Film ‘3670’ gains traction with tale of queer North Korean defector

Actors Cho You-hyun, left, as Cheol-jun and Kim Hyun-mok as Young-jun in a scene from “3670” / Courtesy of Atnine Film

An independent queer film is quietly making waves at Korean theaters.

Director Park Jun-ho’s debut feature “3670,” which won four awards at the Jeonju International Film Festival in May, has drawn more than 7,500 moviegoers since opening on Sept. 3.

The film is on track to easily surpass the 10,000 mark, an indication of success for indie cinema. Its unusual focus on both queerness and issues faced by North Korean defectors has garnered attention, earning praise from critics and the gay community alike.

Filmmaker Leesong Hee-il, known for a series of queer films, called it “the most vivid depiction yet of Korea’s gay community” and said it could become “another classic of queer Korean cinema.”

The title “3670” comes from slang used in gay circles, shorthand for “meet at Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 6 at 7 p.m.,” with the final digit indicating the number of people gathering.

The film follows Cheol-jun (Cho You-hyun), a defector who longs to find his place in the queer community but struggles with hesitation. Though he settled in South Korea after fleeing the North seven years earlier, he still feels like an outsider.

After a casual encounter leads to an invitation to a “drinking flash meet,” Cheol-jun enters a new world beyond his circle of North Korean friends.

While preparing for college and working part-time at a convenience store, he grows close to Young-jun (Kim Hyun-mok), whom he meets at the gathering, and gradually adapts to gay social life, frequenting Itaewon clubs and Jongno bars.

But as Cheol-jun develops feelings for Hyun-taek (Cho Dae-hee), tensions with Young-jun rise and their friendship begins to fray.

A scene from “3670” / Courtesy of Atnine Film

Focus on emotion, not identity

Though the film opens with a bedroom scene, “3670” emphasizes the emotional dynamics between the characters, avoiding the typical focus on identity struggles or social discrimination common in queer cinema.

Instead, it explores universal feelings: the excitement and unease of entering an unfamiliar community, the fear of exclusion and the complex yet subtle shifts in group hierarchies.

This blend of universality and specificity has drawn broad praise. The film highlights the layered marginalization faced by those who are both queer and North Korean defectors, while portraying the distinctive culture of Seoul’s gay community.

The director drew on his volunteer experience with defectors to first write a short script titled “Cheol-jun,” later expanding it into a feature.

“I wanted to go beyond identity conflicts or social confrontation to make a new kind of queer film, one where the community itself is the protagonist," Park said after a screening.

He added that both communities share the ability to mask themselves, which shaped the film’s perspective.

“I wanted to show the unique culture of Korea’s gay community, such as flash meetups and age cohorts, and to portray defectors not as people defined by the past but as individuals defined by the present and future,” Park said.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.