Two films about former South Korean President Park Chung-hee are set to be released this summer, following the documentary film “The Birth of Korea,” which explores the life of former President Syngman Rhee and has surpassed one million viewers.
One of the two films, “Park Chung-hee: The Man Who Dreamed of an Economic Powerhouse,” directed by Son Hyun-woo, will hit local theaters on July 10. The film captures the live performances of the “Musical Park Chung Hee,” which has been staged in major cities across South Korea since 2021. Son utilized eight cameras placed both onstage and offstage to film the performances, capturing the actors’ facial expressions in close-up during emotionally intense scenes. The distributor explained that the film aims to make the musical accessible to a wider audience.
The movie chronicles the life of former strongman Park Chung-hee (played by Shin Min-ho), from his time as an army lieutenant colonel meeting and falling in love with Yuk Young-soo (played by Kim Hyo-sun), to seizing power and driving South Korea’s industrialization, culminating in his assassination. Since it is not a documentary but rather a musical, the film focuses more on emotionally portraying the lives of Park and Yuk rather than strictly adhering to historical facts.
While the perspective on Park in the film leans towards viewing him as a national hero, it also depicts negative aspects such as his later detachment from the people and his suppression of criticism and resistance to his dictatorship. At a preview on July 3, the film director said, “Our grandparents, mothers, and fathers worked very hard,” adding, “I have captured their stories in this film.”
