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Park Kwang-hyun (; born August 21, 1969) is a South Korean
commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
and
film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...
. He is best known for co-writing and directing the 2005 critical and commercial hit ''
Welcome to Dongmakgol ''Welcome to Dongmakgol'' (), also known as ''Battle Ground 625'' ( UK), is a 2005 South Korean film. Based on the same-titled long-running stage play by filmmaker/playwright Jang Jin, Park Kwang-hyun's debut film was a commercial and critical su ...
''.


Early life

Park Kwang-hyun grew up in the countryside with his grandmother. When he was in primary school, he began watching his first films, like ''
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
'' and '' Robot Taekwon V'', and fell in love with the art of cinema. He would talk about films with his friends all day, and go to the movie theater any chance he got.


Career

For his college degree, Park studied Visual Design at
Hongik University Hongik University (, colloquially ''Hongdae'') is a private university in Seoul, South Korea. Founded by an activist in 1946, the university is located in Mapo-gu district of central Seoul, South Korea with a second campus(branch campus) in S ...
. The
Hongdae area Hongdae () is a neighborhood in Seoul, South Korea near Hongik University, after which it is named. It is known for its urban arts and indie music culture, local shops, clubs and entertainment. The area is located in Mapo-gu in the western end ...
is known as one of the most diverse and important spots in Korea when it comes to music and arts, many indie bands go through Hongdae clubs before becoming famous, and many artists, designers and writers emerged from this environment. After graduation, Park started his own company with a few friends, and went on to become one of the most acclaimed figures in the CF (Commercial Film) field. He shot several famous commercials with top stars, from
Kyobo Life Kyobo Life Insurance Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean life insurance company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, formerly known as Daehan Kyoyuk Insurance (). Kyobo Life is one of the big 3 life insurance companies in South Korea. The company was ...
with
Choi Min-sik Choi Min-sik (born April 27, 1962) is a South Korean actor. He received critical acclaim for his roles in '' Oldboy'' (2003), ''I Saw the Devil'' (2010) and '' The Admiral: Roaring Currents'' (2014). For his role in ''Oldboy'', he won the Best ...
, to the
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
"Don't bet your life" series with
Shin Ha-kyun Shin may refer to: Biology * The front part of the human leg below the knee * Shinbone, the tibia, the larger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates Names * Shin (given name) (Katakana: シン, Hiragana: しん), a Japanese g ...
and
Im Won-hee Im Won-hee (born October 11, 1970) is a South Korean actor. Im was an alumnus of the legendary Daehangno, Daehak-ro theater troupe ''Mokhwa'' (), starring in many of Jang Jin's stage plays. He made his film debut in Jang's black comedy ''The Happ ...
. While going to work, he kept writing his own script, in the hope that one day it would turn into his first feature. Then, all of a sudden, he approached playwright/filmmaker
Jang Jin Jang Jin (born February 24, 1971) is a South Korean film director, theatre director, playwright, screenwriter, film producer, actor and TV personality. Considered one of the most distinctive voices to emerge from the 1990s Korean cinema ren ...
in 2001, saying he was a fan and wanted him to read his script. Jang welcomed young Park into his production company Film It Suda, which featured mostly theater-trained actors and directors. He was the oddity in Jang's group, the sole "style man" out of all those people mostly concerned with dialogue and situation-based drama or comedy. In 2002 Park directed ''My Nike'' (내 나이키), considered the best
short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
in the Film It Suda
omnibus Omnibus may refer to: Film and television * ''Omnibus'' (film) * Omnibus (broadcast), a compilation of Radio or TV episodes * ''Omnibus'' (UK TV series), an arts-based documentary programme * ''Omnibus'' (U.S. TV series), an educational progr ...
''No Comment'' (묻지마 패밀리). Told from the POV of a young junior high school student (
Ryu Deok-hwan Ryu Deok-hwan (; born June 12, 1987) is a South Korean actor. Career Ryu Deok-hwan began his career as a child actor on stage at age 6. Among his early TV drama appearances was a role on the popular ''Lifetime in the Country'' which he played f ...
) from an urban lower-middle-class family whose greatest desire in the world is to own a pair of
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine given ...
sneakers, its authentic but droll character observations remain surprisingly warm and touching. Underlying them is a sense of pathos about class differences based on consumption patterns of the '80s, when Korea was first becoming an out-and-out consumer society and its people were beginning to be defined by what they buy and own. ''My Nike'' had a wonderful sense of nostalgia, based on Park's own childhood memories as a teenager growing up in 1980s Korea and tinted with fantasy (with an
homage Homage (Old English) or Hommage (French) may refer to: History *Homage (feudal) /ˈhɒmɪdʒ/, the medieval oath of allegiance *Commendation ceremony, medieval homage ceremony Arts *Homage (arts) /oʊˈmɑʒ/, an allusion or imitation by one arti ...
to ''
E.T. ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (or simply ''E.T.'') is a 1982 American science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, dub ...
''). Jang Jin was so impressed with Park's cinematic
humanism Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humani ...
he gave him a script for a new project, an adaptation of one of his stage plays, ''Welcome to Dongmakgol''. Set during the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
in 1950, soldiers from both the North and South, as well as an American pilot, find themselves in a secluded village, its residents largely unaware of the outside world. Park's first feature film ''
Welcome to Dongmakgol ''Welcome to Dongmakgol'' (), also known as ''Battle Ground 625'' ( UK), is a 2005 South Korean film. Based on the same-titled long-running stage play by filmmaker/playwright Jang Jin, Park Kwang-hyun's debut film was a commercial and critical su ...
'' attracted more than 8 million viewers in 2005, making it the second highest-grossing movie that year and among Korean box office's highest of all time. Park's long-gestating second feature was originally titled ''Kwon Bob'' (권법), with
Jo In-sung Zo In-sung (, born July 28, 1981) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the Korean television dramas ''Something Happened in Bali'' (2004), '' Spring Day'' (2005), ''That Winter, the Wind Blows'' (2013), and ''It ...
cast as a high school student with superhuman strength who battles injustice in a small town, but it was delayed when investor
CJ Entertainment CJ Entertainment (Hangul: CJ 엔터테인먼트) is a South Korean film production and distribution company under CJ ENM. The company operates as a film production company, film publishing house, investment and exhibition. History During early 1 ...
pulled out after the box office failure of ''
Sector 7 Sector Seven, Sector 7, or variations thereon may refer to: * Sector 7 (book), ''Sector 7'' (book), a wordless picture book created and illustrated by David Wiesner * Sector 7 (film), ''Sector 7'' (film), a 2011 South Korean 3D science fiction acti ...
'' in 2011. The project was revived in 2013, and the sci-fi fantasy blockbuster, retitled ''The Fist'', is the largest Korea-China co-production yet with 30% of the budget coming from the China Film Group and Pegasus & Taihe Entertainment.


