film history :: essays research papers

A Short History of Korean Film 1903-1945: Korea Under Japanese Rule 1903 -- First public screening of a film in Korea. 1910 -- Korea is formally annexed by Japan. 1919 -- First film, a kinodrama (play with motion picture inserts) named Uirijeok Gutu. 1923 -- First silent film, Plighted Love Under the Moon directed by Yun Baek-nam. 1926 -- Arirang by Na Un-Kyu. 1935 -- First sound film, Ch'unhyang-jon directed by Lee Myung-woo. 1937 -- Japan invades China; the Korean film industry is converted into a propaganda machine. 1945-1955 1945 -- Japan surrenders to the Allied Forces; Korea regains independence, but is soon divided in two. 1949 -- Korea's first color film, The Women's Diary by Hong Sung-gi. 1950 -- War starts on the Korean Peninsula. 1953 -- Cease-fire agreement signed at P'anmunjom. 1955-1969: A Golden Age for Korean Cinema 1960 -- The Housemaid, directed by Kim Ki-young. 1961 -- Obaltan, (pictured left) directed by Yu Hyun-mok. 1961 -- The Houseguest and My Mother, directed by Shin Sang-ok. The 1970s 1973 -- Establishment of Korean Motion Picture Promotion Corporation (KMPPC). 1974 -- Establishment of Korean Film Archive. 1979 -- Military dictator Park Chung-Hee is assassinated. 1980-1992 1980 -- Kwangju Massacre. 1981 -- Mandala, directed by Im Kwon-taek. 1988 -- Hollywood studios granted direct distribution rights in Korea. 1992-1999 1992 -- Marriage Story is the first film produced by a member of the chaebol. 1993 -- Democratically-elected government led by Kim Young-sam succeeds military dictatorship. 1993 -- Sopyonje, directed by Im Kwon-taek. 1997 -- Opening of Seoul Cinema Complex in Kyonggi-do. 1999 -- Shiri, directed by Kang Jae-Gyu, becomes best-selling film ever. History of the Korean screen quota -Introduced in 1966 but took effect in 1993 -In 1993 the Korean government allowed Hollywood films to be distributed directly by meeting most of the demands of US-Korean film negotiations that had taken place in 1985 and 1988. -Given no governmental support, the market share of Korean films amounted to only 15% at that time. -Korean movie theaters were compelled to run their own movies 146 days a year before 1993 but in reality many theaters were only running Korean films 6 days a year while Hollywood films were run the rest of the year. -After 1993 the â€Å"Screen Quota Watchers† and the screen quota system keep track of the days that Korean films are played and enforce the laws that are in effect. The Legal System -Movie promotion law required a screen to run Korean films 40% of the time or 146 days a year but after a couple of regulations that lessened the quotas effect the number has been reduced to 106 days a year or 29.