“Faction” Genre

[Anchor Lead]

There's a new genre of films and TV shows making waves in Korea. It's called "faction", which is to say part fact, part fiction. Here's a look at some of the latest "faction" hits.

[Pkg]

"Love in the Moonlight" is one of the hit "faction" shows this year. It's a love story about Yi Young, a character modeled after the tragic historical figure of Crown Prince Hyomyeong, who died at age 21, and a fictional female character Hong Ra-on, who appears as the daughter of the rebel leader Hong Gyeong-rae of the late Joseon period. This TV show captivated viewers by combining historic facts and fiction. "Faction" has emerged as a popular big-screen genre as well. The movie "The Age of Shadows" was the fourth most-viewed film this year.

[Soundbite] "Our goal is to smuggle the explosives to Seoul without getting caught."

It's an action thriller about a group of national independence fighters who try to bring explosives from Shanghai to Seoul...

[Soundbite] "I'm captain Lee Jung-chul."

...and a Japanese police captain trying to apprehend them. The movie is based on the real story of members of a resistance movement who were caught for trying to bring explosives into Korea to destroy major Japanese facilities in 1923, and an ethnic Korean police captain who helped them and got arrested along with them. Lee Jung-chul, portrayed by actor Song Kang-ho is the character modeled after the Japanese cop. It's still unclear if this historic figure was an emissary of Japanese colonists or a Korean independence fighter. "The Age of Shadows" impressed viewers by blending true facts and imagination, and juxtaposing reality and falsehood.

[Soundbite] Kwon Hyuk-jung(Culture Critic) : "Faction is based on historic facts, but it's also entertaining, which makes faction productions so popular. Their popularity will likely remain high in the future."

The popularity of the faction genre is expected to continue to rise for the time being. A new KBS TV show entitled "Hwarang" depicts an elite group of youth in the Silla Kingdom. New faction movies to be released next year include "Namhansanseong Fortress," astory about a king who sought shelter in the fortress during the Second Manchu Invasion of Korea, and "Enemy Soldier" starring actors Lee Jung-jae and Yeo Jin-goo.