Yay! Go watch Korean movies!

Nowadays, Korean movies are a big deal. They are gaining international fans left and right. But, chances are if you’re reading this you already know that. 


When I moved to South Korea in 2010, I really wanted to watch Korean movies, but I couldn’t speak Korean. Then I read a buncha articles in newspapers about how the government was getting big movie theater chains in Seoul to show Korean movies with English subtitles for foreigners. 



But sadly, The Korea Times was lying its stupid, badly-written face off. (And so began my mistrust of The Korea Times.) My guess is that the government told the CGV theater chain to show movies with English subtitles, they said they would, and it never really happened. (There is a long tradition of empty sloganeering in Korean politics…) 


I got really excited, and I went to a handful of CGV theaters looking for these Korean movies with English subtitles. Where no one knew was I was talking about, or had any information. I was actually at the CGV in Myeongdong a few months ago, and they flatly told me that they simply did know show any Korean movies with English subtitles. 


So, screw CGV, I say. The only movies they show in English are always terrible anyways. (The last time I was there I paid about 10,000 won to see the Hollywood travesty Contagion. I still want my two hours back from that misadventure.)

But fear not, loyal readers. There are other ways:

Here’s a hot link to a recent article about the Top 6 Art Cinemas in Seoul. 


Personally, I think Indieplus in Gangnam is the coolest one I’ve tried so far. Right now they are screening an animated Korean movie about childhood bullying (and also perhaps, allegorically, some larger issues in Korean society.) The film, The King of Pigs  (돼지의 왕), is also playing at Sangsang Madang in Hongdae, but Indieplus has English subtitles! Yay!

I do also wanna check out the Seoul Art Cinema (mentioned in the article) in Nakwon Arcade, as I saw posters there for a festival of older Korean movies the last time I went to Insadong. Which sounds really cool.

The article I linked to has addresses and directions but, as always, things can get pretty hairy when you are a foreigner and looking for stuff in Korea. Since Seoul does not (yet) use a Western style street address system, it’s best to look for landmarks and try to get directions beforehand.

**Note: if you go to Gangnam looking for Indieplus – which I highly recommend – know that there is a different name on the building. The cinema is easy to find, only about four doors away from exit 1 at Sinsa subway station, but the name on the building is Broadway Cinema. To get there, just take the subway to Sinsa station, walk out of exit 1, and go straight ahead for about 100 meters. It's huge and on the right. Here’s a link to the Naver street view so you cansee it yourself.

Now, go watch some movies!!