Joint Security Area (film)
Encyclopedia
Joint Security Area is a 2000 South Korean
film
starring Lee Young Ae
, Lee Byung-hun
and Song Kang-ho
. It was directed by Park Chan-wook
and is based on the novel DMZ by Park Sang-yeon. The film, which was shot on location in South Korea, concerns an investigation into the circumstances surrounding a fatal shooting incident within the DMZ
, the heavily fortified border that separates North
and South Korea
.
It was the highest grossing film in Korean film history at the time and won Best Film at the 2000 Blue Dragon Awards and the 2001 Grand Bell Awards
.
n soldiers are killed in the DMZ
at a North Korean border house. Alarms sound on both sides, and North and South Korean soldiers are quickly deployed at the scene, resulting in an exchange of gunfire. Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok, (Lee Byung-hun
) a South Korean soldier on border duties runs from the North Korean side with a leg injury and attempts to reach the South Korean side. The southern troops rescue him while the gunfire continues.
Two days later, the fragile relationship between the two Koreas now relies on a special investigation conducted by Swedish and Swiss investigators from the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission
to ensure that this incident does not erupt into a serious conflict. The mission is led by Swiss Army
Major Sophie E. Jang (Lee Young Ae
). Her mother is Swiss and her father is Korean. This is her first time in Korea.
As Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok has confessed to the shootings, it is up to Sophie to investigate why the two Koreas have contradicting accounts of events. She proceeds to read the story of Soo-hyeok's experience which tell of him being knocked out and kidnapped while relieving himself. He then wakes up tied up in the North Korean border house, before proceeding to secretly free himself and shoot three North Korean soldiers, leaving two dead. However, Soo-hyeok is unresponsive to Sophie and will not answer any questions. On asking Soo-hyeok's comrades about him, she receives stories praising his courage defusing a mine he stepped on, or of throwing rocks at the North Korean house; however this gets her nowhere. Sophie then visits North Korea where the sole survivor of the incident, Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil (Song Kang-ho
), tells a different story: one in which Soo-Hyeok barges into the border house and shoots everyone before retreating when the wounded Kyeong-pil fights back.
The autopsy report shows that one soldier was shot first in the chest and then in the head, while the other, Jeong Woo-jin, was shot eight times repeatedly, more indicative of a grudge than an attempt at escape. The events that led to the killing of two North Korean soldiers are then shown throughout the film in a series of flashbacks. First, the depositions of each surviving soldier are shown, providing conflicting versions on that night's events. Major Sophie looks further into the case and discovers that things are not quite as they seem.
and Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War
. Overall, JSA had 2,499,400 admissions in Seoul over its 20 weeks in the cinemas and an estimated 5.8 million admissions nationwide.
In 2009, director Quentin Tarantino
named the film as one of his twenty favorite films since 1992.
A DVD of the movie was presented to North Korea's leader Kim Jong-II by South Korea's President Roh Moo-hyun
during the Korean summit in October 2007.
2000 Pusan Film Critics Awards
2001 Deauville Asian Film Festival
2001 27th Seattle International Film Festival
2001 Berlin International Film Festival
2001 37th Paeksang Arts Awards
2001 Grand Bell Awards
2002 Blue Ribbon Awards
2003 Hong Kong Film Awards
2001 Fant-Asia Film Festival
Cinema of Korea
Korean cinema encompasses the motion picture industries of North and South Korea. As with all aspects of Korean life during the past century, the film industry has often been at the mercy of political events, from the late Joseon dynasty to the Korean War to domestic governmental interference...
film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
starring Lee Young Ae
Lee Young Ae
Lee Young Ae is a South Korean actress.-Career:Lee made her debut as a TV model in 1991. After appearing in TV commercials, she started playing in TV dramas and movies....
, Lee Byung-hun
Lee Byung-Hun
Lee Byung-hun is a South Korean actor, singer and model. He has starred in popular television dramas such as Iris , All In and Beautiful Days...
and Song Kang-ho
Song Kang-ho
Song Kang-ho is a leading South Korean film actor.- Career:Song Kang-ho never professionally trained as an actor, beginning his career in social theater groups after graduating from Kimhae High School...
. It was directed by Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. One of the most acclaimed and popular filmmakers in his native country, Park is most known for his films Joint Security Area, Thirst and what has become known as The Vengeance Trilogy, consisting of...
and is based on the novel DMZ by Park Sang-yeon. The film, which was shot on location in South Korea, concerns an investigation into the circumstances surrounding a fatal shooting incident within the DMZ
Korean Demilitarized Zone
The Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and...
