Introducing Touching Korean Movies #1

<Spirits' Homecoming>

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<Spirits' Homecoming>, based on a comfort women victim - 'Comfort Women' were women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army in occupied territories before and during World War Ⅱ - was released on Feb. 24th, 2016. In 1943, 14-years-old Jeong-min and many other teenage girls were led away from their homes and families by the Japanese soldiers, not knowing what's what. In the movie, a Japanese beats a girl, just because she used Korean instead of Japanese. Injured people were taken somewhere under the name of cure, but they were all shot to death and their dead bodies burned to be disposed of. Including these scenes, many heartbreaking stories are being dealt in the film.

Many "comfort" women in our history responded to calls for work as factory workers or nurses, and did not know that they would be pressed into constant sexual slavery and assault. Based on estimates, most international media resources quote about 200,000 young women were kidnapped by Japanese soldiers to serve in military brothels. Approximately three quarters of comfort women died, and most of the survivors were left infertile due to sexual trauma or sexually transmitted diseases. Beatings and physical torture were said to be common.

To pay respects to the souls of all the victims of such suffering and agony, many Koreans participate in the Wednesday demonstrations in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul. In 2011, "comfort women" memorial statue was established outside the Japanese embassy. The memorial itself would stand as a reminder that the event did in fact happen, despite repeated denials by the Japanese government, and it would be a reminder never to let another atrocity like it happen again.

The director, Cho Jung-rae got the inspiration for the movie from a painting by Kang Il-chul, one of the victims of the event, and he tries to reach the 'comfort women' who cannot go back to their hometowns, wanting to console the damaged memories of the old 'comfort women'.

An Indelible Memory, <Hope>

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According to present situation of sexual violence, you can see increasing sexual abuse cases that have happened in Korea. And it isn't difficult to encounter these cases with a number of media including movies. We know very well that one of the deplorable incidents is the ‘Na young Case’, which was made into a movie, <Hope> in 2013.

The Nayoung Case is an incident that took place in December 2008, in which an eight-year-old girl (alias Na-young) was on her way to school and kidnapped by 57-year-old Cho Doo-soon, who was drunk at the time. Cho raped and beat her in a public squat toilet. Na-young had injures to her internal organs, and was taken to a hospital. Cho was arrested and eventually sentenced to twelve years in prison. The case sparked off outrages and protests of Na-young's parents and many other citizens over the country.

In the film <Hope>, adults try variety of psychological treatments for So-Won, the girl who was sexually assaulted and had both mental and physical shock. Considering that he was intoxicated from alcohol at the moment, the sentence was reduced and it consequentially sent the culprit of the case to jail for only 12 years.

Currently, Korea is trying to give a greater punishment to prevent this kind of case that should never happen from now on.

<Northern Limit Line>

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Based on the true story that is known as the Second battle of Yeonpyeong (so called Yeonpyeong Haejeon), this movie(released in 2015) tells the story of some of the young soldiers who fought and died in the battle.

The First Battle of Yeonpyeong took place between the navies of North Korea and South Korea near Yeonpyeong Island, on June. 15th, 1999. The Second battle of Yeonpyeong, which followed a similar confrontation with the former Yeonpyeong battle, took place in the yellow sea on June. 29th, 2002. On 29 June 2002, a North Korean patrol boat crossed the Northern Limit Line(the sea boundary between South Korea and North Korea) and was warned to turn back. Shortly afterward, a second North Korean patrol craft crossed the line and it was also warned to retreat across the line. The North Korean boats began threatening the South Korean vessels which were following them. Two North-Korean vessels boarded the and fired at the South-Korean patrol boat named Chamsuri 357. The North Koreans withdrew before South Korean reinforcements arrived. Thirteen North Koreans were killed and twenty five wounded. The South Koreans had six fatalities at total. The dead were Lieutenant Commander Yoon Young-ha, Jo Cheon-hyung, Seo Hoo-won, and Hwang Do-hyun (during the battle), Park Dong-hyuk, and Han Sang-guk It is said that Han Sang-guk(the helmsman of Chamsuri)'s hands had been still firmly bound to the steering gear when his body was found 41 days after the battle. Park Dong-hyuk(corpsman of the boat) was taken to the hospital, but unfortunately, passed away while he was under the medical care. Other eighteen people were severely injured. South and North Korea blamed each other for the battle, South Korea demanded an apology from North Korea.

After this battle, the system of reaction before, which had five-stages was simplified into three-stages, enabling people gain the Battle of Daecheong's victory.

<The road to home>

This movie was released on December, 12th in 2013 and also it is scenarized upon a true story called "Jang Mi-Jeong Incident". The main plot is that Jang Mi-Jeong was asked to deliver some bags by her husband's friends. But during inspection in the airport, the bags she was carrying with turned out to have dopes inside. So she was under a false accusation for being a dope seller. However, Korean embassy was indifferent toward this happening and didn't even send papers that were needed for judgment in France. There are some people who accuse Jang Mi-Jeong for trying to deliver bags to earn money and claims that she got punished for what she have done. However, we believe that one of the roles which Korean embassy need to carry out is to keep their nation's people safe. Although one of those people has done something wrong, the embassy needs to try their best to protect them. By this movie, we have learned that diplomats should care about trivial things as much as important things.