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Which South Korean directors became internationally known through the Korean Wave?
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Several South Korean directors gained significant international recognition as part of the cultural phenomenon known as the Korean Wave (hallyu) and the rise of New Korean Cinema. Notable directors include:
- Bong Joon-Ho: Widely known for his genre-blending films, including The Host (2006), Snowpiercer (2013), and the critically acclaimed Parasite (2019), which made history by winning the Academy Award for best picture.12
- Park Chan-Wook: Gained global prominence with his neo-noir thriller Oldboy (2003), which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival and introduced many international audiences to Korean cinema.134
- Kim Ki-Duk: Achieved international acclaim for films such as Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring (2003) and 3-Iron (2004), and he won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for Pieta (2012).1
Other significant filmmakers associated with the emergence of New Korean Cinema and its international appeal include Lee Chang-Dong and Kim Jee-Woon.4