Korean Film Archive

The Korean Film Archive (KOFA; Korean: 한국영상자료원), or the Korean Federation of Film Archives, is the sole film archive in South Korea with nationwide coverage. It was founded in Seoul in 1974 as a non-profit organization. In 1976 KOFA joined the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) as an observer, and gained its full membership of FIAF in 1985.[1][2]

This article is about the film archive. For other uses, see Kofa (disambiguation).
Korean Film Archive
TypeGovernmental, nonprofit
PurposePreservation of Korean cinema
Headquarters400 WorldCupbuk-ro, Mapo District, Seoul, South Korea
Parent organization
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
Websiteeng.koreafilm.or.kr/main (in English)
Korean name
Hangul
한국영상자료원
Hanja
韓國映像資料院
Revised RomanizationHan'guk yeongsang jaryowon
McCune–ReischauerHan'kuk yǒngsang charyowǒn

KOFA's main duties are to collect, preserve and categorize films and film-related materials, as well as to foster accessibility to its collections. Most of remaining originals and copies of Korean films are preserved in KOFA. Its main center is in Sangam-dong, Seoul, with two local branch centers in Busan and Bucheon, and a secondary preservation center in Seongnam. Its main center has several public facilities, including Cinematheque KOFA,[3] Korean Film Museum,[4] and a reference library.[5] Recently KOFA has concentrated on digitization of Korean films, and has published several features of the Classic Korean Cinema DVD Collections.[6] It also operates the most reliable online database of Korean films,[7] as well as an online film streaming service.[7]

History

It was established as a Korean film storage center in 1974 in Namsan-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, and moved to Seocho-dong in 1990. Since 1991, it has been renamed as Korea Media Center by foundations. It was reorganized into a special corporation based on the Motion Picture Promotion Act in 2002. It built its own building in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu in May 2007 and formally reopened in the following year. It is composed of auxiliary and restored facilities equipped with an anti-air and photo-related facility for preserving film and other materials, Cinema Tech that provides movie screening and current affairs services, and a cinema that illuminates Korean film industry through the exhibition of film related materials. It is a member of the International Federation of Film Executions (FIAF) regular members, who hosted the Federation General Meeting in Seoul in 2002. It is a public organization for cultural services under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Korea government.

Functions
Some posters on display in the Archive's museum (2019)

The archive provides the following services:

  • Film Collection and Categorization
  • Film Preservation, Restoration and Digitization
  • Film Screening and Referential Services
  • Publication of Academic and Referential Resources
  • Operation of Online Databases on Korean Cinema
  • KOFA Film Collection Search
  • Korean Movie Database online
  • Operation of the Korean Film Museum

Blu-ray releases

To coincide with its upcoming 40th anniversary in 2014, KOFA started releasing restored Korean classic and less known films on blu-ray.

One of the criteria for release of the films is their place in TOP 100 Korean films list.

The Housemaid, Aimless Bullet and The March of Fools received equal number of votes and they occupy the first place.[8][9]

Spine

No.

 Title Director Original

release

 TOP 100 No.
001 The Housemaid Kim Ki-young 1960 1.
002 The March of Fools Ha Gil-jong 1975 3.
003 Heavenly Homecoming to Stars Lee Jang-ho 1974 6.
004 Chilsu and Mansu Park Kwang-su 1988 63.
005 Gagman Lee Myung-se 1989 64.
006 Aimless Bullet Yu Hyun-mok 1961 2.
007 The Last Witness Lee Doo-yong 1980 50.
008 People in the Slum Bae Chang-ho 1982 55.
009 Sopyonje Im Kwon-taek 1993 12.
010 Lovers in Woomukbaemi Jang Sun-woo 1990 66.
011 Ieodo Kim Ki-young 1977 48.
012 Jagko Im Kwon-taek 1980 52.
013 A Fine, Windy Day Lee Jang-ho 1980 7.
014 A Day Off Lee Man-hee 1968 43.
015 White Badge Chung Ji-young 1992 73.
016 The Devil's Stairway Lee Man-hee 1964 -
017 Goryeojang Kim Ki-young 1963 29.
018 Mother and a Guest Shin Sang-ok 1961 9.
019 Green Rain Jung Jin-woo 1966 37.
020 North Korean Partisan in South Korea Chung Ji-young 1990 68.
021 The Flower in Hell Shin Sang-ok 1958 23.
022 Whale Hunting Bae Chang-ho 1984 57.
023 The Coachman Kang Dae-jin 1961 5.
024 The Road to Sampo Lee Man-hee 1975 46.
025 Burning Mountain Kim Soo-yong 1967 38.
026 Sorum Yoon Jong-chan 2001 88.
027 The Hut Lee Doo-yong 1981 51.
028 Declaration of Fools Lee Jang-ho 1984 11.
029 A Bloodthirsty Killer Lee Yong-min 1965 -
030 A Hometown in Heart Yoon Yong-kyu 1949 18.

See also

References
  1. "한국영상자료원 Korean Federation of Film Archives 韓國映像資料院" (in Korean). Doosan Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2010-03-06. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
  2. "Korean Film Archive". Koreafilm.org. Archived from the original on 2010-03-01. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-02-03. Retrieved 2010-02-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Korean Film Archive". Koreafilm.org. Archived from the original on 2010-01-15. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
  5. "Korean Film Archive". Koreafilm.org. Archived from the original on 2010-02-04. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
  6. "Korean Film Archive". Koreafilm.org. Archived from the original on 2010-01-13. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
  7. "한국영화 데이터베이스 KMDB". Kmdb.or.kr. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
  8. "KOFA Releases Top 100 Korean Films List".
  9. "100 Korean Films (2014)". Korean Film Archive (in Korean). Retrieved 2022-08-14.
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