K-movies: Director Bong Joon-ho Behind the Scenes, from 'The Host' to 'Memories of Murder'

 This blog introduces Korean culture, and I hope it will be a good read for people who are just getting into Korean movies, music, and trends. For my first post, I'm going to write about Bong Joon-ho, a film director I also like. I will write about director Bong Joon-ho and his films several times, but today I will share some little-known facts based on one of his works, ‘The Host.’
 

1. Seoul, Han River

the Han River

The Han River in Seoul, Korea, the main setting of the movie ‘The Host’, was a place of relaxation for Koreans and a natural space that was always with them even during a short period of economic growth.
When director Bong Joon-ho was in high school, he was living in Jamsil, Seoul. He often passed by Jamsil Bridge, and one day he saw a large object standing on the pier of Jamsil Bridge. At that moment, Director Bong thought it would be fun to tell the story of a monster that appeared in the Han River. The movie ‘The Host’ was released in 2006, and although the CG looks a bit awkward now, at the time, it was shocking to see a monster appear in the Han River, which was a resting place for Seoul citizens.
 

2. Wedding Video Editor

Many world-famous directors once started out as clerks at a local video store, and representative examples include directors Quentin Tarantino and Park Chan-wook. I will write about another famous Korean director, Park Chan-wook, next time. Director Bong Joon-ho also worked several part-time jobs before making his official debut as a commercial film director. One of them was as a wedding video editor. What was the wedding video he shot like? Probably,  some couples in Korea reminisce about the past by watching wedding videos they filmed in the past, but they will live without knowing that the person who filmed their video was director Bong Joon-ho.
 
 

 

 
 

3. Song Kang-ho

Song Kang-ho and Bong Joon-ho

One of the most representative actors in Korean cinema is Song Kang-ho. He has appeared in numerous movies and is loved for his natural acting skills. Song Kang-ho also had a time when he was first starting out as an actor. He began his career as a theater actor. The first time Song Kang-ho and director Bong Joon-ho met was when Bong Joon-ho was working as an assistant director on the movie Motel Cactus. Song Kang-ho auditioned for this film but was not chosen as the main character. Their relationship, which could have ended there, continued when director Bong Joon-ho sent a message of encouragement to Song Kang-ho.
Bong Joon-ho said to Song Kang-ho, ‘It’s a pity that you couldn’t be in this movie. If I were the director, I would have chosen you.’ Thanks to this ongoing relationship, director Bong Joon-ho contacted Song Kang-ho again when filming a movie, leading to Memories of Murder, which eventually became a textbook for murder movies."
 
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