Yu Hyunmok's 'Im Kkeokjeong' Discovered and Restored at U.S. Library of Congress

Showcasing Genre Experimentation and Popular Sensibility
"The Only Surviving Print in Korea and Abroad"

The long-lost film 'Im Kkeokjeong' (1962), directed by Yu Hyunmok, has been discovered and restored in the United States.

Movie 'Im Kkeokjeong' Still Cut

The Korean Film Archive announced on the 26th that it had found the only existing 35mm print of this work at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. in 2022 and recently restored it in 4K quality. The film was unveiled to the general public for the first time during the special exhibition "Era, Genre, Practice," held in celebration of the 100th anniversary of director Yu Hyunmok's birth.

'Im Kkeokjeong' is one of the few action-adventure films directed by Yu Hyunmok. It depicts the popular uprising led by Im Kkeokjeong against the corrupt aristocratic society at the end of the Joseon Dynasty. The cast includes Shin Youngkyun, Park Nosik, Moon Jeongsuk, Heo Janggang, Choi Muryong, and Um Aengran. Released in 1962, the film attracted about 100,000 viewers and was exported to countries such as the Philippines. The Korean Film Archive described it as "an exceptional work that showcases genre experimentation and popular sensibility," adding, "It departs from the typical style of historical dramas, emphasizing entertainment value and action."

The film had been lost for some time, making it impossible to verify its existence. The Korean Film Archive found a clue during a North American survey in 2021. They compiled a list of approximately 1,800 Korea-related audiovisual materials held by the Library of Congress, selected major works, and visited the Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation, a branch of the Library of Congress in Culpeper, Virginia, twice to review the materials. As a result, they discovered 'Im Kkeokjeong,' another lost film 'Yesanshi Akshi' (1971) directed by Shim Useop, and twenty-two major documentary films from the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War era.

Movie 'Im Kkeokjeong' Still Cut

The film print containing 'Im Kkeokjeong' was a 35mm screening print produced for introduction to the United States. It was collected by the Korean Film Council's Los Angeles (LA) office and donated to the Library of Congress. The Korean Film Archive stated, "Since this is the only surviving print in Korea and abroad, it became the first target for collection and restoration," adding, "We hope this exhibition will shed new light on director Yu Hyunmok's cinematic world and highlight the importance of archiving Korean classic films."