South Korea’s ‘movie of the year’ about teenage trauma

In South Korea, Yoon Ga-eun is not a name that many people recognize.

Until her film about a survivor of sexual violence became a dark horse hit.

“People haven’t really understood it yet,” Ms. Yoon, an independent film-maker, told BBC Korean in late November at a studio in Seoul. “Now I feel almost blank – just grateful, but also a little scared.”

“The World of Love” was dubbed “Movie of the Year” by Korean media for its touching and compassionate portrayal of post-traumatic life. Rather than reenacting the crime, the film tells the story of what happened next: the daily life of high school student Joo-in, from school to romance to family and friendship, and all the conflicts and joyous moments that come with it.

Since its premiere in October, it has won rave reviews from critics and audiences, grossing more than $1.1 million at the box office. On Naver, South Korea’s largest search portal, viewers gave it a score of 9 out of 10.

“Simply a masterpiece,” Bong Joon-ho, director of the world-famous film “Parasite” and the first Korean to win an Oscar, described it. He calls himself “the head of the Seoul branch of Yoon Ga-eun’s fan club.”

The film resonates in a country with deep-rooted patriarchy, where women say they fight just to have their voices heard. Its surprising success demonstrates a growing willingness to engage in conversations about sexual violence and how survivors are treated.

For moviegoers, Love World may not seem like an obvious choice.

The Korean title “Joo In of the World” barely mentions the plot. Although the film stars “Parasite” actor Jang Hye-jin and Korean drama star Go Min-si, the lead role is played by big-screen newcomer Seo Soo-bin.

Essentially, this is a story about the life of 17-year-old Joo-in.

Everything went well for her. She’s popular at school, has a devoted boyfriend, and lives with a loving mom and adorable little brother.

Tensions began to arise when she refused to sign a petition at school. A man who assaulted a 10-year-old child is about to be released from prison and arrives in her neighborhood. As a result, a classmate launched a petition calling for his release to be suspended. Joo-in was the only one who refused to sign.

She objected to one sentence in the petition: “Sexual violence leaves deep wounds that never heal and completely destroys a person’s life and soul.”

“I cannot agree with this statement,” Joo-in told the students who drafted the statement.

The confrontation ultimately revealed her secret: She had been raped by a relative when she was young.

Despite the harrowing subject matter, Ms. Yoon is determined to explore the fullness of life in Joo-in, whose name means “master” or “master” in Korean, alluding to the autonomy Ms. Yoon envisions for her character.

Journalists attending the press screening received a handwritten letter from Ms. Yoon asking them to avoid mentioning sexual violence when reporting on the film.

“The story is more about how we see her,” Ms Yoon explained to the BBC, adding that she did not want to label her protagonist a “survivor of childhood sexual abuse”.

“Because Joo-in herself refused to do it. It was part of her identity and it shook her, but she insisted, ‘It’s not all about me.'”

When Ms. Yoon decided to make a film about sexual violence, she knew one thing. She doesn’t want things to be predictable.

During her research, she said she “observed just about everything” on the subject. She spoke to survivors and consulted with activists. These conversations shattered the “prejudices” she harbored, an ignorance that “leads a person completely traumatized.”

“We spent a lot of time talking about completely mundane issues,” she said. “Concerns about work and family and friendships and love, worries about needing to lose weight or gain weight or exercise more. I think those moments removed even the last bit of bias I still had.”

This moved the audience deeply.

Those who enjoyed the film said it challenged the stereotypes we have about sex crime survivors, encouraging viewers to see them differently – as part of society trying to live like everyone else.

When children’s books editor Seo Jinwon saw the film in Seoul, she said the theater was “completely silent” after it ended.

“No one was in a hurry to leave. I stayed and watched the closing credits. I walked out of the theater thinking, ‘I want to be a good adult who can be there for all the kids and teenagers who are trying to grow up.'”

One survivor of sexual violence, who asked not to be named, said she felt the urge to “spread her arms and cheer” as she walked out of the cinema.

“Joo In gave me a lot. In the end, it felt like she was smiling at me and saying, ‘I’m living a good life, so let’s continue living a good life together.'”

Cho Eun-hee, director of the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center, who served as a consultant on the film, said “The World of Love” is doing what activists have been working on for a long time.

The timing was “very right,” she added.

After the MeToo movement in 2017-2018, survivors became more likely to share their stories, and the country became more protective and understanding of them. By 2025, when Ms. Yin’s film is released, “people will be more willing to understand stories like this,” Ms. Cao said.

She wonders if, even a few years ago, the film would have had “this understanding from the public.”

She said that while the MeToo movement had sparked discussions about harassment and assault in the workplace and outside the home, exposing abuse within families was still widely seen as “spitting in one’s own face” – but the film gave more space for discussion of the issue.

“The World of Love” is not without its critics. Some viewers, including survivors, said it felt unrepresentative of their reality because it downplayed the horror and lasting damage of abuse, portraying families as more supportive than usual.

But critic Min Young-joon said the criticism did not overshadow the film’s value, adding that “The World of Love” creates a healthy space for talking about sexual violence and its victims.

“The mark of a good movie is not how many people like it and how many people don’t like it. What matters is whether it creates a space where we can talk to each other about what it proposes.”