@article{ART003197407},
author={LEE, JoonYeob},
title={A Study on Realism in the South Korean Cinema (1965–1972)},
journal={The Journal of Korean drama and theatre},
issn={1225-7729},
year={2025},
number={84},
pages={57-92},
doi={10.17938/tjkdat.2025..84.57}
TY - JOUR
AU - LEE, JoonYeob
TI - A Study on Realism in the South Korean Cinema (1965–1972)
JO - The Journal of Korean drama and theatre
PY - 2025
VL - null
IS - 84
PB - The Learned Society Of Korean Drama And Theatre
SP - 57
EP - 92
SN - 1225-7729
AB - Most existing literature has described the period from 1965 to 1972 as a time when ‘realism’ in South Korean cinema was completely discontinued. However, during the same period, there was a renewed recognition of realism across various cultural and artistic fields in South Korea, particularly in literature, where realist discourse began to proliferate.
Filmmakers and film professionals of the time were well aware of these cultural and artistic trends. However, the film industry faced challenges such as censorship in domestic screenings and restrictions on submissions to international film festivals. As a result, the prevalence of realist films and discourse significantly diminished during this period.
Several additional factors contributed to this phenomenon. Realist films were largely perceived as synonymous with art films or non-commercial works, while neorealism was considered an outdated movement. Consequently, creators, critics, and audiences alike increasingly turned their attention to modernist trends, particularly those emerging from France. This shift led to the gradual decline of (neo)realism in South Korean cinema.
Contrary to previous studies, films that adhered to realist principles continued to be produced throughout the late 1960s. Nevertheless, these works were often interpreted within the frameworks of “literary cinema” or “modernist film aesthetics.” Additionally, their thematic and stylistic approaches exhibited certain limitations.
Rather than being entirely severed, realism in South Korean cinema between 1965 and 1972 underwent various transformations despite inherent constraints. In other words, it is more appropriate to view the realism discourse and films of this period as having been restructured in response to contemporary political conditions and the aesthetic and industrial shifts within the film industry.
KW - Full Ship(Manseon);Literary Film;Modernism;Realism;Trees Stand on Slope(Namudeul Bitare Seoda)
DO - 10.17938/tjkdat.2025..84.57
ER -
LEE, JoonYeob. (2025). A Study on Realism in the South Korean Cinema (1965–1972). The Journal of Korean drama and theatre, 84, 57-92.
LEE, JoonYeob. 2025, "A Study on Realism in the South Korean Cinema (1965–1972)", The Journal of Korean drama and theatre, no.84, pp.57-92. Available from: doi:10.17938/tjkdat.2025..84.57
LEE, JoonYeob "A Study on Realism in the South Korean Cinema (1965–1972)" The Journal of Korean drama and theatre 84 pp.57-92 (2025) : 57.
LEE, JoonYeob. A Study on Realism in the South Korean Cinema (1965–1972). 2025; 84 : 57-92. Available from: doi:10.17938/tjkdat.2025..84.57
LEE, JoonYeob. "A Study on Realism in the South Korean Cinema (1965–1972)" The Journal of Korean drama and theatre no.84(2025) : 57-92.doi: 10.17938/tjkdat.2025..84.57
LEE, JoonYeob. A Study on Realism in the South Korean Cinema (1965–1972). The Journal of Korean drama and theatre, 84, 57-92. doi: 10.17938/tjkdat.2025..84.57
LEE, JoonYeob. A Study on Realism in the South Korean Cinema (1965–1972). The Journal of Korean drama and theatre. 2025; 84 57-92. doi: 10.17938/tjkdat.2025..84.57
LEE, JoonYeob. A Study on Realism in the South Korean Cinema (1965–1972). 2025; 84 : 57-92. Available from: doi:10.17938/tjkdat.2025..84.57
LEE, JoonYeob. "A Study on Realism in the South Korean Cinema (1965–1972)" The Journal of Korean drama and theatre no.84(2025) : 57-92.doi: 10.17938/tjkdat.2025..84.57
