Korean cinema encompasses the motion picture industries of North Korea and South Korea. As with all aspects of Korean life during the past century, the film industry has often been at the mercy of political events, from Japanese occupation to civil war to domestic governmental interference. While both countries have relatively robust film industries today, only South Korean films have achieved wide international acclaim. North Korean films tend to portray communist or revolutionary themes. Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... East Asian cinema (sometimes called Far Eastern cinema, Eastern cinema, Asian cinema or Oriental cinema) is a term used to refer to the film industry and films produced in, and/or by natives of, East Asia. ... The history of Chinese language cinema has three separate threads of development: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. ... The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan. ... The history of Chinese-language cinema has three separate threads of development: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China and Cinema of Taiwan. ... Japanese cinema (映画; Eiga) has a history in Japan that spans more than 100 years. ... Flag of the Japanese Resident General of Korea Anthem: Kimi ga Yoa Korea under Japanese Occupation Capital Keijo Language(s) Korean, Japanese Religion Shintoisma Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor of Japan  - 1910 - 1912 Emperor Meiji  - 1912 - 1925 Emperor Taisho  - 1925 - 1945 Emperor Showa Governor-General of Korea  - 1910 - 1916 Masatake Terauchi... Combatants United Nations:  Republic of Korea,  Australia,  Belgium,  Luxembourg,  Canada,  Colombia,  Ethiopia,  France,  Greece,  Luxembourg,  Netherlands,  New Zealand,  Philippines,  South Africa,  Thailand,  Turkey,  United Kingdom,  United States Medical staff:  Denmark,  Australia,  Italy,  Norway,  Sweden Communist states:  Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,  Peoples Republic of China,  Soviet Union Commanders...

South Korean films are commonly said to have enjoyed a "Golden age" during the late 1950s and 1960s, but the poor quality of most films, as well as government control leaves this term very questionable. Even in the 1970s most Korean films had become generally considered to be of low quality. A slow rebirth of the domestic film industry led to South Korea, by 2005, being one of only three nations to watch more domestic than imported films in theatres^[1], though this situation has recently changed. South Korean films generally differ from Hollywood films by their exploration of domestic social issues and their often unpredictable plotting. ...

Early period (until 1926)

American traveler and lecturer Burton Holmes was the first to film in Korea as part of his innovative travelogue programs. ^[1] In addition to displaying his films abroad, he showed them to the Korean royal family in 1899. [2] Burton Holmes (January 8, 1870 Chicago – July 22, 1958 Los Angeles) was an American traveler, photographer and filmmaker, and the inventor of the travelogue. ...

The earliest public showing of a film in Korea is unclear. There are reports of a showing of a film to the public in 1897, and another in 1898 near Namdaemun in Seoul. An announcement in the contemporary newspaper, Hwangseong sinmun, however names a screening on June 23, 1903, as the first public display of a motion picture. This was a filmed advertisement meant to build acceptance for an electric street car line in Seoul recently completed by an American company. [3]. Namdaemun is located in the heart of Seoul and is an area with a mix of old and new. ... Seoul   is the capital of South Korea and is located on the Han River in the countrys northwest. ... June 23 is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 191 days remaining. ... 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Seoul   is the capital of South Korea and is located on the Han River in the countrys northwest. ...

Korea's first movie theater, Tongdaemun Motion Picture Studio (Tongdaemun hwaldong sajinso), opened in 1903.^[2] The Dansung-sa Theater opened in Seoul in November 1907 and is still in operation today. Before the creation of a domestic film industry, films imported from Europe and the United States were shown in Korean theaters. Some of the imported films of the era most popular with Korean audiences were D. W. Griffith's Broken Blossoms (1919) and Way Down East (1920), Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood (1922), and Fritz Lang's Nibelungen films, Siegfried and Kriemhilds Rache (both 1924). D. W. Griffith David Llewelyn Wark Griffith, commonly known as D. W. Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. ... Broken Blossoms (also called The Chink and the Child, Scarlet Blossoms and The Yellow Man and the Girl) is a 1919 film which tells the story of a Chinese man who goes to England to enlighten Christians about the teachings of Buddha. ... Way Down East is a 1920 film directed by D.W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish and Richard Barthelmess. ... Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Fairbanks (May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer, who became noted for his swashbuckling roles in silent movies such as The Mark of Zorro (1920), The Three Musketeers (1921), Robin Hood (1922), The Thief of Bagdad (1924) and The Black... Robin Hood was the first motion picture ever to make a Hollywood premiere, held at Graumans Egyptian Theatre on October 18, 1922. ... Friedrich Anton Christian Lang (December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976) was an Austrian-American film director, screenwriter and occasional film producer, one of the best known émigrés from Germanys school of expressionism. ...

Not merely a theater-operator, as the first film producer in Korea, Dansung-sa's owner, Park Sung-pil, took an active part in supporting early Korean cinema. He financed the first Korean domestic film, Uirijeok Guto (의리적구토) (Loyal Revenge), as well as the first Korean documentary film, Scenes of Kyoungsoung City and showed both at his theater on October 27, 1919. Uirijeok Guto was used as a kino drama, a live theatrical production against the backdrop of film projected on stage. October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 65 days remaining. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Still from Chunhyang-Jeon (춘향전) (1923)

For the next few years, film production in Korea consisted of the kino dramas and documentaries. As with the first showing of a film in Korea, the first feature film produced in Korea also appears to be unclear. Some name a filming of Chunhyang-Jeon (춘향전) in 1921 (released in 1922) as the first Korean feature film. The traditional story, Chunhyang, was to become Korea's most-filmed story. It was possibly the first Korean feature film, and was certainly the first Korean sound film, color film and widescreen film. Im Kwon-taek's 2000 pansori version of Chunhyang brought the number of films based on Chunyang to 14. ^[3] Other sources, however, name Yun Baek-nam's Ulha ui Mengse ("Plighted Love Under the Moon"), released in April, 1923, as the first Korean feature film. ^{[4] [5]} Image File history File links Chunhyangjon-1923. ... Image File history File links Chunhyangjon-1923. ... 1902 poster advertising Gaumonts sound films, depicting an optimistically vast auditorium A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. ... The inner box (green) is the format used in most pre-1952 films and pre-widescreen television. ... Im Kwon-taek (born Jangseong, May 2, 1936) is one of the most famous Korean directors. ... Pansori is a genre of Korean music. ...

