reach across theatre, film, and television—committed to representing international artists with authenticity, resilience, and heart. Living in New York and doing what he loves to do is an unbelievably sweet dream for Joomin.
In addition to his performance career, Joomin is a certified vocal coach dedicated to helping others find freedom and confidence in their voice. He combines personal experience with technical expertise to guide dancers, actors, and singers through real transformation—just as he did himself.
Joomin just released his first book, The Rule of Five Journal, which grew out of his own experience navigating major life changes and building a daily system to help individuals build clarity, balance, and forward momentum.
www.joominhwang.com
Book: www.amazon.com/dp/B0GR6H3W1N
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