KOREA FOUNDATION

Korean films have gone beyond national barriers, gaining recognition abroad and strengthening the status of “K-movies” in the global community. Just as the present cannot exist without the past, had it not been for 100 years of Korean film history, today’s “K-movie” would not be able to enjoy its present popularity.

With this understanding, the Korean Film Archive has started a YouTube channel titled Korean Classic Film to look back at the past 100 years of Korean cinema. The channel hosts over 190 classic movies whose sound and video quality have been improved through digital remastering. The wide selection of films is offered free of charge, giving viewers the pleasure of having to choose what to watch. For viewers who are unfamiliar with Korean classics and need some help getting started, movie recommendations by film director Bong Joon-ho and other film experts are also available.

Director Bong Joon-ho’s Korean Classic Film Recommendations
What classic films does internationally acclaimed film director Bong Joon-ho include in his list of must-see movies? Watch “Seven Korean Movies Recommended by Director Bong Joon-ho” to get a taste of The Insect Woman(1972), directed by Kim Ki-young; Transgression (1974), also directed by Kim; Jjagko (1980), directed by Im Kwon-Taek; People in the Slum (1982), directed by Bae Chang-ho; Declaration of Idiot (1983), directed by Lee Jang-ho; Gagman (1988), directed by Lee Myung-se; and A Short Love Affair: Lovers in Umukbaemi (1990), directed by Jang Sun-woo. Among these, The Insect Woman tends to attract the keenest attention from viewers as Bong has mentioned that it influenced him tremendously when he was creating the staircase scene in his award-winning film Parasite.

Viewers may start by following Bong’s recommendations or by checking out the Korean Film Archive’s lists arranged by theme, director, and foreign language subtitles. Providing a rich menu of Korean classic movies and various ways of appreciation for diverse audiences, the Korean Film Archive hopes to kindle greater interest in Korean movies and draw even more viewers to the Korean Classic Film YouTube channel. (https://www.youtube.com/user/KoreanFilm).

Korean films Classic MovieBong Joon-hoOnline