The Golden Era of Silent Films (1926-1930)

Na Woon-gyu's Arirang

Korean film studios at this time were Japanese-operated. A hat merchant known as Yodo Orajo established a film company called Choson Kinema Productions. After appearing in the Choson Kinema's 1926 production Nongjungjo (농중조), the young actor, Na Woon-gyu, was given a chance to write, direct and star in his own film. Though a few films of some quality had been produced in the year before its production, the release of Na's film, Arirang (1926) is generally considered the film which started the era of high-quality silent film in Korea. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (938x938, 227 KB) This image is of a movie poster, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the movie or the studio which produced the movie in question. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (938x938, 227 KB) This image is of a movie poster, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the movie or the studio which produced the movie in question. ... Na Woon-gyu (나운규 or Na Un-gyu, Na Un-kyu, Na Woon-kyu, etc. ... Arirang is a 1926 Korean film. ... NongJungJo (농중조) is a 1926 Korean film. ... Na Woon-gyu (나운규 or Na Un-gyu, Na Un-kyu, Na Woon-kyu, etc. ... Arirang is a 1926 Korean film. ...

Like the folksong "Arirang", on which its title was based, Na Woon-gyu's Arirang did not have an overtly political theme. However hidden or subtle messages could be magnified through the common use of a live narrator at the theater. A newspaper article of 1908 shows that this tradition of byeonsa (변사, or benshi in Japanese) appeared in Korea almost from the beginning of the showing of film in the country. As in Japan, this became an integral part to the showing of silent films, especially for imported films, where the byeonsa provided an economical and entertaining alternative to translating intertitles. One interesting aspect of the byeonsa tradition in Korea is that, when Japanese authorities were not present, they could inject satire and criticism of the occupation into the film narrative, giving the film a political subtext invisible to government censors. ^[6] Some of the more popular byeonsa were better-paid than the film actors. [4] Arirang is arguably the most popular and best known Korean folk song, both inside and outside Korea. ... Benshi (弁士 in Japanese) were performers who provided live narration for silent Japanese films. ... In motion pictures, an intertitle is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of (i. ...

The immense success of Arirang inspired a burst of activity in the Korean film industry in the late 1920s, causing this period to be known as "The Golden Era of Silent Films." More than seventy films were produced at this time, and the quality of film improved as well as the quantity. ^[7]

Na Un-gyu followed Arirang with popular and critically respected films like Punguna (1926) and Deuljwi (1927). He formed Na Un-gyu Productions with Park Sung-pil for the purpose of producing films by Koreans for Koreans. Though this company was short-lived, it produced important films like Jalitgeola (1927), Beongeoli Sam-ryong (1929), and Salangeul chajaseo (1929). Punguna (풍운아) (Soldier of Fortune) is a 1926 Korean film. ... Deuljwi (들쥐) (Field Mouse) is a 1927 Korean film written, directed, edited by and starring Na Woon-gyu (1902-1937). ... Jalitgeola (잘 있거라) (Farewell) is a 1927 Korean film. ... Beongeoli Sam-ryong (벙어리 삼룡) (Deaf Sam-ryong) is a 1929 Korean film written, directed, produced by and starring Na Woon-gyu (1902-1937). ... Salangeul chajaseo (사랑을 찾아서) (In Search of Love) is a 1929 Korean film written, directed, produced, edited by and starring Na Woon-gyu (1902-1937). ...

Another important director of this period was Shim Hun[5], who directed only one film, Mondongi Tultte (At Daybreak). Though the reviews for this film were as strong as those for Arirang, Shim died at the age of 35 while directing his second film, based on his own novel, Sangroksu (The Evergreens). The novel was later filmed by director Shin Sang-ok in 1961 and by Im Kwon-taek in 1978. Shin Sang-ok (October 18, 1926 – April 11, 2006) was a prolific South Korean film producer and director, with more than 100 producer and 70 director credits. ... Im Kwon-taek (born Jangseong, May 2, 1936) is one of the most famous Korean directors. ...

The later silent era (1930-1935)

The first half of the 1930s saw a dramatic decline in the domestic film industry in Korea. Due largely to censorship and oppression from the occupying authorities, the number of films produced at this time dropped down to only two or three per year, and many leading filmmakers fled Korea for the more robust film industry in Shanghai at this time. Perhaps the most important film of this era is Imjaeobtneun naleutbae (Ferryboat with no Ferryman) (1932), directed by Lee Gyu-hwan (1904-1981), and starring Na Woon-gyu. Because of increasing governmental censorship, this has been called the last pre-liberation film to present a significant nationalistic message. ^[8], ^[9] Imjaeobtneun naleutbae (임자없는 나룻배) (The Ownerless Ferry Boat) is a 1932 Korean film starring Na Woon-gyu. ...

Early sound era (1935-1945)

Korea's first sound film was Lee Myeong-woo's 1935 Chunhyang-Jeon (춘향전).^[10] The sound technique was reportedly poor, but Korean audiences appreciated hearing their own language in the cinema.

The number of films produced increased during the latter part of the decade. Na Woon-gyu began making a larger number of films again with significant works like Kanggeonneo maeul (1935), and Oh Mong-nyeo (1937), before his premature death in 1937. Kanggeonneo maeul (강 건너 마을) (The Town Across the River) is a 1935 Korean film directed by Na Woon-gyu. ... Oh Mong-nyeo (오몽녀) is a 1937 Korean film, the last film directed by Na Woon-gyu. ...

