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A Film History Which Is Being Written by the State─A Brief Review of the Korean Film History by Yeonghwa of Yeonghwajinheunggongsa in the 1970s

  • The Journal of Korean drama and theatre
  • 2019, (63), pp.93-125
  • DOI : 10.17938/tjkdat.2019..63.93
  • Publisher : The Learned Society Of Korean Drama And Theatre
  • Research Area : Arts and Kinesiology > Other Arts and Kinesiology
  • Received : February 13, 2019
  • Accepted : March 22, 2019
  • Published : March 30, 2019

Sim Hyekyong 1

1고려대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The cultural policy of the 1970s was established to refine and elevate state-led nationalist discourses. Yeonghwa(The Monthly Cinema) is an institutional magazine issued from July in 1973 immediately after the foundation of Yeonghwajinheunggongsa(the Motion Picture Promotion Corporation; MPPC). This magazine succeeded Korea Cinema, which had been published by Hanguk Yeonghwajinheungjohap(the Korean Motion Picture Promotion Association), the semi-governmental institution. Korea Cinema was considered "educational publication for filmmakers" and it was created by the personnel representing the film industry and it dealt with urgent issues related to the Korean film industry as some ideological censorship. Yeonghwa, which was published after Korea Cinema, was more of its status as a high-quality magazine specialized in film for “filmmakers”, in terms of the differentiated quality as compared with other film magazines of the time. It played a faithful role as "a friend" of cine people and "a guide for film restoration," clearly differentiated from other magazines of the time focused on gossipy issues. On the other hand, the principle of Yeonghwa represents the government direction, in the sense that the film policy announced by the Ministry of Culture Promotion in 1973 was oriented to pursue "realization of ideology of Yushin and protection of nationalism" and the establishment objective of the MPPC pursuant to the fourth amendment of Film Act consisted in "principle of promotion prioritizing the national film." Therefore, Yeonghwa is a text demonstrating the close correlation between art policy directly controlled by the national and governmental journalism. While this magazine has some similarity with private film magazines of the time, it not only promotes film policies of the State and explains diverse support measures, but also meticulously indicates themes and contents of do's and don'ts of the Korean films under the regime of Yushin. What is most interesting about this magazine as an institutional magazine specialized in film is that it constantly publishes records of the Korean film history of the early stage as well as reflections of the old representative cine by devoting lots of space in the magazine. What makes Yeonghwa reflect on the Korean film history of the past and describe it again today? This article will analyze an art-oriented institutional magazine showing peculiar journalism and history-writing, while inquiring into which film, filmmakers and film historical events appear or are removed as a canon.

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