Joint Security Area

The most famous film about the Korean conflict. Yet it’s less about politics than about people trapped inside an absurd and brutal division. The story begins like a detective thriller: after a tragic shootout at the border that leaves two soldiers dead, an investigation is launched. The case is assigned to a seasoned investigator who takes a neutral stance and belongs to neither side.

The film instantly became the highest-grossing movie in the history of South Korean cinema: within two weeks, it was seen by 2 million viewers. During a meeting between the leaders of the two Koreas, a copy of the film was presented to Kim Jong-il.