How documentary The Birth of Korea, an ode to South Korea’s first president, has taken country’s box office by storm – and reignited its culture wars

In The Birth of Korea, Kim Deog-young dispels what he sees as decades of disinformation spread by North Korea about South Korea’s first president Syngman Rhee

The filmmaker credits the politician with building ‘freedom and democracy’, but his film has reignited a war between South Korea’s right- and left- wing groups

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South Korea’s first president, Syngman Rhee. The Birth of Korea is a polarising and commercially successful biopic that portrays him as “a good person”, contrary to popular belief. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 5:15pm, 20 Feb 2024Updated: 10:09am, 21 Feb 2024

By Kang Hyun-kyung

The Birth of Korea, a documentary depicting the life of South Korea’s first president, Syngman Rhee (1875-1965), has quickly become a must-see for movie-goers across the country since its release on February 1.

Up to February 15, the documentary had attracted 430,000 viewers to cinemas, ranking it third at the South Korean box office after Paul King’s fantasy musical film Wonka and Japanese animated film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba-To the Hashira Training.

It’s rare for a politically-themed, low-budget, independent documentary film about a late former head of state, especially one who died almost six decades ago, to achieve box office success.

Kim Deog-young, the filmmaker behind The Birth of Korea. Photo: Courtesy of Kim Deog-young

Kim Deog-young, also known as Young Kim, the director and screenwriter of The Birth of Korea, suggested that the reason his film has created such a buzz could be attributed to its role in dispelling decades of disinformation about South Korea’s first president.

He referred to this phenomenon as “the power of fact”.