Coming as they did during the mid- to late-1930s, sound films in Korea faced much harsher censorship from the occupying forces than did the silent films before them. Also, the loss of the byeonsa narrators with the coming of sound film meant that anti-authority messages could no longer be snuck around the censors in this way. Flag of the Japanese Resident General of Korea Anthem: Kimi ga Yoa Korea under Japanese Occupation Capital Keijo Language(s) Korean, Japanese Religion Shintoisma Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor of Japan  - 1910 - 1912 Emperor Meiji  - 1912 - 1925 Emperor Taisho  - 1925 - 1945 Emperor Showa Governor-General of Korea  - 1910 - 1916 Masatake Terauchi...

The showing of American and European films decreased at this time, and were replaced by Japanese films. Korean-made films became a propaganda tool for the government of the Japanese occupation. Starting in 1938, all film-making in Korea was done by the Japanese, and by 1942 the use of Korean language in film was banned. ^[11]

Divided Korea -- South Korea

Theatrical poster to Viva Freedom! (1946)

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (500x729, 135 KB) // Licensing This image is of a movie poster or title card, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the movie or the studio which produced the movie in question. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (500x729, 135 KB) // Licensing This image is of a movie poster or title card, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the movie or the studio which produced the movie in question. ...

Liberty (1945-1950) and War (1950-1955) eras

With the surrender of Japan in 1945, Korean cinema enjoyed a burst of liberty-- and liberty itself, understandably, became the major theme of films at this time. Choi In-gyu's Viva Freedom! (자유만세), about Korean freedom-fighters during the waning days of the Japanese occupation, is considered the major film of this era. Viva Freedom! (자유만세, Jayu Manse, aka Hurrah! For Freedom) is a 1946 Korean film directed by Choi In-kyu. ...

The rebirth of Korean cinema which seemed to be coming had to wait, however. First the country was divided into North and South, and then civil war was to break out in 1950. Though film production did not completely cease during the war years, only five or six films were produced each year from 1950 to 1953. Much worse for Korea's film legacy, the vast majority of Korea's film history was lost in this devastating war. 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ...

Golden Age (1955-1973)

With the armistice of 1953, South Korean president Syngman Rhee made an effort to help rejuvenate the local film industry by making it exempt from taxation. The rebirth that almost occurred after 1945 can be said to have truly begun with director Lee Kyu-hwan's tremendously successful remake of Chunhyang-jon in 1955. Within two months 10% of Seoul's population-- over 200,000 people-- had seen the movie, giving the re-establishment of the film industry further impetus. [6], [7] Syngman Rhee or Lee Seungman (March 26, 1875 – July 19, 1965) was the first president of South Korea. ...

1955 also saw the release of Yangsan do (양산도) (Yang san Province) by the renowned director, Kim Ki-young, marking the beginning of a career that would remain productive until his death in 1998. Kim Ki-young (10 October 1919 - February 5, 1998) was a Korean film director, known for his intensely psychosexual and melodramatic horror films, often dealing primarily with female characters. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ...

With Korean cinema for the first time working under something similar to conditions in other countries, both the quality and quantity of film-making had increased rapidly by the end of the 1950s. South Korean films, such as Lee Byeong-il's 1956 comedy Sijibganeun nal (시집가는 날) (The Wedding Day), had begun winning international awards. In dramatic contrast to the beginning of the 1950s, when only 5 movies were made per year, 111 films were produced in South Korea in 1959.[8], [9]

Korean cinema enjoyed a brief period of unprecedented freedom during the 1960-1961 year interval between the administrations of Rhee and Park Chung Hee. This year saw the production of Kim Ki-young's Hanyeo (하녀) The Housemaid, and Yu Hyun-mok's Obaltan (오발탄) (Aimless Bullet), both of which have been listed among the best Korean films ever made. (Min, p.46) Park Chung-hee (November 14, 1917 – October 26, 1979) was former ROK Army general and the president of the Republic of Korea from 1961 to 1979. ... The Housemaid (하녀, Hanyeo) is a 1960 black-and-white Korean film. ... Yu Hyun-mok (b. ... Obaltan (오발탄) is a 1961 Korean film directed by Yu Hyun-mok. ...

With the ascension of Park Chung Hee to the presidency in 1962, government control over the film industry increased substantially. Under the Motion Picture Law of 1963, a series of increasingly restrictive measures were placed on the film industry. The number of films produced and imported were limited under a strict quota system. The new regulations dropped the number of domestic film-production companies from 71 to 16 within a year. Government censorship at this time also became very strict, focusing mainly on any hint of pro-communist messages or obscenity. Park Chung-hee (November 14, 1917 – October 26, 1979) was former ROK Army general and the president of the Republic of Korea from 1961 to 1979. ... Screen Quotas is a kind of trade barriers that is legislated policy which strictly enforces a minimum number of screening days of domestic films in the theater each year to protect own nation’s films. ...

Despite these repressive governmental policies, however, a consistently large and devoted theater-going audience, and many quality films continued to give South Korea a healthy cinematic culture throughout the 1960s. (Min, p.48-49) Also, the Grand Bell Awards were established in 1962. Called Korea's equivalent to the Academy Awards, they are the country's longest-running film award. The Grand Bell Awards (대종상 영화제 - daejongsang yeonghwajae) are film awards presented in South Korea. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ...

"Revitalizing Government" era (1973-1979)

Governmental control over the film industry reached its height in the mid- and late-1970s, nearly destroying the vibrant film culture that had been established in the preceding decade and a half. Many consider this one of the lowest periods in the history of Korean cinema. While there had been governmental censorship in the 1960s, beginning in 1973, Park's "Revitalizing Government" began forcing filmmakers to include actual government ideology in their films. [10] These propaganda-laden movies (or "policy films") proved unpopular with audiences who had become accustomed to seeing real-life social issues in the quality films of the 1950s and 1960s.