, the heavily fortified border that separates North
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
It was the highest grossing film in Korean film history at the time and won Best Film at the 2000 Blue Dragon Awards and the 2001 Grand Bell Awards
Grand Bell Awards
The Grand Bell Awards is an awards ceremony presented annually by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea for excellence in film in South Korea....
.
Plot
The film begins when two North KoreaNorth Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n soldiers are killed in the DMZ
Korean Demilitarized Zone
The Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and...
at a North Korean border house. Alarms sound on both sides, and North and South Korean soldiers are quickly deployed at the scene, resulting in an exchange of gunfire. Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok, (Lee Byung-hun
Lee Byung-Hun
Lee Byung-hun is a South Korean actor, singer and model. He has starred in popular television dramas such as Iris , All In and Beautiful Days...
) a South Korean soldier on border duties runs from the North Korean side with a leg injury and attempts to reach the South Korean side. The southern troops rescue him while the gunfire continues.
Two days later, the fragile relationship between the two Koreas now relies on a special investigation conducted by Swedish and Swiss investigators from the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission
Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission
The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission was established by the Korean Armistice Agreement signed July 27, 1953, ending the Korean War...
to ensure that this incident does not erupt into a serious conflict. The mission is led by Swiss Army
Military of Switzerland
The Swiss Armed Forces perform the roles of Switzerland's militia and regular army. Under the country's militia system, professional soldiers constitute about 5 percent of military personnel; the rest are male citizen conscripts 19 to 34 years old...
Major Sophie E. Jang (Lee Young Ae
Lee Young Ae
Lee Young Ae is a South Korean actress.-Career:Lee made her debut as a TV model in 1991. After appearing in TV commercials, she started playing in TV dramas and movies....
). Her mother is Swiss and her father is Korean. This is her first time in Korea.
As Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok has confessed to the shootings, it is up to Sophie to investigate why the two Koreas have contradicting accounts of events. She proceeds to read the story of Soo-hyeok's experience which tell of him being knocked out and kidnapped while relieving himself. He then wakes up tied up in the North Korean border house, before proceeding to secretly free himself and shoot three North Korean soldiers, leaving two dead. However, Soo-hyeok is unresponsive to Sophie and will not answer any questions. On asking Soo-hyeok's comrades about him, she receives stories praising his courage defusing a mine he stepped on, or of throwing rocks at the North Korean house; however this gets her nowhere. Sophie then visits North Korea where the sole survivor of the incident, Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil (Song Kang-ho
Song Kang-ho
Song Kang-ho is a leading South Korean film actor.- Career:Song Kang-ho never professionally trained as an actor, beginning his career in social theater groups after graduating from Kimhae High School...
), tells a different story: one in which Soo-Hyeok barges into the border house and shoots everyone before retreating when the wounded Kyeong-pil fights back.
The autopsy report shows that one soldier was shot first in the chest and then in the head, while the other, Jeong Woo-jin, was shot eight times repeatedly, more indicative of a grudge than an attempt at escape. The events that led to the killing of two North Korean soldiers are then shown throughout the film in a series of flashbacks. First, the depositions of each surviving soldier are shown, providing conflicting versions on that night's events. Major Sophie looks further into the case and discovers that things are not quite as they seem.
Cast
- Lee Young AeLee Young AeLee Young Ae is a South Korean actress.-Career:Lee made her debut as a TV model in 1991. After appearing in TV commercials, she started playing in TV dramas and movies....
—
Major Sophie E. Jean - Lee Byung-hunLee Byung-HunLee Byung-hun is a South Korean actor, singer and model. He has starred in popular television dramas such as Iris , All In and Beautiful Days...
—
Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok - Song Kang-hoSong Kang-hoSong Kang-ho is a leading South Korean film actor.- Career:Song Kang-ho never professionally trained as an actor, beginning his career in social theater groups after graduating from Kimhae High School...
—
Sgt. O Kyǒng-p'il - Kim Tae Woo — Pvt. Nam Sung-shik
- Shin Ha-kyunShin Ha-kyunShin Ha-kyun is a South Korean actor. He first trained as a stage actor at the Seoul Institute of the Arts, before transitioning to film and gaining national fame with his role as a North Korean soldier in Joint Security Area...
— Pvt. Chǒng U-jin - Herbert Ulrich —
Swedish officer
Reception
The film drew nearly half a million viewers in Seoul alone in its first week. Within 15 days of its release the film reached one million admissions and by early 2001 Joint Security Area had become the highest grossing film in Korean film history. It was later passed by the films Friend, SilmidoSilmido (film)
Silmido is a 2003 South Korean film, directed by Kang Woo-suk. It is loosely based on a military uprising from the island of Silmido in the 1970s. At the end of its run, the film was the most watched film ever in South Korea, and the first film to attract an audience of 10 million viewers in the...
and Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War
Taegukgi (film)
Taegukgi Hwinallimyo is a 2004 South Korean war film directed by Kang Je-gyu. It tells the story about the effect of the Korean War on two brothers. The film's title is the name of the pre-war Flag of Korea as well as the postwar Flag of South Korea...