Filmography

*''My Dream Class'' (
short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
, 2018) *''
Fabricated City ''Fabricated City'' () is a 2017 South Korean action thriller film directed by Park Kwang-hyun and starring Ji Chang-wook, Shim Eun-kyung and Ahn Jae-hong. The film was released on February 9, 2017. Plot Kwon Yoo, formerly a national taekwon ...
'' (2017) *''The Fist'' (2016) *''
Welcome to Dongmakgol ''Welcome to Dongmakgol'' (), also known as ''Battle Ground 625'' ( UK), is a 2005 South Korean film. Based on the same-titled long-running stage play by filmmaker/playwright Jang Jin, Park Kwang-hyun's debut film was a commercial and critical su ...
'' (2005) *''My Nike'' (short film from ''No Comment'', 2002)


Awards

*2006 29th Golden Cinematography Awards: Best New Director (''
Welcome to Dongmakgol ''Welcome to Dongmakgol'' (), also known as ''Battle Ground 625'' ( UK), is a 2005 South Korean film. Based on the same-titled long-running stage play by filmmaker/playwright Jang Jin, Park Kwang-hyun's debut film was a commercial and critical su ...
'') *2005 4th
Korean Film Awards The Korean Film Awards was a South Korean film awards ceremony hosted by the broadcasting network MBC from 2002 to 2010. History Originally named the MBC Film Awards, the ceremony was first established in 2002. It was renamed the Korean Film Aw ...
: Best Director (''
Welcome to Dongmakgol ''Welcome to Dongmakgol'' (), also known as ''Battle Ground 625'' ( UK), is a 2005 South Korean film. Based on the same-titled long-running stage play by filmmaker/playwright Jang Jin, Park Kwang-hyun's debut film was a commercial and critical su ...
'') *2005 4th
Korean Film Awards The Korean Film Awards was a South Korean film awards ceremony hosted by the broadcasting network MBC from 2002 to 2010. History Originally named the MBC Film Awards, the ceremony was first established in 2002. It was renamed the Korean Film Aw ...
: Best Screenplay (''
Welcome to Dongmakgol ''Welcome to Dongmakgol'' (), also known as ''Battle Ground 625'' ( UK), is a 2005 South Korean film. Based on the same-titled long-running stage play by filmmaker/playwright Jang Jin, Park Kwang-hyun's debut film was a commercial and critical su ...
'') *2005 4th
Korean Film Awards The Korean Film Awards was a South Korean film awards ceremony hosted by the broadcasting network MBC from 2002 to 2010. History Originally named the MBC Film Awards, the ceremony was first established in 2002. It was renamed the Korean Film Aw ...
: Best New Director (''
Welcome to Dongmakgol ''Welcome to Dongmakgol'' (), also known as ''Battle Ground 625'' ( UK), is a 2005 South Korean film. Based on the same-titled long-running stage play by filmmaker/playwright Jang Jin, Park Kwang-hyun's debut film was a commercial and critical su ...
'') *2002 New York Festival International Advertising Awards: Gold Medal *2002
Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (formerly the International Advertising Festival) is a global event for those working in creative communications, advertising, and related fields. It is considered the largest gathering of the ...
: Silver Lion, Fast Food category


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Park, Kwang-hyun 1969 births Living people South Korean film directors South Korean screenwriters