Film Censorship and Political Legitimation in

This article explores the relation between film censorship and political legitimacy in South Korea during the period from 1987 to 1992. Not only did censorship prevent local filmmakers from making films that the authorities thought would be offensive or detrimental to the government’s political agenda, it also played a role in legitimating the hard-line right-wing regime. Censorship has been the greatest barrier to the development of Korean cinema since its inception,1 so much so that it is almost impossible to describe the history of cinema in South Korea (hereafter Korea)2 without discussing the influence of censorship. Film was introduced in Korea during the Japanese colonial period (1910–1945), when government controls were very tight in every area of Korean life. Three years of American military rule (1945–1948), Cold War ideology and the subsequent Korean War (1950–1953), and the right-wing dictatorial leader-ship of Rhee Syng Man3 (1948–1960) forced filmmakers to constantly conform to guidelines set forth by political authorities. The military governments of Park Chung Hee (1961–1979) and Chun Do