The tradition and future of South Korean cinema

For all its creativity, South Korea's film industry long flew under the radar, until Parasite and Squid Game

Before the turn of the millennium, few people, if any, could foresee that South Korean culture was about to go global.

After decades as a Japanese colony, the Korean war and a series of military governments, true democratic reform took place in 1987. 

Since then, the country once known as the "Land of Morning Calm," has become one of the most important economic players in the world. But when it comes to Korean culture, it's only quite recently that the majority of the West's knowledge has grown beyond K-pop and the song Gangnam Style.

The case of Korean cinema is a little different, however. Since the early 2000s, films like Park Chan-wook's Oldboy, or Kim Ki-duk's Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring, have drawn attention around the world.

Today, Korean films and series are an integral part of the global entertainment industry. 

The Busan International Film Festival, which takes place in South Korea's second-largest city, is among the most important Asian film festivals, and the country is the fifth-largest movie market in the world, taking in around $1.7 billion (€1.6 billion) per year. 

Korean entertainment is enjoyed from the US to Africa. It offers something for everyone, from horror to action to soap operas. The "Hallyu," or the new Korean wave of pop culture, has spread throughout the world, especially as cult films like Parasite won Oscars and a host of international awards.

The word "Hallyuwood" is even used to reform South Korean cinema, joining Hollywood, Bollywood (Hindi cinema) and Nollywood (Nigerian cinema). 

Breaking cinematic boundaries 

The trend is only growing stronger. Major US studios have opened branches in South Korea with the aim of co-producing films.

US sequels of South Korean films are popular, and streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+ vie for dominance when it comes to Korean movies.

In 2023, Netflix hopes to continue the success of the hit series Squid Game and is offering increasingly more South Korean films and series.

The Netflix production Kill Boksoon and other Korean films will also premiere at the 2023 Berlinale.

Meanwhile, European cinemas are showing the newest feature from star director Park Chan-wook, Decision to Leave, for which he won best director at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.   

Despite the commercial success of their films, South Korean directors are unafraid to subvert film narrative conventions; or inject bizarre moments like when Oldboy protagonist Oh Dae-su eats a live octopus. 

Story ideas all around 

The film industry's eagerness to defy limits and its wealth of creative energy likely stem from South Korea's recent history.

Many Korean cinema greats grew up during the era of civilian resistance against the military government. They secretly watched and discussed prohibited films in their university cinema clubs.

Additionally, the abrupt split with dictatorial North Korea, combined with the dominance of turbo-capitalism in the South, shaped the critical worldview of many.

The intrigue of large corporations, and the growing gap between rich and poor — all provide a wealth of material for filmmakers.  

South Korea is also a country where being hip and innovative is important: Creative, cosmopolitan culture scenes can be found not only in the capital, Seoul but also in all major cities. If someone wants to grab people's attention here, they have to do something unique.  

Few female directors 

A high state quota for domestic productions also doesn't hurt. Whoever has been to South Korea knows that cinema is celebrated both in private and public. For instance, a traffic circle in the major city of Jeonju, which is known for its international film festival, boasts a statue of a cameraman — and that's year-round, not just during the festival season.  

The coming years will reveal how South Korea's film industry will develop going forward. One of its greatest weaknesses is that it is still male dominated. Only in recent years has this begun to change: At the 2019 film festival in Busan, 27% of the Korean films were made by women — a giant leap from the previous year.  

Now, after Korean films and series have hit the global mainstream, it remains to be seen whether Hallyuwood will face the same fate as its namesake: creative stillstand or financial crisis. But just like Hollywood constantly keeps reinventing itself, it may well be that South Korean cinema, a young but strong tradition, does the same to remain relevant in the future. After all, the country definitely has plenty of stories to tell.

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