Cinema of Korea
Korean cinema spans two nations with a shared early history.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
The film industries of North and South Korea, along with the historical cinema of the Korean Empire and the period of Japanese occupation, make up Korean cinema as a whole. Today, both countries have active film sectors, but only South Korean productions have gained significant global recognition. North Korean movies generally focus on Juche ideology or revolutionary stories. South Korean cinema saw a "golden age" in the late 1950s and 1960s, but its quality was widely seen as poor by the 1970s. However, by 2005, South Korean audiences were watching more domestic films than foreign ones in theaters, helped by regulations that restricted how many foreign films could be shown per theater each year.
**Early period**
The first person to film in Korea was American traveler and lecturer Burton Holmes, who included the footage in his travelogue programs. He showed these films to the Korean royal family in 1899, in addition to screening them abroad. Korea’s first film studio, Dongdaemun Motion Picture Studio, opened in 1903. There are competing claims about the country’s first movie theater. Dansungsa, which opened in Seoul in November 1907, is widely considered the first. Yet a 2021 article in *The Hankyoreh* argues that the Incheon-based Ae Kwan Theater, originally opened as Hyŏmnyulsa in 1895, holds that title. The first Korean film is often considered to be *Righteous Revenge*, a 1919 kino-drama (a stage play with a filmed backdrop), though this label is disputed. It premiered at Dansungsa on the same day and just after the documentary *Panoramic View of the Whole City of Gyeongseong*. The anniversary of its release is celebrated as Korean Film Day in South Korea. For the next few years, Korean film production consisted of kino-dramas and documentaries. The identity of the first Korean feature film is also unclear. Some point to a 1921 filming of *Chunhyang-Jeon* (released in 1922) as the first. The traditional story of Chunhyang later became Korea’s most-filmed story, and this version was possibly the first Korean feature, sound, color, and widescreen film. Im Kwon-taek’s 2000 pansori version of *Chunhyang* brought the total number of films based on the story to 14. Other sources name Yun Baek-nam’s *Ulha ui Mengse* (*Plighted Love Under the Moon*), released in April 1923, as the first Korean feature film. In 1925, German priest Norbert Weber filmed Korea to
- First film in Korea
- Burton Holmes, 1899
- First film studio
- Dongdaemun Motion Picture Studio, 1903
- First widely considered theater
- Dansungsa, opened November 1907
- First Korean film (disputed)
- Righteous Revenge, 1919
- First sound film
- Chunhyang-jeon, 1935
- Golden era of silent films
- 1926–1930
- South Korean golden age
- Late 1950s–1960s
Lore & Background
American traveler Burton Holmes was the first to film in Korea in 1899, showing his travelogue to the Korean royal family. Korea's first film studio, Dongdaemun Motion Picture Studio, opened in 1903. The first movie theater is disputed: Dansungsa (1907) is widely considered first, but a 2021 article claims Incheon's Ae Kwan Theater, opened as Hyŏmnyulsa in 1895, is earlier. Righteous Revenge (1919), a kino-drama, is widely considered the first Korean film, though disputed; its release date is celebrated as Korean Film Day in South Korea. The first feature film is also unclear, with a 1921 filming of Chunhyang-Jeon (released 1922) and Yun Baek-nam's Ulha ui Mengse (1923) both claimed. In 1925, German priest Norbert Weber filmed Korea to document its culture, producing the documentary Im Lande der Morgenstille, rediscovered in the late 1970s.
Reader's Guide
The cinema of Korea is significant for its early development under Japanese occupation and its later divergence into two distinct national industries. The silent film era (1926–1930) saw a burst of activity after Na Woon-gyu's Arirang (1926), with byeonsa narrators adding political subtext invisible to Japanese censors. Censorship and oppression reduced production to two or three films per year in the early 1930s. The first sound film, Chunhyang-jeon (1935), faced harsher censorship, and Japanese-sponsored films promoted assimilation. South Korea's golden age in the late 1950s–1960s produced acclaimed films like The Housemaid (1960) and Obaltan (1961). By 2005, South Korea watched more domestic than imported films, with Korean movies consistently outperforming foreign films at the box office. The legacy includes a robust industry with international acclaim for South Korean films, while North Korean cinema remains focused on Juche ideology.
Did You Know?
- Burton Holmes was the first to film in Korea, showing his films to the Korean royal family in 1899.
- The first Korean film, Righteous Revenge (1919), was a kino-drama combining stageplay with film backdrop.
- Byeonsa narrators could inject satire and criticism of Japanese occupation when authorities were not present.
- South Korean films The Housemaid (1960) and Obaltan (1961) are considered among the best of all time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'Korean cinema' actually encompass?
It covers the film output of both North and South Korea as well as the earlier cinema produced during the Korean Empire and Japanese occupation eras. Although both nations still maintain active film sectors, only South Korean productions have achieved meaningful international recognition.
When did Korean cinema begin?
American explorer Burton Holmes screened the first film in Korea in 1899, and the country's first dedicated studio, Dongdaemun Motion Picture Studio, opened in 1903. The first widely recognized movie theater, Dansungsa, opened its doors in November 1907.
How do North and South Korean films differ?
North Korean productions tend to center on Juche ideology or revolutionary narratives, while South Korean cinema has cycled through multiple artistic and commercial phases. In practice, only South Korean work has broken into global markets and earned broad critical attention.
What was the golden age of Korean cinema?
The silent-film golden era ran from roughly 1926 to 1930, and a second wave of strong output came in the late 1950s and 1960s. By the 1970s, however, South Korean film quality was broadly regarded as having fallen to a low point.
When did Korean films overtake Hollywood at the domestic box office?
By 2005, South Korean audiences were choosing home-grown productions over foreign imports more often than not. That shift became a key milestone in the broader global rise of Korean cinema.
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