In Korean Film Titles, Words Referring to Women Appear 63% More Than Those Referring to Men

Korean Film Archive Analysis
The Most Frequently Used Word: "Love"

It has been found that words referring to women are used 63% more frequently than those referring to men in the titles of Korean films. According to an analysis by the Korean Film Archive of the titles of 8,436 Korean films released from 1919 through last year, there were 47 types of words referring to women and 29 types referring to men.

The high proportion of female-referencing terms is linked to narrative structures that have centered on the sacrifice and emotions of female characters, especially in melodramas and “shinpa” (sentimental dramas), as well as the influence of erotic films from the 1970s and 1980s. The Korean Film Archive explained, “This demonstrates how Korean cinema has long reproduced female characters within specific emotional and narrative frameworks.”

The most frequently used word in film titles was “love,” appearing in 197 titles. This reflects how Korean films have developed around relationship-centered narratives and melodrama. Following that were “woman” (172 titles), “night” (124 titles), “youth” (77 titles), and “king” (69 titles).

The Korean Film Archive will hold a special exhibition titled “Title Exhibition: Text, Typography, Moving Images” at the Korean Film Museum from May 8 to August 29, featuring this analysis. The exhibition will visualize film titles through animation, video, and graphic design.

Director Lee Sanghwa will present animations inspired by the titles and characters of 2000s Korean films such as “Save the Green Planet!”, “Oldboy,” and “The Host.” Director Han Byunga will showcase a reinterpretation of “Let’s Meet at Walkerhill,” while Director Kim Taeyang will present a collage video of classic Korean film title sequences. The exhibition will also showcase the creative processes of poster design studios such as “Studio Bitnaneun,” “When Spring Comes in Bloom,” and “Propaganda.” Admission is free.

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