'Korean New Wave', 'The Renaissance of Korean Cinema'—these phrases captured the spirit of Korean cinema in the 1990s, when long-silent screens came alive and audiences returned, marking a brilliant rebirth. Once dismissed as mere 'domestic films', Korean cinema during this era grew in quality and influence, becoming central to cultural discourse. Music, once a shadow to the story, became its beating heart, with OSTs released as albums and woven into everyday life. Some songs played on the radio, some scenes became unforgettable thanks to their music, and composers' names even appeared on posters.
Flashback 1990 section at the 21st Jecheon International Music & Film Festival revisits this remarkable time with three special guests: physicist Sangwook Kim, profiler Kwon Ilyong, and architect Hyunjoon Yoo. We asked them to reflect on the 1990s cinema they remember through its music. Their chosen films are Kim Sangjin's sharp satire Attack The Gas Station!, Lee Myungse's stylish Nowhere to Hide, and Hur Jinho's tender Christmas in August. These picks will resonate deeply for some and pleasantly surprise others. The festival invites you to join this journey of memory.
As you hear the stories of these guests and revisit moments where music became inseparable from image, may a forgotten note of Korean film music shine again in your own memory.
