Korean puppeteer and former director of Namsadang, the only Korean company which still practises traditional puppetry. At twenty-four, Park Kae-soon married Nam Un-ryong (d.1978), who was the director at that time of Namsadang. She consequently joined the company tours. As was the case for most professional performers of popular theatre in the old society, she and the other puppeteers had their training through apprenticeship, learning on the job rather than from institutionalized schooling. They are the last generation of namsadang performers trained in the old system.

In 1964, her husband was recognized by the government of South Korea as a member of Human Cultural Assets, a living cultural treasure, for his mastery of traditional puppetry, the kkoktu-gaksi norum, traditionally known as Pak-Chomji norum (or ggokdu gaksi noreum also known as Bak Cheomji noreum). At his death in 1978, the title passed to Park Kae-soon (Bak Gyae-sun). She, in turn, initiated her three sons and her brother into this traditional puppetry form.

Playing kkoktu-gaksi norum and other traditional performances, Park Kae-soon and Namsadang had made tours throughout Korea for many years. She has also led Namsadang in a number of international arenas including the Asia-Pacific International Puppetry Festival in Tokyo (1979), Rennes Festival of Traditional Arts (1982), the Festival of Asian Traditional Arts (1984), and the Nagoya International Puppet Festival (1988).

(See Korea.)