In addition to dealing with government interference in the making of their films, Korean filmmakers began losing their audience to television-ownership, which grew suddenly beginning in the late 1960s. Movie-theater attendance dropped by about a third, from 173,043,272 in 1969 to 65,518,581 in 1979. (Min, p.51-52)

Nevertheless, talented filmmakers like Im Kwon-taek and Kim Ki-young were able to survive this era and occasionally even produce works of value. Im Kwon-taek (born Jangseong, May 2, 1936) is one of the most famous Korean directors. ... Kim Ki-young (10 October 1919 - February 5, 1998) was a Korean film director, known for his intensely psychosexual and melodramatic horror films, often dealing primarily with female characters. ...

Recovery (1980-1996)

After a turbulent year from 1979-1980, which included the assassination of president Park Chung Hee, the Coup d'état of December Twelfth, and the Gwangju massacre, South Korea began taking greater steps towards an open democracy. Though theater attendance remained low throughout the 1980s, the government's gradual relaxation of censorship and control over the film industry enabled the production of more adventurous and interesting movies. During this decade, South Korean film began reaching an international audience for the first time, in large part through the recognition of director Im Kwon-taek's work. After his 1981 film, Mandala won the Grand Prix at the Hawaii Film Festival, Im became the first Korean director in years to have his films shown at European film festivals. ^[12] Park Chung-hee (November 14, 1917 – October 26, 1979) was former ROK Army general and the president of the Republic of Korea from 1961 to 1979. ... The Coup détat of December Twelfth or the 12/12 Incident was a military coup détat taken place on December 12, 1979 in South Korea. ... The Gwangju Massacre refers to the atrocities comitted in the city of Gwangju, South Korea from May 18 to May 27, 1980. ... Im Kwon-taek (born Jangseong, May 2, 1936) is one of the most famous Korean directors. ... // January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. ... Mandala (만다라) is a 1981 South Korean film about Buddhist monks in Korea. ...

In 1988, president Roh Tae-woo began the gradual elimination of the government censorship of political expression in films. Directors were quick to begin re-exploring social and political themes in their films. Noh Tae-woo (born December 4, 1932 in Daegu, South Korea), is a former Korean general and politician. ...

During this period, however, the audience for domestic films reached a low-point, due in no small part to the opening of the market to films from overseas, especially the United States and Hong Kong. By 1993, only 16% of the films seen by South Korean audiences were made domestically. The local film industry persevered through this lean period, and it was at this time that events were set in place for the impressive success Korean cinema was to enjoy during the next decade. [11], [12]

Breakthrough

From the late 1990s, until recently, South Korea was one of the few countries where Hollywood productions did not enjoy a dominant share of the domestic market. In February 2006, Korean movie workers staged mass rallies to protest a quota cut resulting from a deal with the United States. Today, according to Kim Hyun, "South Korea’s movie industry, like that of most countries, is grossly overshadowed by Hollywood. The nation exported US$2 million-worth of movies to the United States last year and imported $35.9 million-worth" (source : Yonhap [13]).

The 1999 film Shiri about a North Korean spy preparing a coup in Seoul was the first in Korean history to sell more than 2 million tickets in Seoul alone. This helped Shiri to surpass box office hits such as Titanic, The Matrix and Star Wars. The success of Shiri motivated other Korean films with large budgets for Korean circumstances. 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Shiri (Swiri) is a 1999 Korean film written and directed by Kang Je-gyu. ... North Korea, officially the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK; Korean: Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk; Hangul: 조선민주주의인민공화국; Hanja: 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國), is a country in eastern Asia... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... Seoul   is the capital of South Korea and is located on the Han River in the countrys northwest. ... Seoul   is the capital of South Korea and is located on the Han River in the countrys northwest. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Matrix is a science fiction/action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski and starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano and Hugo Weaving. ... Opening logo to the Star Wars films Star Wars is an epic science fantasy saga and fictional universe created by writer/producer/director George Lucas during the late 1970s. ...

In 2000 the film JSA (Joint Security Area) was a huge success and even surpassed the benchmark set by Shiri. One year later, the film Friend managed the same. In South Korea the romantic comedy My Sassy Girl outsold The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter which ran at the same time. As of 2004 new films continue to outperform older releases, and many Korean productions are more popular than Hollywood films. Both Silmido and Taegukgi were watched by over 10 million people per film, which is a quarter of the Korean population. Silmido is a film based on a true story about a secret special force. The other is a blockbuster movie about Korean War directed by the director of Shiri. 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Joint Security Area (JSA), often called the Truce Village in both the media[1][2] and various military accounts[3], is the only portion of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where South and North Korean forces stand face-to-face. ... My Sassy Girl (엽기적인 그녀; literally, That Bizarre Girl) is a 2001 South Korean romantic comedy film. ... The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel written by the British academic J. R. R. Tolkien. ... This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Silmido is a 2003 South Korean film directed by Kang Woo-suk. ... Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War (known simply as Brotherhood in Europe, or 태극기 in Korea or 太極旗 in Hanja) is a 2004 film directed by Kang Je-gyu dealing with the Korean War, a bloody civil war where brothers turn into enemies. ... Combatants United Nations:  Republic of Korea,  Australia,  Belgium,  Luxembourg,  Canada,  Colombia,  Ethiopia,  France,  Greece,  Luxembourg,  Netherlands,  New Zealand,  Philippines,  South Africa,  Thailand,  Turkey,  United Kingdom,  United States Medical staff:  Denmark,  Australia,  Italy,  Norway,  Sweden Communist states:  Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,  Peoples Republic of China,  Soviet Union Commanders...

