Cinematographer Jeong Gwang-seok, Who Shot Over 170 Korean Films Including 'Goraesanyang', Passes Away

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Jung Kwang-seok, a cinematographer who filmed over 170 Korean movies including 'Whale Hunting', 'Two Cops', and 'No Mercy for the Rude', passed away on the 8th at the age of 91.

Director of Photography Kwangseok Jeong.
Photo by Korean Film Database

According to his family and the film industry, Director Jung passed away that morning due to old age. Born in Seoul in 1933, he began photography while handling public relations duties after enlisting in the military, and after discharge, he entered the film industry in 1956 as a lighting crew member for director Jung Chang-hwa's 'The Story of Janghwa and Hongryeon'.

He debuted as a cinematographer in 1962 with director Lee Bong-rae's film 'Newlywed'. From the 1960s to the 1980s, he worked on various films such as 'The Magistrate of Pyongyang' (director Jo Geung-ha, 1964), 'Break the Iron Chain' (director Lee Man-hee, 1971), 'Blood Ties' (director Kim Ki-young, 1976), 'Scorching Sun' (Ha Myung-jung, 1984), and 'Happiness Is Not Based on Grades' (Kang Woo-seok, 1989), establishing himself as a popular cinematographer in Chungmuro, shooting more than three films annually.

In particular, he collaborated with director Bae Chang-ho on eight films starting from their debut work 'People of Kkobang Neighborhood' (1982), including 'Flowers of the Equator' (1983), 'Whale Hunting' (1984), 'That Winter Was Warm' (1984), and 'Deep and Blue Night' (1985). Their consecutive box office successes showcased their status as the best duo.

He gained international recognition by winning the cinematography award at the 1985 Chicago Film Festival for 'Scorching Sun'.

During the 1980s and 1990s, when he was at the peak of his career, he actively worked with new directors, filming a variety of projects.

Films such as 'Winter Wanderer' (director Kwak Ji-kyun, 1986), 'Guro Arirang' (director Park Jong-won, 1989), and 'Blue Inside You' (director Lee Hyun-seung, 1992) were captured through his lens.

Director Park Jong-won (left) and cinematographer Jung Kwang-seok on the set of the film Our Twisted Hero. Photo by Korean Film Database

Even in the 1990s, he remained on set, working on films like 'Our Twisted Hero' (Park Jong-won, 1992), 'Two Cops' (Kang Woo-seok, 1993), 'Quiet Family' (Kim Ji-woon, 1998), and 'No Mercy for the Rude' (Lee Myung-se, 1999).

In the 2000s, he shot films such as 'Ditto' (Kim Jeong-kwon, 2000) and 'Moonlit Night of Silla' (Kim Sang-jin, 2001), and left the filming scene after the movie 'Arang' (Ahn Sang-hoon, 2006).

Known for his exceptional passion on set during his lifetime, he was also famous for overcoming technical limitations with sheer determination.

In 1965, during the filming of director Kim Gi's Air Force combat film 'Angry Eagle', he personally sat in the back seat of a fighter jet and flew for 25 hours to shoot the scenes. In 1992, during the filming of Park Jong-won's 'Our Twisted Hero', he endured until a train came so close that it brushed his collar to capture the thrilling shot.

Over more than 40 years in the film industry, he received numerous awards related to cinematography. Besides the Best Cinematography Award at the Chicago International Film Festival for 'Scorching Sun', he won the Grand Bell Awards for cinematography, and for 'No Mercy for the Rude', he received cinematography trophies at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, Grand Bell Awards, and the Deauville Asian Film Festival in France. In 2006, he was honored with the Republic of Korea Culture and Arts Award.

His funeral is being held at Shilnakwon Gimpo Funeral Hall. The funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on the 10th, and the burial site will be at Incheon Family Park and Rainbow Hill. He is survived by his sons Hoon-jae and Won-chan, daughters Hwa-sook and Rina, and spouse Lee Jeong-soon.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.