The cinema of South Korea refers to the film industry of South Korea
from 1945 to present. South Korean films have been heavily influenced
by such events and forces as the Japanese occupation of Korea, the
Korean War, government censorship, the business sector, globalization,
and the democratization of South Korea. Chungmu is frequently used as
a metonym for the industry.The golden age of South Korean cinema in
the mid-20th century produced what are considered two of the best
South Korean films of all time, The Housemaid (1960) and Obaltan
(1961), while the industry's revival with the Korean New Wave from the
late 1990s to the present produced both of the country's
highest-grossing films, The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014) and
Extreme Job (2019), as well as prize winners on the festival circuit
including Golden Lion recipient Pietà (2012) and Palme d'Or recipient
and Academy Award winner Parasite (2019) and international cult
classics including Oldboy (2003), Snowpiercer (2013), and Train to
Busan (2016).With the increasing global success and globalization of
the Korean film industry, the past two decades have seen Korean actors
like Lee Byung-hun and Bae Doona star in American films, Korean
auteurs such as Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho direct
English-language works, Korean American actors crossover to star in
Korean films as with Steven Yeun and Ma Dong-seok, and Korean films be
remade in the United States, China, and other markets. The Busan
International Film Festival has also grown to become Asia's largest
and most important film festival.
from 1945 to present. South Korean films have been heavily influenced
by such events and forces as the Japanese occupation of Korea, the
Korean War, government censorship, the business sector, globalization,
and the democratization of South Korea. Chungmu is frequently used as
a metonym for the industry.The golden age of South Korean cinema in
the mid-20th century produced what are considered two of the best
South Korean films of all time, The Housemaid (1960) and Obaltan
(1961), while the industry's revival with the Korean New Wave from the
late 1990s to the present produced both of the country's
highest-grossing films, The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014) and
Extreme Job (2019), as well as prize winners on the festival circuit
including Golden Lion recipient Pietà (2012) and Palme d'Or recipient
and Academy Award winner Parasite (2019) and international cult
classics including Oldboy (2003), Snowpiercer (2013), and Train to
Busan (2016).With the increasing global success and globalization of
the Korean film industry, the past two decades have seen Korean actors
like Lee Byung-hun and Bae Doona star in American films, Korean
auteurs such as Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho direct
English-language works, Korean American actors crossover to star in
Korean films as with Steven Yeun and Ma Dong-seok, and Korean films be
remade in the United States, China, and other markets. The Busan
International Film Festival has also grown to become Asia's largest
and most important film festival.
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