This success attracted the attention of Hollywood. Films such as Shiri are now distributed in the USA. In 2001, Miramax even bought the rights to an Americanized remake of the successful Korean action comedy movie, My Wife is a Gangster. Recently, popular Korean movies such as Il Mare (remade as The Lake House), Oldboy, My Sassy Girl, and JSA have also been bought by Hollywood firms for remake as well. 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Miramax is a Big Ten film distribution and production company. ... My Wife is a Gangster (Jopog Manura) is a 2001 South Korean film about a woman who defeats an army of gangsters. ... Il Mare (시월애, Siworae) is a South Korean film made in 2000, starring Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Jung-Jae. ... The Lake House is a 2006 romantic drama film remake of the Korean motion picture Il Mare (2000). ... Oldboy (Hangul:올드보이) is a 2003 South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook based on a Japanese manga of the same name, written by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya. ... My Sassy Girl (엽기적인 그녀; literally, That Bizarre Girl) is a 2001 South Korean romantic comedy film. ... Joint Security Area (2000) is a South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook. ...

The 2003 suspense thriller Janghwa, Hongryeon (A Tale of Two Sisters) was successful as well, leading Dreamworks to pay $2 million (US) for the rights to a remake, topping the $1 million (US) paid for the Japanese movie The Ring.^{[citation needed]} A Tale of Two Sisters is a 2003 Korean psychological horror film, directed by Ji-woo Kim and starring Su-jeon Lim and Geun-yong Mun. ... DreamWorks, LLC (also known as DreamWorks Pictures or DreamWorks SKG) is one of the major American film studios which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games, and television programming. ...

Many Korean films reflect how much the Korean people long for reunification and suffer from the division of the peninsula. Many of the films underline feelings, which causes Korean films to be likened to French films. The Korean film industry, however, now produces all genres with widely varying themes.

Festival success

Korean film first garnered serious international recognition in 2002 at the Venice Film Festival, where the film Oasis won the second prize award. The film not only revealed much about traditional Korean culture, but also highlighted the plight of handicapped Koreans and the general public's inability to understand and accept them. In the story an isolated young woman with cerebral palsy falls in love with a simple minded man who has recently completed a term in prison for the hit and run accident that killed her father. Quite possibly Korea's most symbolic and rich film to date, "Oasis" remains the turning point for Korean avante garde film. The Venice Film Festival (it: Mostra Internazionale dArte Cinematografica) is the oldest Film Festival in the World (began in the 1932) and takes place every year in late August/early September on the Lido di Venezia in the historic Palazzo del Cinema on the Lungomare Marconi, in Venice, Italy. ... Oasis (Hangul: 오아시스) (2002) is South Korean director Lee Chang-dongs third feature film, and the last one he directed before his stint as South Koreas Minister of Culture. ... Cerebral palsy (CP) is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious neurological disorders that cause physical disability in human development, specifically the human movement and posture. ...

Oldboy is the second great victory for Korean film when it came in second place in the Cannes Film Festival, second to Fahrenheit 9/11. The story traces the life of a man who is put into solitary confinement by someone he does not know. He lives there for many years until he is released to find out the bizarre reason for his cruel entrapment. Dark and gloomy, Oldboy experiments with the themes of psychological madness and sexual distortions that exist in Korean modernity. The title is itself an oxymoron that speaks of the boyish innocence with which old Korean culture seeks to grapple with the psychosis of modern life. Oldboy (Hangul:올드보이) is a 2003 South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook based on a Japanese manga of the same name, written by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya. ... Cannes Film Festival logo. ... Fahrenheit 9/11 is an award-winning documentary film by American filmmaker and political activist Michael Moore, which had a general release in the United States and Canada on June 25, 2004. ...

In February 2004, Kim Ki Duk won the award for best director at the 54th annual Berlin Film Festival, for a film about a teenage prositute, Samaritan Girl. Kim Ki Duk is a Korean film maker; his recent work, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. ... The Berlin International Film Festival, also called the Berlinale, is one of the most important film festivals in Europe and the world. ... Samaritan Girl (사마리아, Samaria) is a 2004 South Korean film written and directed by Kim Ki-duk. ...

New wave films

My Sassy Girl

There are three important dates in new wave Korean films: first in 1992, Marriage Story was financed by Samsung, marking the first non-government funded film. In 1999, Shiri was released and led to Korean films taking over 50% of the local market. Ultimately, My Sassy Girl became the most popular and exportable Korean film in history. Each has brought new strength to the unique creation of a Korean film industry that no longer copies Hollywood verbatim. Supporting the Korean film industry have been strong government controls against copying and bootlegging and piracy, which have allowed the film industry to bring out many films, and make a profit and still have very strong DVD and aftermarket sales. In addition, a government-enforced screen quota system since 1967 has limited the number of days per year non-domestic movies can be shown on any one movie screen in South Korea. Recently, this practice has come under fire from non-Korean film distributors as unfair.[14] Fast low cost films with likeable stars, tied to current events, and at affordable prices that speak in a natural vernacular with state of the art cinematography and music have all pushed films ahead. Image File history File links Photo67. ... Image File history File links Photo67. ... Shiri (Swiri) is a 1999 Korean film written and directed by Kang Je-gyu. ... My Sassy Girl (엽기적인 그녀; literally, That Bizarre Girl) is a 2001 South Korean romantic comedy film. ...

New wave Korean films came as a result of competition in the film industry, directors trained outside of the USA (in France, Spain, the Netherlands, China and other European nations), and new models of scripts that included more Korean situations, and spoke in contemporary vernacular, and used younger actors, younger scriptwriters, and less formulaic Hollywood cliches or 90 minute frames. The impact of the Busan Film Festival and Jeonju Film Festival in screening year after year hundreds of new European, Canadian, South American, Chinese and even Japanese films rewrote the basic templates towards originality.

