<Joint Security Area>

Director : Park Chan-uk
Starring : Lee Byeong-heon, Song Kang-ho, Lee Young-ae, Kim Tae-woo, Sin Ha-gyun
Location Sites : Sinseong-ni, Hansan-myeon, Seocheon-gun, South Chungcheong Province

Film Information

<Joint Security Area> (Gongdonggyeongbiguyeok) is regarded as the second major blockbuster film to emerge in Korean film history, drawing 2.5 million audiences following <Swiri>. It deals with the friendship between four North and South Korean soldiers, a topic that had been taboo for filmmakers in Korea. The film is considered to be a better-made film than the blockbusters which followed. It is also regarded as another significant film which explores the serious issue of national division in line with <Piagol> (Piagol), <North Korean Partisan in South Korea> (Nambugun), and <Swiri>. Especially, compared to <Swiri>, <Joint Security Area> frees itself from Cold War ideology and goes one step further from the simple declaration shown in <Piagol> or <North Korean Partisan in South Korea> that "Partisan guerillas were also humans," though some criticize it as a sentimental approach to a serious issue. <Swiri>, on the other hand, employs the national division in a movie for purposes of entertainment and repeats the old black and white ideology of the Cold War in describing contemporary society and making an issue with it (according to film critic Lee Shoo-in's review). In this regard, its historical meaning is highly valued.

It is widely considered that the producer had stronger clout than the director Park Chan-uk did in making <Joint Security Area>, with Park once commenting that he simply accepted suggestions from Myung Film Co., Ltd regarded directing. This film is a rare work in Korean film history in that the tension from a combination of an "author" who appealed to a small following of film buffs and a film company with a large, commercialized system laid the groundwork for a good film.



Synopsis

Fierce gun sounds echo at the North Korean post across "The Bridge of No Return" located near Panmunjeom of the Joint Security Area in the DMZ (De-Militarized Zone), the symbol of Korea's division. A young North Korean soldier is killed and next to him a middle-aged North Korean of high rank is laying down. At the middle of the truce line a young wounded South Korean soldier is found, and becomes the suspect of the murder. The Northern side insists that they were attacked by the South Korean soldiers who crossed over the truce line. The South argues that they were kidnapped by the North Koreans while guarding the South post at night, provoking a firefight when they tried to escape. In this way, the North and South governments tell two different scenarios. Meanwhile, the North and South Korean soldiers in detention keep repeating their conflicting testimonies. The half-Korean, half-Swiss Army Intelligence Bureau officer, Major Sophie E. Jean, dispatched by the NNSC (Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission), investigates the case and little by little, gets closer to the truth. So the mystery begins. Why was the North Korean post guard killed? Why did the South Korean soldier, who is the first witness, attempt suicide? Why does the other surviving South Korean soldier keep his silence?

Location of Shooting

Many scenes of <Joint Security Area> were shot in the Seoul Film Studio Complex in Yangsu-ri, Gyeonggi Province, where the set of Panmunjeom in the DMZ was built. The encounter between the two North Korean soldiers and one South Korean soldier takes place in the reed fields in Sinseong-ni. South Korean Sergeant Lee Su-hyeok accidentally steps on a land mine while walking in the middle of the reed field, and meets North Korean Sergeant First Class Oh. Oh saves Lee from setting off the land mine and a friendship begins between them. In the reed field in Sinseong-ni, still-cut images of the film are exhibited along with signs. In the middle of the reed field, there are promenades, rests and wooden bridges. The facilities within the reed field cater to visitors' convenience as well and do not destroy the natural setting.

General Information

Hansan-myeon, Seocheon-gun, where the ramie field of Sinseong-ri is located, is originally famous for ramie fabric. The ramie field of Sinseong-ri is about a 10-minute ride from "Hansan Ramie Fabric Center" and unfolds along the lower Geum River. The grandeur of the endless spread of ramie over 7 feet tall is an amazing sight. But the numerous migratory birds rising high up all at once covering and darkening the entire sky is even more breathtaking.

Directions

Seohaean (West Coast) Expressway Seocheon I.C. - No. 4 National Highway to Seocheon-eup - Route 611 local highway to Hwansan - No. 29 National Highway to Buyeo - passing "Hansan Ramie Fabric Center" and turn right at the sign board "Sinseong-ri ramie field" - Sinseong-ri ramie field

Nearby Attractions

Seocheon-gun is undeveloped and not so well known, but located where the Geum River and the West Coast meet, adjoining the old port city of Gunsan, it therefore has many things to see. There are many potential attractions, such as Chunjangdae Beach, which became known to the public with the opening of the West Coast Expressway, Dongbaekjeong with its marvelous camellias, and Maryang-ri, where we can mysteriously enjoy both sunrise and sunset. In addition, a 3D movie is presented at the Marine Museum.