Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Yesterday]

A couple of years ago I asked one of my middle school classes - "Why do you guys get to watch great Western films with Korean sub-titles - however whenever I want to watch a good Korean film at the cinema - there are no English sub-titles?"

My students replied "Because this is Korea!"

Well - I guess "ask a stupid question and get a stupid reply"

However, finally the Seoul Council is now moving towards having cinemas place English sub-titles on all of their Korean movies - and Cine Core Cinema at Jongno-3-ga now has english subtitles on all their first release korean movies - at the moment you can watch the blockbuster Silmido at their cinema with english subtitles and also 3 times a week Korean movies are shown in Gwanghwamum with english sub-titles...

The good news - the city council is trying to pursuade all cinemas to have English sub-titles on all korean films...

check out this web-site - I have been to a few - and its a good change...

http://www.seoulselection.com/

[Lawrence]

You aren't missing much. Korean film industry is positively delusional
if it thinks movies made here will ever have success in the
export market...subtitles or not.

[Dan]

I don't agree with the subtitles thing. Perhaps in select theaters or select showings they should have subtitles, but lord, if someone suggested English movies should come with Spanish subtitles, I'm sure there would be havoc.

And Lawrence, Korean movies are gaining international recognition, and if they had better subbing, or dubbing, I'm sure they would do well even in non-Asian countries.

[SuperHero]

Some Korean movies are quite good. I enjoyed JSA, Swiri and Memories of Murder all of which I think would have made money in an English market. As far as I know My Wife is a Gangster was picked up by hollywood and was remade or in process of being remade.

Of course there are shit movies, but every country has crap movies too.

[peppergirl]

I also don't agree Korean movies should have English subtitles. It would be nice for me and the handful of foreigners (compared to the Koreans at least) that would go to watch the movie. But this is not an English speaking country! Should French movies in France be subtitled in English too then???

At least the DVD's come with English subtitles these days, so if I want to see a Korean movie I wait for the DVD to come out

[Mr. Pink]

Well IMO they should just make the DVD subtitles better, even on crap movies.

Also stupid is why some Korean movies are released in HK with English subs, yet never released in Korea with English subs. I know of a few movies that were internationally released dvd wise a year or two before Korea - and the movies were Korean!!!

[komtengi]

I tried to go and see silmido at cine core the other day.... what a load of crap, it was sold out an hour and a half before the screening time. If they're gonna do it at least set aside 20 seats per screening for foreigners or have one cinema that plays all the films with subtitles.
I absolutely agree that all films shouldnt have subtitles, if I was in Oz I'd be jacked off if all english flims had chinese subtitles. But please leave the english subtitles in western films.... I cant read Korean that quickly when subtitles are flying around the screen... ie: Kill Bill

[Gwangjuboy]

[Joe Thanks]