Divided Korea -- North Korea

Because of the isolated nature of the country, information-- particularly unbiased information-- on North Korean cinema is difficult to find. Outsider appraisal of North Korean cinema is often condescending, but of dubious worth given the difficult relationship the country has with the rest of the world, and the lack of access outsiders have to the country and its films. Statements from official North Korean sources, on the other hand, include extravagant claims like, "In recent years our film art has created an unprecedented sensation in the world's filmdom... The revolutionary people of the world are unstinting in their praise of this feature film and other monumental works, calling them 'the first-class films by international standards,' 'the most wonderful movies ever produced' and 'immortal revolutionary and popular films.'" (Korean Review, p.119)

North Korea's principal producer of feature films is the Korean Feature Film Studio, a state-run studio of about 10 million square feet, outside of Pyongyang. Other North Korean film studios include the Korean Documentary Film Studio, the February 8 Cinema Studio and the Korean Science and Educational Film Studio (also called the April 26 Children's Film Production House, and Science Educational Korea, or SEK.) These studios produce feature films, documentaries, animated films, children's films and science films. Not to be confused with PyeongChang. ... SEK Studio is a North Korean animation studio, based in Pyongyang. ... Animation refers to the process in which each frame of a film or movie is produced individually, whether generated as a computer graphic, or by photographing a drawn image, or by repeatedly making small changes to a model (see claymation and stop motion), and then photographing the result. ...

In addition to animation for the North Korean domestic market, SEK has become a resource for international animation, including some well-known American animated films. Production costs in North Korea are very low, and the quality of animators is well perceived. Disney's The Lion King (1994) and Pocahontas (1995) are two films which were worked on by SEK. Presumably work on these films was subcontracted, rather than sourced by Disney directly, to avoid violating the Trading with the Enemy Act. [15] Empress Chung is a 2005 animated feature film which was a co-production between the North and South Korea. The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) is one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world. ... The Lion King is a 1994 animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. ... Pocahontas is the thirty-third animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ... Im sorry, I dont really know how to use Wikipedia. ... Empress Chung (왕후심청) is a 2005 South Korean animated film directed by Nelson Shin, better known for his work on The Simpsons, who spent eight years getting the project off the ground. ...

North Korean films are often used as vehicles for instilling government ideology into the people. A common theme is martyrdom for the nation. The film Fate of a Self-defence Corps Member, based on a novel written by Kim Il-sung during the fight against the Japanese occupation reflects this theme, as does the highly-regarded film, Sea of Blood (피바다 - Pibada) (1969). [16] The latter film comes from a novel telling the story of a woman farmer who becomes a national heroine by fighting the Japanese. Kim Il-sung (15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was the leader of North Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death, when he was succeeded by his son Kim Jong-il. ...

Another favorite theme is the happiness of the current society. This theme can be seen reflected in titles of feature films like A Family of Workers, A Flowering Village, Rolling Mill Workers, When Apples Are Picked and Girls at a Port. All of these films were awarded the People's Prize before 1974.

1940s and 1950s

IMDB lists only 41 films produced in North Korea.[17] Two of these were released in the years between the liberation from Japan and the outbreak of the Korean War, Our Construction (Uri Geonseol) (1946) and My Homeland (내 고향) (1949). Five were released during the war, including Righteous War (1950), Boy Partisans (1951) and Again to the Front (1952). These titles suggest that film was used for ideological purposes from the beginning of North Korea's existence as a separate entity. The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) [1] is an online database of information about actors, movies, television shows, television stars and video games. ...

Judging from the IMDB's entries, the 1950s were a relatively productive time for North Korean cinema. 10 of the 41 films listed for the country were produced during this decade. Post war titles seem to reflect a toning down in the militaristic themes, and a turning to more optimistic stories. Titles like The Road of Happiness (1956) and Love the Future (1959) indicate that films were being used to rally the country into rebuilding after the devastation of the war.

1960s and 1970s

IMDB lists only two films for North Korea for the entire decade of the 1960s: A Spinner (1964) and Boidchi annun dchonson (1965). One of the most highly-regarded films in North Korea, Sea of Blood, was produced in 1969. The entrance hall to the Korean Feature Film Studio contains a mural of current "Dear Leader," Kim Jong-il supervising the production of this film. This is a two-part, black and white film. The first part is 125 minutes in duration, and the second is 126 minutes. Kim Jong-il (also written as Kim Jong Il) (born February 16, 1942) is the leader of North Korea. ...

Kim Il-sung made a famous call for juche art in 1966, saying, "Our art should develop in a revolutionary way, reflecting the Socialist content with the national form." ^[13] In a 1973 treatise on film entitled Theory of Cinematic Art, Kim Jong-il further developed this idea of juche art into the cinema, claiming that it is cinema's duty to help develop the people into "true communists," and as a means "to completely eradicate capitalist elements." [18] The ideology-heavy nature of North Korean cinema during the 1970s can be seen in titles such as The People Sing of the Fatherly Leader and The Rays of Juche Spread All Over the World. Manse Manse! Kim Jong Il! The Juche Idea (also Juche Sasang or Chuche; pronounced // in Korean, approximately joo-cheh) is the official state ideology of North Korea and the political system based on it. ...

Part of this ideological usage of the arts was a treating of the same subjects repeatedly through various art forms. Consequently, the most prominent films of the era took their stories and titles from pre-existing novels, ballets or operas. the film Sea of Blood was also an opera and a symphony, as well as the name of an opera company. Future Minister of Culture, Choe Ik-kyu's The Flower Girl (꽃파는 처녀 - Kkotpaneun Cheonyeo) (1972, 130 min.) [19] later was remade as a dance. This film won a special prize and special medal at the 18th International Film Festival, and is one of the more well-known North Korean films of the 1970s.

