Joint Security Area (2000)

In the DMZ separating North and South Korea, two North Korean soldiers have been killed, supposedly by one South Korean soldier. But the 11 bullets found in the bodies, together with the 5 ... See full summary »

Director:

Chan-wook Park

Writers:

Seong-san Jeong, Hyun-seok Kim

Stars:

Yeong-ae Lee, Byung-Hun Lee, Kang-ho Song

14 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Yeong-ae Lee	...	Maj. Sophie E. Jean
Byung-Hun Lee	...	Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok
Kang-ho Song	...	Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil
Tae-woo Kim	...	Nam Sung-shik
Ha-kyun Shin	...	Jeong Woo-jin
Herbert Ulrich	...	Swedish soldier
Christoph Hofrichter	...	Maj. Gen. Bruno Botta
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Micara Adriana
Gallego Alberto
Ahmedov Ayder
Cannon Greg Courtney
Ju-bong Gi	...	General Pyo
Isaac Green
Kwang-il Kim	...	Civil Servant #3
Myoeng-su Kim	...	Top Ranking Officer Choi

Storyline

In the DMZ separating North and South Korea, two North Korean soldiers have been killed, supposedly by one South Korean soldier. But the 11 bullets found in the bodies, together with the 5 remaining rounds in the assassin's magazine, amount to 16 cartridges for a gun that should normally hold 15. The investigating Swiss/Swedish team from the neutral countries overseeing the DMZ suspects that another, unknown party was involved - all of which points to some sort of cover up. The truth is much simpler and much more tragic.

---

Plot Keywords:

korean demilitarised zone | north south korea divide | soldier | korea | neutral nation | 

---

Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller | War

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Myung Film

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean English German

Release Date:

9 September 2000 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

J.S.A.: Joint Security Area

Filming Locations:

Asan, Choongchungnamdo, South Korea

Company Credits

Production Co:

CJ Entertainment,Intz.com,KTB Network

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the beginning of the South Korean patrol scene, at 30:46, you can see what appears to be a mound of earth, which is actually a grave. Departed Koreans were buried sitting up and overlooking their favorite piece of land. These burial mounds were known by American GI's as "Happy Mounds".

---

Goofs

The moment before Sgt. Lee shoots Sgt. Oh in the shoulder you can clearly see the squib device underneath his uniform.

---

Quotes

Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil: Your shadow is over the line. Watch it!

---

Connections

References Hour of the Wolf (1968)

User Reviews

This must have been a knockout in Korea (well, the South, at least)

JOINT SECURITY AREA is pretty amazing, but the less said about the plot, the better to insure your full enjoyment, surprise and emotional connection. Another member puts the film down for its sentimentality. I don't know about that: When a country has been as divided as has Korea for the past half-century, a movie like this must have really knocked the socks off of a lot of South Koreans (I doubt it could be shown in the North). I'm trying to think of some equivalently themed American film, but nothing comes to mind. "A Midnight Clear"--or a film about comradeship on either side of, say, America's Civil War-- just couldn't provide the sense of long-term division/separation that Korea has experienced. Beautifully filmed, with flashbacks and varied points-of-view, this puzzle movie eventually comes together, offering some of its best moments toward the end. The last shot is astonishing: simple and reminiscent, but now seen with enough clarity and irony to open mouths and overflow tear ducts.