. Overall, JSA had 2,499,400 admissions in Seoul over its 20 weeks in the cinemas and an estimated 5.8 million admissions nationwide.
In 2009, director Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
named the film as one of his twenty favorite films since 1992.
A DVD of the movie was presented to North Korea's leader Kim Jong-II by South Korea's President Roh Moo-hyun
Roh Moo-hyun
Roh Moo-hyun GOM GCB was the 16th President of South Korea .Roh's pre-presidential political career was focused on human rights advocacy for student activists in South Korea. His electoral career later expanded to a focus on overcoming regionalism in South Korean politics, culminating in his...
during the Korean summit in October 2007.
Awards and nominations
2000 Blue Dragon Film AwardsBlue Dragon Film Awards
The Blue Dragon Film Awards is an annual awards ceremony that is presented annually by Sports Chosun for excellence in film in South Korea....
- Best Film
- Best Director - Park Chan-wookPark Chan-wookPark Chan-wook is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. One of the most acclaimed and popular filmmakers in his native country, Park is most known for his films Joint Security Area, Thirst and what has become known as The Vengeance Trilogy, consisting of...
- Best Supporting Actor - Shin Ha-kyunShin Ha-kyunShin Ha-kyun is a South Korean actor. He first trained as a stage actor at the Seoul Institute of the Arts, before transitioning to film and gaining national fame with his role as a North Korean soldier in Joint Security Area...
- Best Cinematography
2000 Pusan Film Critics Awards
Pusan Film Critics Awards
The Pusan Film Critics Awards have been presented in South Korea since the founding of the prize by the Korea Pusan Film Critics Association. The winners of the awards are announced yearly just prior to the Pusan International Film Festival...
- Best Actor - Lee Byung-hunLee Byung-HunLee Byung-hun is a South Korean actor, singer and model. He has starred in popular television dramas such as Iris , All In and Beautiful Days...
, Song Kang-hoSong Kang-hoSong Kang-ho is a leading South Korean film actor.- Career:Song Kang-ho never professionally trained as an actor, beginning his career in social theater groups after graduating from Kimhae High School...
2001 Deauville Asian Film Festival
Deauville Asian Film Festival
The Deauville Asian Film Festival takes place annually in Deauville, France since 1999 and focuses on Asian cinema...
- Lotus d'Or (Prix du Jury) ("Jury Prize")
- Lotus du Public (Prix du Public) ("Popular Choice")
- Lotus du Meilleur Acteur ("Best Actor") - Song Kang-hoSong Kang-hoSong Kang-ho is a leading South Korean film actor.- Career:Song Kang-ho never professionally trained as an actor, beginning his career in social theater groups after graduating from Kimhae High School...
2001 27th Seattle International Film Festival
Seattle International Film Festival
The Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
- New Director's Showcase Special Jury Prize
2001 Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
- Nomination - Golden Berlin Bear
2001 37th Paeksang Arts Awards
PaekSang Arts Awards
PaekSang Arts Awards, also known as BaekSang Arts Awards, is an awards ceremony held annually by IS PLUS Corp, since 1965. It is to honour outstanding achievements in the South Korean entertainment industry and to garner public attention upon the best in Korean films and dramas...
-
- Best Director - Park Chan-wookPark Chan-wookPark Chan-wook is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. One of the most acclaimed and popular filmmakers in his native country, Park is most known for his films Joint Security Area, Thirst and what has become known as The Vengeance Trilogy, consisting of...
- Best Director - Park Chan-wook
2001 Grand Bell Awards
Grand Bell Awards
The Grand Bell Awards is an awards ceremony presented annually by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea for excellence in film in South Korea....
- Best Film
- Best Actor - Song Kang-hoSong Kang-hoSong Kang-ho is a leading South Korean film actor.- Career:Song Kang-ho never professionally trained as an actor, beginning his career in social theater groups after graduating from Kimhae High School...
- Best Sound -Seok-weon Kim, Won-Yong Kim
- Best Art Direction
2002 Blue Ribbon Awards
Blue Ribbon Awards
The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan.The awards were established in 1950 by which is composed of film correspondents from seven Tokyo-based sports newspapers...
- Best Foreign Language Film
2003 Hong Kong Film Awards
Hong Kong Film Awards
The Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
- Nomination - Best Asian film
2001 Fant-Asia Film Festival
- Nomination - Best Film
External links
- Review at koreanfilm.org