1980 - Present

Theatrical poster to the film series Nation and Destiny (1992-1999)

With 14 listings, the 1980s is the best-represented decade for North Korea at IMDB. A possible turning to less didactic subjects is indicated with a 1986 production of the popular stories like Chunhyang-jon (1980 - 155 min.) and Hong kil dong (홍길동) (1986 - 115 min.). [20]Probably the most well-known North Korean film internationally is the science-fiction giant-monster epic, Pulgasari (불가사리) (1985), directed by kidnapped South-Korean director Shin Sang-ok. Multi-part films promoting the Juche ideology, including Star of Korea and The Sun of the Nation were also produced in the 1980s. North Korean animation produced for domestic consumption is reportedly less politically dogmatic during this period, resulting in a large adult audience.[21] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (450x649, 198 KB) // Licensing This image is of a movie poster or title card, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the movie or the studio which produced the movie in question. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (450x649, 198 KB) // Licensing This image is of a movie poster or title card, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the movie or the studio which produced the movie in question. ... Pulgasari (or Pulgasary) is a North Korean feature film produced in 1985, a giant-monster film similar to the Japanese Godzilla. ... Shin Sang-ok (October 18, 1926 – April 11, 2006) was a prolific South Korean film producer and director, with more than 100 producer and 70 director credits. ... Manse Manse! Kim Jong Il! The Juche Idea (also Juche Sasang or Chuche; pronounced // in Korean, approximately joo-cheh) is the official state ideology of North Korea and the political system based on it. ... The art of Korean animation, manhwa-yeonghwa (만화 영화) in Korean, has gone from small hand held flip books in early times, through to studios that produce most of the work for the major American, Japanese, and Australian animation companies. ...

IMDB lists only four North Korean films made in the 1990s. The Nation and Destiny (민족과 운명) is a 56-part series of movies produced from 1992-1999, on Korean subjects and people like General Choi Duk Shin (parts 1-4) and composer Yun I-sang (parts 5, 14-16). [22] Yun I-sang (September 17, 1917 - November 3, 1995) was a Korean composer who spent most of his creative career in Germany. ...

The 2000s appear to be reasonably productive for North Korean cinema, having five listings so far. In a sign of thawing relations, the animated film, Empress Chung (2005), is a co-production of South and North Korea. This film is said to be the first released simultaneously in both countries. Another recent North/South co-production is the 3-D animated television series Lazy Cat Dinga. Animation refers to the process in which each frame of a film or movie is produced individually, whether generated as a computer graphic, or by photographing a drawn image, or by repeatedly making small changes to a model (see claymation and stop motion), and then photographing the result. ... Empress Chung (왕후심청) is a 2005 South Korean animated film directed by Nelson Shin, better known for his work on The Simpsons, who spent eight years getting the project off the ground. ...

The Schoolgirl's diary has been the first film from the state to be sold to a Western distributor (the French company Pretty Pictures) for decades (see [23]).

All-time box office records

The numbers indicate amount of tickets sold, not financial gross. Data from Koreanfilm.org and Film 2.0.

1. 괴물 (The Host) - 13,019,740 (2006)
2. 왕의 남자 (The King and The Clown) - 12,296,840 (2005)
3. 태극기 휘날리며 (Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of war) - 11,746,135 (2004)
4. 실미도 (Silmido) - 11,108,000 (2003)
5. 친구 (Friend) - 8,180,000 (2001)
6. 웰컴 투 동막골 (Welcome To Dongmakgol) - 8,002,594 (2005)
7. 미녀는 괴로워 (200 Pounds Beauty) (200 Pounds Beauty - 6,610,000 (2006)
8. 쉬리 (Shiri) - 6,210,000 (1999)
9. 타짜 (The War of the Flower) - 6,181,000 (2006)
10. 투사부일체 (My Boss, My Teacher) - 6,002,000 (2006)
11. 공동경비구역 JSA (Joint Security Area) - 5,830,000 (2000)
12. 가문의 위기 (Marrying The Mafia 2) - 5,663,000 (2005)
13. 조폭 마누라 (My Wife is a Gangster) - 5,250,000 (2001)
14. 가문의 영광 (Marrying the Mafia) - 5,200,001 (2002)
15. 말아톤 (Marathon) - 5,148,022 (2005)
16. 살인의 추억 (Memories of Murder) - 5,120,000 (2003)
17. 엽기적인 그녀 (My Sassy Girl) - 4,841,500 (2001)
18. 동갑내기 과외하기 (My Tutor Friend) - 4,810,000 (2003)
19. 신라의 달밤 (Kick The Moon) - 4,353,800 (2001)
20. 태풍 (Typhoon) - 4,180,000 (2005)
21. 집으로 (The Way Home) - 4,091,000 (2002)
22. 색즉시공 (Sex is Zero) - 4,089,900 (2002)
23. 공공의 적 2 (Another Public Enemy) - 3,911,356 (2005)
24. 한반도 (Hanbando) - 3,823,000 (2006)
25. 달마야 놀자 (Hi, Dharma) - 3,746,000 (2001)
26. 친절한 금자씨 (Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) - 3,648,808 (2005)
27. 스캔들 - 조선남녀상열지사 (Untold Scandal) - 3,345,268 (2003)
28. 두사부일체 (My Boss, My Hero) - 3,302,000 (2001)
29. 올드보이 (Old Boy) - 3,260,000 (2003)
30. 어린신부 (My Little Bride) - 3,149,500 (2004)
31. 오! 브라더스 (Oh! Brothers) - 3,125,256 (2003)
32. 말죽거리 잔혹사 (Once Upon a Time in High School) - 3,115,767 (2004)
33. 장화, 홍련 (A Tale of Two Sisters) - 3,110,000 (2003)
34. 마파도 (Mapado) - 3,090,467 (2004)
35. 광복절 특사 (Jail Breakers) - 3,073,919 (2002)
36. 너는 내 운명 (You Are My Sunshine) - 3,051,134 (2005)

