2001 was a monumental year for the Korean film industry. It was the first time that the number of audiences who watched Korean films outnumbered foreign films after foreign films were imported. In 2001, when the Korean film market was rapidly growing and blossoming, what happened to the Korean film industry before and after that? In this year's difficult market situation, we can find implications for Korean films in history.
The Crisis of Korean Cinema in the 1990s
According to the Korea Film Council's Korean Film Yearbook, the number of Korean moviegoers has grown negatively from 11.06 million in 1991 to 7.69 million in 1993. That year, foreign films accounted for 84.1% of the audience. In the early 1990s, Korean films were shunned by audiences for obvious comedy and romance films. As the film industry fell into recession, the number of productions shrank from 121 in 1991 to 43 in 1998. As the film market, which used to be watched when filmed, becomes increasingly difficult, the film industry also begins a series of bankruptcy restructuring. At that time, Korean films needed a change.
<The poster for the movie Two Cops, released in 1994>
In 1994, a similar change occurred in the film industry. “1994 was a year that gave hope to the Korean film industry. Although the number of productions was only 65, the quality of the works was higher than any other year and the genres were diverse. also confirmed that they have an affection for Korean films. A new wind blew in. Talented new directors formed the mainstream of production, challenging the taboo of Korean films and introducing new film grammar to the audience. Audiences also enjoyed Korean films. My eyes have changed and I have escaped from the perception of Korean films that I have felt so far. I have discovered a new fact that Korean films are also interesting and moving. The year 1994 marked a turning point in the Korean film industry." The hit movie at the time was 'Two Cops', which mobilized 840,000 people.
In 1994, the winds of change blew, but it was not easy. The downturn was long. Until 1996, the number of Korean moviegoers could not exceed 10 million. It was about one-third of the foreign currency. "For our films to have competitiveness with American films, which feature world-class stars and have a global distribution network, it would be like a snake bird chasing a stork," Dongguk University professor Min Byeong-rok said in his 1997 Korean Film Yearbook.
<The 1st poster of the 1996 Busan International Film Festival. It symbolized 'the sea and the movie'. Source: Busan International Film Festival>
The seeds of challenge sown through difficulties eventually began to bloom. The Korean film industry worked tirelessly in the midst of a crisis. There was an IMF in 1997, but I focused on making new Korean films rather than waiting for market excuses. There was also a great desire in the film industry to upgrade the film industry, such as hosting the 1st Busan International Film Festival in September 1996.
In 1999, the history of reversal began. The number of Korean moviegoers recorded 21.72 million. Records at the time expressed propaganda in 1999 thus: "Amidst the strong threat of Hollywood films, we stood at a crossroads of whether to give up Korean films or to give up the odds. Korean films threw the odds, and the film crews who were exposed to various foreign films since the 1980s were a great help." It is an analysis that the spirit of challenge shone and the market is looking for vitality with the appearance of new directors.
Korean films that blossomed in the 2000s
Just looking at the major box office hits at the time, you can see the diversity that appeared in Korean films. It was in February 1999 that Shiri, which is said to have made a mark in Korean cinema, was released. Movies that hit the box office at the time, such as Joint Security Area JSA (September 2000), Friends (March 2001), Shilla's Moonlit Night (June 2001), My Sassy Girl (July 2001), My Wife in a Gangster (September 2001) There were many unconventional plot lines or direction that deviated from the grammar of previous films.
After these changes, in 2001, the number of Korean moviegoers recorded 44.81 million, with a market share of 50.1%. It was a year that created a miracle by suppressing foreign currency (44.55 million). Despite the lineup of blockbuster foreign films, such as Gladiator in June 2000, Pearl Harbor in May 2001, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in December 2001, Korean films relatively shined.
The film industry also flourished. In 1998, there were only 116 reported cases of film manufacturing, but in 2001, the number of reported cases increased more than eightfold to 918 cases. As Korean films struggled, they contributed greatly to opening the era of 'multiplex cinema' in Korea in the early 2000s. In February 2003, CGV exceeded 100 screens. This is the time when a virtuous cycle was created in which a good movie comes out, the theater market improves, and the movie market improves again.
◆Korean film market with growing sense of crisis
<Source: Settlement of the Korean film industry in 2022 - Korea Film Council>
These days, there are a lot of complaints about 'too hard' in the film industry. Filmmakers live by the saying, “I am really worried about how to make the audience come back to the cinema.” At the same time, it is usual to come up with analyzes that the impact of the market, such as changed consumption behavior and the emergence of OTT after the corona, is large.
That's not wrong. The market itself for consuming movies is changing. Makoto Shinkai, the director of 'Suzume's Lockdown', said in an interview with the media not long ago, "YouTube shorts videos are my rivals." The intention is to compete not only with movies but also with other content that is changing rapidly. It is natural for Korean filmmakers to feel helpless in the face of huge market changes.
Looking at the actual film industry sales, it steadily increased every year to 2.5093 trillion won in 2019, before the corona, and then more than halved to 1.537 trillion won in 2020. Even in 2022, it is 1,706.4 billion won, which is far short of the pre-corona level. Even though I endured 'Corona 2 years', the complaint that it is still difficult is correct.
But the market should not be the only one to blame. Crime City 3, which was released on the 31st of last month, is a box office hit despite being the third film in the series. It is poised to easily pass 4 million viewers in less than two weeks since its release. The complaint from the film industry that 'audiences do not go to the cinema' is embarrassing.
In the end, it is the audience who comes to see the movie to watch. In the mid-to-late 1990s, 'seniors in the film industry' also firmly defended Korean films in the flood of foreign films, and eventually brought audiences to Korean films with good works. It is thanks to the challenge of new films and new characters leading the change. Now, Korean movies are being evaluated to the extent that there are rare movies worth watching. The stories of 'too obvious' and 'nothing new' are similar to those of the 1990s. Since it is not a problem that can be finished within one or two years, a mid- to long-term approach is needed. In addition to discovering new directors, it is time for 'creative destruction' that breaks the existing film grammar. The history of Korean cinema tells us that it is time to change the sense of crisis into a sense of challenge.
Jiye Choi, staff reporter at TenAsia wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr