Korean Cinema

In this era of constant entertainment, Hollywood, and the seemingly endless cycle of sequels and tired concepts, Korea has offered a new, fresh approach to the entertainment industry. While there have been movies made in Korea for decades, the current TV shows and movies offer a variety of entertainment. 

Much of the present trend started with two significant movies in recent years. The first was the international phenomenon Train to Busan (Korean title Busanhaeng, 2016), which took the zombie movie and amplified it substantially. Based on an original story by Park Joo-suk, the claustrophobia of a train is combined with zombies and a general sense of confinement. While zombie movies in the US tend to be gory (think Walking Dead) the Korean variations are more based on psychological barriers. The movie inspired an animated prequel Seoul Station (2016), a sequel Peninsula (2020), a graphic novel Hellbound (2020), and a forthcoming US remake of the movie, and a South Korean sequel written by the original director Yeon Sung-ho.

The second movie to really bring Korean entertainment to the forefront was the 2019 movie Parasite. This movie is hard to categorize as it is part horror, part comedy, and part social commentary on the disparity of social classes within Korea. This movie generated such interest that it was nominated for several awards and was awarded the Best Picture Oscar for 2019. This was not the best foreign picture, but the main category that is usually dominated by American pictures. If you have not watched it, please give it a go.

Korean movies have often made an impact that they are often remade. The 2013 movie Oldboy, directed by Spike Lee, was based on the original movie from 2003 of the same name, directed by Park Chan-wook. While the remake was okay, the original had more original scenes and did not quite fall into the Hollywood trap of adding in gratuitous sex and or violence to gain more viewers. The original was great and should be viewed.

As with anything Hollywood produces, there are some interesting films on a variety of historical topics. The Admiral is based on Yi Sun-shin and looks at the late 1500s when Korea was invaded by Japan. This was where famous “turtle ships” were developed. In more recent terms, the movie Northern Limit Line centered on the real-life attack on the Chamsuri 357 boat in 2002, during the 2002 World Cup semi-finals. A replica of the real ship is at the Korean War Memorial, and the actual boat is at the RoK Navy Headquarters in Pyeongtaek port.

Even the 1970s Hollywood staple of the disaster movie has been taken on in more recent Korean cinema. Two movies that center on this theme are Pandora, on a nuclear power plant meltdown, and Tunnel on a tunnel collapse of a Korean expressway. Both movies deal with the disaster itself and the concept of survival, but also the bigger issue of greed at the expense of safety protocols. 

Even TV shows have expanded the viewing pleasure. Some TV shows that have had success include Kingdom (a historical zombie drama), The Glory (bullying, classism, and the idea of revenge), Move to Heaven (autism, death, and a disjointed society where generations are alone or forgotten), and perhaps the most significant in recent history, Squid Games, which centers on classes, greed, and societies centered on entertainment. With the recent release of Season Two on Netflix, and season three being filmed now, it still has a popularity that prevails. 

Some Korean movies have even attained cult stature. One movie in this realm is the North Korean kaiju movie Pulgasary. This movie has mythology, a discussion of power and the masses, and a hokey, movie monster that is controlled by others. The story behind the making of this movie is even more crazy. It was produced by a South Korean director Shin Sang-ok, and the whole story – including kidnapping, filming, and escape - of the making has been the subject of the graphic novel Madame Oh and the Monsters.

Regardless of the format in which we might watch, Korean cinema and TV are quite interesting and engaging to watch. Many of the shows mentioned here are available on streaming platforms such as Netflix. They also allow the viewer to experience other cultures.