[Yeouido Interview] The Movie Loved by National Assembly 'Cinephile' Kim Jeongjae

Kim Jeongjae, People Power Party Lawmaker, 'Movie Enthusiast'
Recommends Young Generation's Movie 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: I Dissent'

Kim Jeong-jae, a member of the People Power Party, is a cinephile and movie enthusiast. He watches films through online video services (OTT), ranging from recently released movies to revisiting classics from long ago, and sometimes he watches them directly in theaters. Asking Kim to pick just one favorite movie was an extremely difficult mission.

Kim Jeong-jae, a member of the People Power Party, is being interviewed at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 14th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Kim said he has watched The Devil Wears Prada more than ten times and was deeply moved several times while watching Good Will Hunting. He introduced Green Book, a movie named after a book that recorded hotels where Black people could stay, as a very enjoyable film that made him think about racial discrimination and equality. He also recommended Coyote Ugly, a movie he watched during his studies in the U.S., saying it has an overall lively atmosphere with many singing and dancing scenes that lift one’s spirits and that everyone should watch it again at least once.

Although Kim loves countless movies, there is one film he especially recommends young generations to watch. It is the documentary Ruth Bader Ginsburg: I Dissent, featuring the U.S. female Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg herself. Kim also holds a Ph.D. in law from Franklin Pierce Law Center.

This film, which covers Ginsburg’s life story, calmly portrays how she was an outstanding talent recognized by all since her time at Harvard Law School but faced numerous discriminations simply because she was a woman, and it depicts the actual events she experienced. Kim emphasized, “She was someone who truly stood up against inequality, and many of the cases she handled changed history,” adding, “Young people really must watch this at least once.” He said, “To those who easily complain about unfairness, I use Ginsburg as an example to say that if you want to change the world, you have to endure and persevere until you reach a position where you have the authority to do so,” and questioned, “It’s easy to talk about the values of equality and fairness, but isn’t actually changing the world extremely difficult?”

Born in the 1960s, Kim also lived in an era of the 'Namjon Yeobi (male superiority and female inferiority)' culture. He recalled, “When I raised my hand to be class president in the first grade of elementary school, the homeroom teacher told me, ‘Girls don’t become class president,’ and made me lower my hand,” and said, “Compared to that era, the status of women has improved a lot, but now it’s time for an era where women are respected to pursue their own values.”

He continued, “There’s no law that says women can’t wear neckties,” and said, “If following what the majority does makes me comfortable, then that’s fine, and if I have my own values or fashion tastes, I think it’s okay to pursue them.”

Kim, who began his political career as a metropolitan council member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, dreams of politics that everyone can participate in together. He said, “In politics, you shouldn’t think about growing alone,” and added, “Efforts to move forward together are necessary.”