Produced during the Korean War Era, It Holds Significant Historical & Artistic Values with No Loss in Video or Sound

The film, Nakdong River (1952), produced during the Korean War, has been digitally remastered and will be unveiled for the first time at the 27th Busan International Film Festival, which will be held from October 5 (Wed) to 14 (Fri). Nakdong River (1952) is a feature film that recorded the battlefield of the Korean War, and it holds significant value for the Korean film and music industry as well as historical value for the nation. 

The original film file of Director Jeon Changkeun’s Nakdong River (1952) was recently discovered by the Korean Film Archive and digitally remastered in 4K. Restored after 70 years, it is the 3rd film to be preserved by the Korean Film Archive among the other 14 films produced during the Korean War. Nakdong River holds significant historical and artistic values as the only Korean War film in existence with no loss in video or sound, and it is generating much excitement after the announcement of its first-ever revealing to meet the audience at the 27th Busan International Film Festival. 

The film Nakdong River (1952) vividly shows the urgent war situation of that time through a reenactment of the Nakdong River Defense Line Battle, which lasted from August 1 to September 24, 1950. Although it is a dramatic film, it played the role of heightening the sense of the reality of the war while simultaneously informing the audience, who were refugees at the time, by inserting real footage of the battle into the film. In addition, the film holds historical significance with its premiere in refugee cities such as Busan, Daegu, etc. 

The film is also valuable in terms of music, literature, and dance history, with the participation of contemporary cultural artists such as Composer Yun I-sang, Poet Lee Eunsang, and Dancer Cho Yongja. Especially, world-renowned composer Yun I-sang's score used in the film draws attention as it is presumed to be the source for ‘The Poetry of Nakdong River,’ Composer Yun I-sang’s unreleased orchestral piece discovered in 2017. 

The remastered version of Nakdong River (1952), which preserves the intact video and sound, will be unveiled for the first time at the 27th Busan International Film Festival, which will be held for 10 days from October 5 (Wed) to October 14 (Fri) at the Busan Cinema Center.