I cover a wide range of stories about Korean society — one of the most dynamic places in the world. To me, journalism means being on the ground, uncovering untold stories and amplifying marginalized voices, especially in an era when AI is reshaping the media landscape. That’s why I’m always here to listen. Tips and stories are welcome — feel free to reach out via email. Before becoming a journalist, I traveled through 24 countries over 702 days, served two years as a military police officer in the Republic of Korea Air Force and later studied filmmaking at the Korea National University of Arts.
Seoul Film Center opens to outcry from filmmakers
Attendees, including Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, sixth from left, and actor Lee Jung-jae, seventh from left, hold up banners celebrating the opening of Seoul Film Center in Jung District, central Seoul, Friday. Yonhap
By Park Ung
Many groups boycott facility, citing failure to preserve archives
Seoul Film Center opened last week after decades of planning and long-held hopes from the film community for such a facility, but it quickly drew criticism from industry members who say its original purpose has been compromised.
The center was originally conceived as “Seoul Cinematheque” — a film archive intended to preserve and screen classic and historically significant works, its name derived from the French words cinéma, meaning “film,” and bibliothèque, meaning “library.”
Seoul Art Cinema, the capital’s only cinematheque, opened in 2002. But its precarious setup as a rented facility — and the absence of core cinematheque function, such as a film archive and educational spaces — prompted the film community to advocate for a dedicated public venue.
In 2006, the Korean Association of Cinematheques (KACT), together with prominent filmmakers including Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho, spearheaded efforts to establish Seoul Cinematheque.
Film director Choi Dong-hoon, center, speaks during a press conference launching a committee to build a dedicated cinematheque in Jongno District, Jan. 15, 2010. Directors Jung Yoon-chul, left, and Park Chan-wook, right, are seen beside him. Yonhap
In 2010, filmmakers formed a committee dedicated to the effort. The city aimed to open the facility by 2020, but the project was delayed following a government review rejection and the COVID-19 pandemic, and then underwent major changes after Mayor Oh Se-hoon took office in 2021.
Last year, the city renamed the long-planned Seoul Cinematheque project as Seoul Film Center. Located in Jung District, the center spans 13 floors and 4,806 square meters, and features three screening rooms.
Seoul Film Center in Jung District, central Seoul / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Throughout its development under the current mayor, the film community has criticized the project, saying the city government undermined the cinematheque’s core purpose, showed little understanding of cinema and acted unilaterally.
“The city government is trying to present citizens with a half-built cinematheque — like a library without books or a museum without art — stripped of storage, preservation and research functions,” 19 film groups, including the Association of Korean Independent Film & Video, said in a statement last week.
One of the most frequently cited criticisms is the lack of a proper film archive facility.
“The center doesn’t even have a storage facility — the heart of archiving. A place that cannot preserve film history or pass down its legacy is not a cinematheque,” the groups said.
The city government told The Korea Times that although the center does not have climate-controlled storage, it does have space to hold films, along with books and DVDs.
“There were questions about whether a separate facility was necessary when the Korean Film Archive already operates its own storage,” a city official said.
But Kim Bo-nyun, a programmer at Seoul Art Cinema, said the city’s argument is difficult to accept.
“The archive currently preserves only Korean films,” Kim said. “A true cinematheque must also preserve foreign films to function properly.”
Kim Su-kyun, secretary-general of KACT, said at a forum last week that the city’s justification for eliminating proper storage functions — citing the existence of the Korean Film Archive — “is like saying there’s no need for local libraries because the National Library exists.”
Kim Hong-joon, director of the Korean Film Archive, said it is hard to give a clear answer to the current dispute because views differ on what a cinematheque should be and the project’s history is long and complicated.
But Kim argued that claims of overlapping functions between the archive and Seoul Film Center are based on a misunderstanding.
“Our archive collects and holds films, so we operate our own climate-controlled storage,” Kim said. “But those who initially planned Seoul Cinematheque wanted a storage facility in the building to preserve the films they themselves hold.”
Kim added that each film storage facility serves a different function and that if the center needs one, it should build it according to its own needs.
The once -expected closure this month of Oh!zemidong, a cinema in Jung District, has also sparked controversy, with more than 1,800 people signing a petition opposing the move.
The space, which opened in 2004 and holds 5,246 DVD titles spanning features, shorts and documentaries, has served as a beloved community hub for 21 years. The city ordered its closure, citing overlapping functions with the new center, but said Monday it is reviewing whether to keep it open while collecting public feedback.
Pyun Jae-kyoung, a third-year film student at Korea National University of Arts, said the city’s approach felt disrespectful and revealed a lack of understanding of cinema that insults the pride of the film community.
“Most films are now streamed on platforms like Netflix, but for those who value cinema in its traditional form, building a real film archive carries deep meaning,” Pyun said. “Just as we don’t discard physical history books simply because they’re digitized, film deserves preservation.
“Film is something profoundly meaningful and precious to us, but the city government treated it lightly and without respect."