‘Korean film master’, the late director Kim Soo-yong, died today (5th)… Ahn Seong-gi and Lee Byung-hun send off their farewells

Director Kim Soo-yong, a master of Korean cinema in the 1960s who passed away on the 3rd, is now in final resting place.

Director Kim Su-yong's funeral will be held at the funeral hall of Seoul National University Hospital on the morning of the 5th, and the funeral will be held at 1 p.m. The deceased's burial place is Seoul Memorial Park (1st) and Moran Park (2nd).

The deceased died from old age at around 1:50 am on the 3rd at Seoul National University Hospital, where he was receiving treatment. Age 94.

At the funeral ceremony on this day, director Jeong Ji-young introduces the deceased's biography and films are screened. Directors Jang-ho Lee and Il-seong Jeong gave eulogies, Yun-ho Yang, president of the Federation of Korean Filmmakers, gave the eulogy as the head of the group, and directors Jang Mi-hee, Dong-hwan Jeong, and Seong-su Kim gave junior eulogies.

After the funeral, a funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. The deceased's funeral was held with a movie seal. Directors Jeong Ji-young and Lee Jang-ho, and actors Ahn Seong-gi and Jang Mi-hee served as funeral committee chairs, and funeral advisors included Kim Dong-ho, former Busan International Film Festival executive chairman, director Im Kwon-taek, and actors Kim Hye-ja, Eom Aing-ran, and Lee Soon-jae. Actors Lee Byung-hun, Lee Sung-min, Lee Young-ae, Lee Jung-jae, Moon So-ri, Park Chan-wook, and Bong Joon-ho are planning to be with the deceased for his final moments as funeral committee members.

Director Kim was born in Anseong, Gyeonggi-do in 1929, and showed talent for dramatic arts from an early age, such as directing a play about the March 1st Movement right after liberation in 1945 when he was a student. Director Kim, who served as an interpreter during the Korean War, entered the film industry when he was assigned to the Jeong Hoon-guk Film Department of the Ministry of National Defense after the armistice.

His debut film was ‘Gongcheoga’, released in 1958. This movie is a comedy about the owner of a gomtang restaurant who experiences family strife ahead of his daughter's marriage and solves the problem with an ingenious idea. Director Kim, who was in the military at the time, took time on the weekend to direct this work.

After being discharged from the military, Director Kim entered the film industry in earnest. He mainly released comedies such as 'The Quickly Rich Man' (1961), 'Youth Class' (1963), and 'My Wife is the Best' (1963), followed by 'Gulbi' (1963), 'Hyeolmaek' (1963), and 'Seaside Village'. (1965), ‘The Fog’ (1967), ‘The Full Line’ (1967), ‘Land’ (1974), ‘Forest Fire’ (1977), ‘A Gorgeous Outing’ (1977), and ‘Late Autumn’ (1981). It was recognized for its outstanding work. The deceased's work 'Sorrow in the Sky' (1965), which was considered the best box office hit of the 1960s, was also exported overseas, including Taiwan.

The deceased was also famous for his prolific works. Over 40 years, 109 films were released until ‘Agarwood’ in 1999. In 1967 alone, 10 films were released. Director Kim is credited with leading the renaissance of Korean film in the 1960s along with directors Shin Sang-ok and Yoo Hyeon-mok.

In 2005, director Kim published a memoir titled ‘My Love Cinema’, reflecting on his film career.

Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr