[The Chosun Ilbo, March 14 2008] Korean Films Win Recognition in Europe

Korean films are gaining increasing recognition on the international stage, winning numerous awards and honorable mentions in various film festivals.

Park Chan-wook's "I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK" received an Honorable Mention at the FantasPorto 2008, the 28th edition of the Oporto International Film Festival, which opened March 9 in Portugal.

The film takes place in a mental hospital, where a girl who thinks she's a cyborg falls in love with another mental patient.

Park is one of the most acclaimed directors in Korea today and is famous for his "vengeance trilogy," which includes the films "Old Boy" and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance."

The film "Breath" by director Kim Ki-duk is a story about a death-row inmate who falls in love with a married woman. It won the Jury's Special Award in the Orient Express section for Asian films at the festival in Portugal.