Korean cinema in ‘precarious period’ due to Netflix, says Jang Joon-hwan

Director of Save the Green Planet, which is getting US remake, says film industry suffering amid rise of streaming

When Parasite became the first non-English language film in Oscars history to win best picture in 2019, it marked a breakthrough moment for Korean cinema.

But the surge of interest that followed director Bong Joon-ho’s international success has not translated into a thriving local film industry, according to another of its leading lights.

The director Jang Joon-hwan said K-cinema was struggling following the arrival of Netflix and other streaming platforms, with movies often being rushed on to streaming platforms, and box office ticket sales suffering as a consequence.

The London Korean film festival takes place at BFI Southbank, Ciné Lumière and Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) 1-13 November