Park Chan-wook | Biography & Films

Park Chan-wook, born on August 23, 1963, in Seoul, is a visionary South Korean filmmaker known for his masterful blend of stunning visuals, dark humor, and intense emotional depth. Gaining early acclaim with Joint Security Area (2000), he achieved international fame with Oldboy (2003), a Cannes Grand Prix winner and part of his iconic Vengeance Trilogy, alongside Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Lady Vengeance. His work is often compared to that of auteurs like Quentin Tarantino for its stylized violence and thematic boldness, and he’s been pivotal in elevating Korean cinema on the global stage.

Park’s later films, such as The Handmaiden (2016) and Decision to Leave (2022), further showcased his psychological depth and meticulous direction, winning awards at Cannes and beyond. Venturing into English-language cinema with Stoker and The Little Drummer Girl, he proved his cross-cultural storytelling prowess. Regular collaborators like screenwriter Jeong Seo-Kyung and cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon help craft his distinct cinematic language. Park continues to influence global cinema with his genre-defying, emotionally complex, and visually poetic storytelling.

GENRES
Drama, Thriller, Action, Science Fiction, Crime, History, Romance, Mystery

Filmography

1. The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream (1992)
2. Trio (1997)
3. Anarchists (2000)
4. Joint Security Area (2000)
5. The Humanist (2001)
6. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)
7. A Bizarre Love Triangle (2002)
8. Oldboy (2003)
9. Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005)
10. Boy Goes to Heaven (2005)
11. I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK (2006)
12. Crush and Blush (2008)
13. Thirst (2009)
14. Stoker (2013)
15. Snowpiercer (2013)
16. The Handmaiden (2016)
17. The Truth Beneath (2016)
18. Decision to Leave (2022)
19. Uprising (2024)
20. No Other Choice (TBA)
21. The Jailbreaker (TBA)

Short Films

1. Judgment (1999)
2. If You Were Me [Never Ending Peace And Love] (2003)
3. Three… Extremes [Cut] (2004)
4. Night Fishing (2011)
5. 60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero [Cut] (2011)
6. Day Trip (2012)
7. V (music video for Lee Jung-hyun) (2013)
8. A Rose Reborn (for Ermenegildo Zegna) (2014)
9. Decades Apart (2017)
10. Life Is But a Dream (2022)

Television

1. The Little Drummer Girl (2018)
2. Snowpiercer (2020–present)
3. The Sympathizer (2024)

Bibliography

1. Park Chan-wook’s Montage (2005)
2. Park Chan-wook’s Homage (2005)