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The releases of classic Korean films from the Korean Film Archive (KOFA) has been reinvigorated thanks to Blu-ray. KOFA has launched last year the first title in this collection, Chil-su And Man-su (1988) directed by PARK Kwang-su, and went on with many more masterpieces including The March Of Fools (1975, HA Gil-jong), Heavenly Homecoming To Stars (1974, LEE Jang-ho) and The Housemaid (1960, KIM Ki-young). The Housemaid has become KOFA’s steady seller, and has been continuously ordered from abroad. 

But the most recent publications are more impressive. On November 17th, KOFA released Gagman (1988), LEE Myung-se’s directorial debut film and one of the representative cult films of Korea. Director LEE took part in the color correction process made specifically for the Blu-ray release of the film, so it’s also a pleasant and memorable treat for all his fans. 

The most expected title that was finally completed in 2016 is An Aimless Bullet (1961) by YU Hyun-mok, which was released on December 5th. The original negative of the film has been lost and the only print that remains has English subtitles printed on it, as it had been made specifically to be submitted to the San Francisco International Film Festival. With the large captions that cover up to half of the screen, this print was in a poor state as it has numerous scratches and a dark tone. 

 

These feats are attributed to KOFA’s know-how accumulated from the fifteen restoration projects they conducted in the last seven years. SHIN Dong-hun Animation Collection was one of them. The collection includes A Story of Hong Gil-Dong (1967) and Hopi and Chadol Bawi (1967) by director SHIN, the pioneer of Korean animation. The original print of A Story of Hong Gil-Dong was lost, but other prints were discovered and restored with the help of Planet Bibliotheque in Japan in 2008. This remastered version was then released in 2K after digital revision. In addition, KOFA rediscovered by chance KIM Soo-yong’s Sorrow Even Up in Heaven (1965) in Taiwan and released its DVD in 2015. 

 

Meanwhile, as Paju Preservation Center opened in June of last year, KOFA now has a more adequate place to preserve and restore Korean films. As a result, DVD and Blu-ray releases have significantly increased. KOFA has most recently restored LEE Doo-yong’s The Last Witness (1980) and The Hut (1981) in 4K digital remastering for the first time in Korea. 

KOFA has produced more than 30 titles and 10 collections since 2004, which is a noteworthy feat in regard to its modest budget. Collections focused on directors have become the groundwork for studies of these specific directors such as IM Kwon-taek, LEE Man-hee, KIM Soo-yong, KIM Ki-young, YU Hyun-mok and SHIN Sang-ok. Furthermore, KOFA enriches each of these contents by adding booklets and supplement to every title and collection. 

 

Another important part of KOFA activities is VOD service. As of 2016, the Korean Movie Database (KMDb) comprises 329 domestic films, although this number is prone to variations every year due to copyright issues. While 180 titles are available to watch for KRW 500 (USD 0.4) each, all the others are free. KOFA also provides classic Korean films with English subtitles through its Youtube channel (www.youtube.com/user/KoreanFilm) for foreign cinema enthusiasts interested in Korean movies. On top of that, KOFA has introduced more than 90 films for free under the title of Korean Classic Film Theater on web portal Naver (tvcast.naver.com/koreanfilm).

One more important thing about KOFA’s VOD service is a monthly event, KMDB VOD Special Screening, that can be found on its website. Since 2007, this ‘online film festival’ offers for free movies based on themes within a certain period. About 90 of these events have been held in ten years. Lately, YOON Jeong-hee Special Screening was held featuring her fifteen major films, including Poetry (2010) directed by LEE Chang-dong. 

The value of classic movies does not rust easily despite the fast-changing landscape of film media. They can impress and move today’s audience as much as present ones. Let’s hope more filmgoers will get to enjoy classic Korean films.