First motion picture in Korea at 20th century1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteOn a cool evening in October 1897, a crowd of excited Koreans gathered in front of a small dilapidated barn in the Jingogae (modern Chungmuro) area of Seoul.
They all wanted to be the first to witness the latest modern technology to be introduced into Korea ““ the motion picture.
When was the first verified showing of a motion picture in Korea? It is a known fact that a motion picture was shown to the Korean royal family at the turn of the twentieth century when Burton Holmes visited Korea.
It wasn’t until a couple of years later that motion pictures became available to the average Korean. Over the years, especially during the Japanese occupation, movies continued to gain popularity. They “were the only place where Koreans could assemble as a group” and provided “great comfort, lasting impressions and a new sense of imagination for the future.”
