Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
2021 top news in cinema
Actress Youn Yuh-Jung accepts the Oscar for Actress in a Supporting Role during the live ABC Telecast of the 93rd Oscars in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 25. Reuters-Yonhap
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Youn Yuh-jung brings Oscar home, protracted pandemic casting shadow on cinema
By Kwak Yeon-soo
The COVID-19 pandemic is poised to enter its third year, showing few signs of easing with the presence of Omicron variant. Although, movie houses, which were hit hard since the outbreak of the pandemic, have cautiously reopened.
But there is a bumpy road ahead for the film industry as streaming services have made the most of the pandemic to increase their subscribers and have eventually begun to emerge as an alternative to theaters. And while optimism for theaters is still dominating, some are voicing worries about their future.
Despite the difficult times, some Korean actors made headlines in Hollywood, bringing renewed interest to the Korean entertainment industry. Here are this year's biggest moments in Korean film.
1. Youn Yuh-jung wins Oscar for 'Minari'
Youn Yuh-jung had her most memorable year as she became the first Korean actor to win an Oscar for best supporting actress for her performance in “Minari.” Directed by Korean American filmmaker Isaac Chung, “Minari” tells the story of a Korean immigrant family that moves to rural Arkansas to start a farm in the 1980s.
Before winning the Oscar, Youn won a Screen Actors Guild Award and a BAFTA. She reached the pinnacle of her decades-long acting career at the age of 74 and was named one of the 100 most influential people of 2021 by TIME magazine.
The film's success has created a rare craze for “minari,” known as “water parsley” in English. With its fresh taste, the vegetable grows well in damp, shady areas and can be eaten both raw and cooked. It can be grilled and served as an accompaniment to pork belly or used in “maeuntang,” or spicy fish soup.
A scene from the film, “Mogadishu” / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment
2. 'Escape from Mogadishu' survives pandemic
The Korean action blockbuster “Escape from Mogadishu” became the most watched film of 2021, pulling over 3.6 million admissions and grossing over 32.6 billion won ($27.5 million) in the local box office. This is an encouraging sign for the local film industry given that only two homegrown films, “Escape from Mogadishu” and “Sinkhole,” made it into the 10 most watched movies in theaters this year.
The film, starring actors Kim Yun-seok and Zo In-sung, is based on the true story of the life-or-death escape by diplomats from South and North Korean missions in the capital city of Somalia during the civil war in 1991.
Balancing both commercial success and critical acclaim, “Escape from Mogadishu” won Best Picture at the Blue Dragon Awards and was selected as the country's entry for the best international feature film category at next year's Oscars.
Pedestrian walk inside the Seoul Cinema in Seoul, July 4. Yonhap
3. Adieu, Seoul Cinema
Seoul Cinema, one of the oldest movie theaters in the capital, ended a chapter in history with its closure at the end of August after being in business for 42 years. It signified independent theaters being pushed out of business first by multiplex chains and then by the pandemic as streaming services came to the fore.
During its peak, Seoul Cinema was once one of the three major landmark theaters in Seoul along with the now defunct Dansungsa and Piccadilly Cinema. It introduced the nation's first renovation work in 2017, but fell behind in the competition with major multiplex chains. The pandemic dealt an economic blow to the independent theater, making it disappear into history.
Actor Ma Dong-seok, also known as Don Lee, poses at the premiere for the film “Eternals” in Los Angeles, California, U.S., Oct. 18. Reuters-Yonhap
4. Ma Dong-seok's Marvel superhero debut
Ma Dong-seok, also known by his English name Don Lee, made his superhero debut in Marvel's “Eternals,” which was released in November. The actor revealed he didn't go through any audition process for his role as Gilgamesh in “Eternals.” The film grossed over $300 million in the worldwide box office.
Following in Ma's footsteps, actor Park Seo-joon's casting in “The Marvels” was confirmed in September alongside the main cast members including Brie Larson and Iman Vellani. Although the actor declined to give further details about his character, Park has traveled to the U.K. to shoot the film which will premiere in February 2023.
A sign set up at a movie theater in Seoul on Dec. 5, provides information on the vaccine pass requirements. Yonhap
5. Pandemic sparks discourse about future for cinemas
Movie theaters started to reopen, but blockbusters are not getting back in line for release. The film industry is grappling with an ominous question: Will movie theater seats be filled again once the pandemic is gone?
A few say streaming will eventually kill cinemas, but many remain optimistic. Since they have withstood the onset of DVDs, theaters could stand up to the challenge from Netflix and Disney+. Familiar and favorite characters of film franchises like Marvel can be counted on to sell tickets. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” sold more than 750,000 tickets before its official release in Korea, signaling a revival of cinema.
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk arrives at a red carpet event for "Squid Game," at NeueHouse Hollywood in Los Angeles, Nov. 8. AP-Yonhap
6. Filmmakers' migration to small screen
After the success of Netflix series “Kingdom,” award-winning filmmakers are being lured to TV with the promise of more creative control. Following the advent of global streaming platforms, more big-name movie directors are making the switch.
Hwang Dong-hyuk of “Silenced” (2011) “Miss Granny” (2014) and “The Fortress” (2017) made his small-screen directorial debut with “Squid Game,” which became an instantly hit and now stands as the most watched Netflix series of the year. Yeon Sang-ho of the global hit “Train to Busan” (2017) and “Peninsula” (2020) also directed his first original series “Hellbound” for Netflix.
However, not all have succeeded in the transition. Director Hur Jin-ho, who has made a name for himself with melodramas including “One Fine Spring Day” (2001) and “Christmas in August” (1998), directed a melodrama “Lost.” However, it ended with a disappointing viewership rating of 2.4 percent.
From left, actors Song Hye-kyo, Jun Ji-hyun and Jeon Do-yeon / Korea Times file
7. Top actresses' unsuccessful experiment with TV
Cannes award-winning actress Jeon Do-yeon's latest JTBC drama “Lost” failed to meet viewers' anticipation and end with disappointing ratings. Lee Young-ae, who has portrayed strong characters in thriller films “Lady Vengeance” (2005) and “Bring Me Home” (2019), most recently appeared in JTBC's comedy drama “Inspector Koo” as a quirky but genius insurance investigator. However, the series sputtered with a 2.3 percent rating for its final episode.
Jun Ji-hyun, who played forest ranger in tvN's mysterious drama “Jirisan,” also failed to live up to viewers' expectations, making headlines for awkward special effects and storyline full of supernatural nonsense. Song Hye-kyo's new romantic comedy “Now, We Are Breaking Up” also received a lukewarm response from viewers for oddly repeating herself.
Actors Song Joong-ki, front, and Park So-dam walk the red carpet at the opening ceremony of the 26th Busan International Film Festival held at the Busan Cinema Center in Busan, Oct. 6. Yonhap
8. Red carpets return
A few local film festivals returned to majority in-person events with some events still online. This year's Busan International Film Festival, Asia's largest film festival, returned to how it previously operated before the pandemic holding a red carpet ceremony, welcoming back in-person audiences as well as foreign guests.