2010 한국영화제를 시작하며

Distinguished Guests and

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the first Korea Film Festival in Nigeria, organized by the Korean Cultural Center.

 

As you know, America has Hollywood, India has Bollywood, and Nigeria has Nollywood. Likewise, Korea has its own “Hallyuwood.” This newly-coined word combines the meanings of the word “han (hal),” for Korea, and “ryu (lyu),” which means wave. When these two Korean syllables are put together, we have a new word meaning “Korean Wave.”

 

What is the Korean Wave, then? The Korean Wave is a trend of increasing popularity for Korean pop culture, including TV dramas, films, and music in Asia and around the world. This phenomenon began in the latter half of 1990s and is still growing and spreading worldwide, including the Middle East and South America.

 

Some Korean TV dramas have been introduced to Nigeria. “Jewel in the Palace” aired through AIT TV, and “The Painter of the Wind” is now being shown on the same TV channel. Another Korean drama entitled “Winter Sonata”is also being broadcast by the National Television Authority (NTA).

 

It is my great pleasure to show five select Korean films here in Nigeria for the next five days, starting today. The movies to be screened include “Take Off,” “Rough Cut,” “Hwang Jin-Yi,” “The King and The Clown” and “Le Grand Chef.”

 

I hope many Nigerians will be able to enjoy these films during the Korea Film Festival and compare them with Nollywood movies. Taking it a step further, it is also hoped that we will find potential for cooperation in film industries of our two countries.  

 

I would like to take this opportunity to mention a little bit about the short history and development of the Korean film industry. Silent motion pictures were first introduced to Korea in 1903, and the first movie with sound was produced in 1935. During the 1950s, the government made great efforts to promote the film industry and later introduced a screen quota system to ensure that domestically produced films had the opportunity to be shown widely. In the 1960s, Korea witnessed its first golden age of the film industry. After a setback in the 1970s caused by the widespread penetration of television, the film industry rebounded with even greater strength, thanks to increased investment by large companies into film making and distribution in the 1980s. With the emergence of young, talented film directors and the liberalization of the market, Korean movies began to occupy a major share of the domestic market and Korean film exports started to grow. All these have laid the foundation for the Korean Wave and the subsequent popularity of Korean films all over Asia. 

 

All in all, Korean films have developed on the strength of incessant creativity, despite challenges from international film makers like Hollywood. I hope you will be able to see and appreciate the different styles and merits of Korean films, and enjoy what they have to offer. Finally, I would like to extend my special appreciation to the Nigerian audience, Ambassadors and Diplomats present.  I hope you will have a good time.

 

Thank you.