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Korean Cinema Lecture at Yale University

A course in Korean film studies will be offered starting this spring at Yale University, one of the elite universities in the United States.

Prof. Seungja Choi (55) who teaches Korean language studies in the department of East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale, revealed on the 27th that this course was jointly established by the departments of Film Studies and East Asian Languages and Literatures.

The Korean films thus covered will include those from the 1960s to recent releases (director's name in parentheses): "Accidental Discharge" (Yu Hyun-mok); "Mother and a Guest" (Shin Sang-ok); "Seopyeonje" (Im Kwon-taek); "Chilsu and Mansu" (Park Kwang-soo); "Spring in My Hometown" (Lee Kwang-mo); "Peppermint Candy" (Lee Chang-dong); "JSA - Joint Security Area" (Park Chan-wook); "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... And Spring" (Kim Ki-duk); and "Oldboy" (Park Chan-wook), the Grand Prix winner at Cannes Film Festival as selected by its jury.

Prof. Choi who has been giving a lecture on the Korean language since 1990 said, "Showing "Oldboy" during the third week of April as scheduled will probably be the highlight of the course", and she added, "It seems students are fond of techniques and modernity showcased in this movie". About ten students that include Korean-Americans have subscribed to her course.

She added, "Although not reaching the heights of recent fever in learning the Chinese language, students' interests in the Korean language and culture are quite steady".

The critically-acclaimed Oldboy – the first Korean film to win the Grand Prix at Cannes – was also a commercial success, daring in conception and implementation. The film touches upon heretofore taboo subject of incest in Korea, with riveting subplots unfolding through 15 years of claustrophobic imprisonment.

By Philip Mun

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