The Host (괴물, Gwoemul) is a 2006 South Korean monster film, which also contains elements of comedy and drama films. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War (known simply as Brotherhood in Europe, or 태극기 in Korea or 太極旗 in Hanja) is a 2004 film directed by Kang Je-gyu dealing with the Korean War, a bloody civil war where brothers turn into enemies. ... Silmido is a 2003 South Korean film directed by Kang Woo-suk. ... Friend is a 2001 South Korean film directed by Gwack Gyung-tack. ... Welcome to Dongmakgol (웰컴투 동막골) is a 2005 South Korean film about the Korean War. ... 200 Pounds Beauty (미녀는 괴로워) is a 2006 South Korean comedy. ... Shiri (Swiri) is a 1999 Korean film written and directed by Kang Je-gyu. ... Joint Security Area (2000) is a South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook. ... Marrying the Mafia II is a 2005 South Korean film, the sequel to 2002s hugely popular Marrying the Mafia. ... My Wife is a Gangster (Jopog Manura) is a 2001 South Korean film about a woman who defeats an army of gangsters. ... Marathon is a Korean movie based on a true story about an autistic young man who find release in running and shows the unwavering love between the autistic young man and his mother. ... Memories of Murder is a South Korean film based on the true story of the countrys first serial killings that occurred between 1986 and 1991. ... My Sassy Girl (엽기적인 그녀; literally, That Bizarre Girl) is a 2001 South Korean romantic comedy film. ... Kick the Moon (Shinlaui dalbam) is a 2001 South Korean film about two high school students from rival schools who engage in a legendary street fight. ... This article or section needs to be updated. ... The Way Home film poster The Way Home (Korean title: 집으로 – Jibeuro) is a 2002 film written and directed by Lee Jeong-hyang. ... Sex is Zero (색즉시공, Saekjeuk shigong) is a 2002 South Korean film written and directed by Yun Je-gyun, starring Ha Ji-won, Im Chang-jeong, Jin Jae-yeong, Choi Seong-guk, and Yu Chae-yeong. ... Another Public Enemy is a 2005 South Korean film and the sequel to Public Enemy. ... Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is a 2005 South Korean film by director Park Chan-wook, and is the third installment in his trilogy of vengeance themed films, following Oldboy (2003) and Sympathy for Mr. ... Untold Scandal is a South Korean film released in 2003. ... ... Starring Kim Rae-Won and Moon Geun-Young, My Little Bride is a romantic comedy about an arranged marriage between a new teacher and a student. ... Spirit of Jeet Kune Do: Once Upon a Time in High School (Korean: 말죽거리 잔혹사) is a 2004 South Korean action film. ... A Tale of Two Sisters (장화, 홍련 Janghwa, Hongryeon literally Rose Flower, Red Lotus) is a 2003 South Korean psychological horror film. ... Mapado film poster Mapado (Hangul: 마파도) is a 2005 Korean film directed by Chang-min Chu. ...

Cited references

2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini era. ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ...

See also

• World cinema
• Asian cinema
• East Asian cinema
• List of Korean language films
• Contemporary culture of South Korea
• Korean animation
• Korean literature

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Asian cinema refers to the film industries and films produced in the continent of Asia. ... East Asian cinema (sometimes called Far Eastern cinema, Eastern cinema, Asian cinema or Oriental cinema) is a term used to refer to the film industry and films produced in, and/or by natives of, East Asia. ... This is a partial list of Korean films: ...ing (2003) 100 Days With Mr. ... The contemporary culture of South Korea derives from the traditional culture of Korea, but since the 1948 division of Korea, it has developed separately from North Koreas culture. ... The art of Korean animation, manhwa-yeonghwa (만화 영화) in Korean, has gone from small hand held flip books in early times, through to studios that produce most of the work for the major American, Japanese, and Australian animation companies. ... Korean literature is the body of literature produced in Korea. ...

References

Pre-Divided Korea & South Korea

• Bowyer, Justin (2004). 24 Frames: The Cinema of Japan and Korea. London: Wallflower Press. ISBN 1-904764-11-8. 
• Han, Man-Yong (1983). Korean Dance Theater and Cinema. Si Sa Yong O Sa Pub. ISBN 0-89209-017-0. 
• Lee, Young-il (1988). The History of Korean Cinema. Motion Picture Promotion Corporation. ISBN 89-88095-12-X. 
• Leong, Anthony (2003). Korean Cinema: The New Hong Kong. Black Dot Publications. ISBN 1-55395-461-0. 
• Maliangkay, Roald H. (2005). Classifying Performances: The Art of Korean Film Narrators
• McHugh, Kathleen and Albermann, Nancy (2005). South Korean Golden Age Melodrama: Gender, Genre, And National Cinema (Contemporary Approaches to Film and Television). Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3253-6. 
• Min Eungjun, Joo Jinsook, and Kwak HanJu (2003). Korean Film : History, Resistance, and Democratic Imagination. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers. ISBN 0-275-95811-6. 
• Pok Hwan-mo On Korean Documentary Film

North Korea

• Great Achievements in Literature and Art at Korean News
• (1974) Korean Review. Pyongyang, North Korea: Foreign Languages Publishing House. 
• Malakunas, Karl.
• It ain't Hollywood, but North Korean cinema only has room for one star. at thingsasian.com
• North Korea -Literature, Music, and Film at country-data.com
• Seo, Cheong-nam (2002). Seo Cheong-nam ui Pukhan yonghwa tamsa.. Seoul, Korea: Saenggak ui Namu. ISBN 89-8498-186-9.  (in Korean)

External links

General Information

• Asia Society: The Cinema Scene - Asia Society's regular podcast program containing news, reviews and interviews related to Asian Film
• KOFIC Korean Film Council (English)
• Koreanfilm.org Movie reviews, news, actor info and more from Korea
• HanCinema The Korean Movie and Drama Database
• Tracking the Blue Dragon Dumplings The Korea Society Film Journal
• KFC Cinema Kung Fu Cult Cinema (includes Korean film news & reviews)
• LoveAsianFilm.com Asian film and DVD reviews
• Twitch News on Strange Little Films From Around the World (including Korea)

Film Festivals

• Los Angeles Korean International Film Festival
• New York Korean International Film Festival
• San Francisco Korean American Film Festival

Movie Reviews & Commentaries

• The Stop Button
• MediaCircus
• Lunapark6.com
• Life as Fiction
• spcnet.tv
• Cinema Coreana