'Taekwon V' Playing at Theaters Nationwide
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Back in the 1970s, he was the hero in every Korean child's dream.
He was a robot practicing taekwondo, the unforgettable Taekwon V.
The animation action hero is now back in Korean movie theatres after some unprecedented film restoration work.
Son Heekyung has this story.
The robot's name is Taekwon V, and he's here to keep peace in the world.
Many remember his trademark move of flying high in the sky, and fighting the forces of evil.
The all-time hero of Korean children has made a comeback to the big screen.
SON HEEKYUNG, REPORTER: "The digitally restored "Robot Taekwon V" has been reborn as an action animation for the first time since 1976. Feared lost, it was rediscovered, then restored over two years' time by the Korean Film Council. The sci-fi animation is now playing at more than 170 theaters nationwide".
The discovery of a print in 2003 overjoyed the Korean film industry.
A grand budget of one million US dollars was poured into the restoration work.
Now it's become the first Korean film to be fully digitally restored.
Nonetheless, members of the restoration team say it wasn't an easy journey.
RECORDED: "There were parts that were simply impossible to restore. Despite this, we put in a lot of manpower and used the latest restoration technology, for the first time in Korea. We decided to restore Taekwon V because it would be unthinkable to believe that an animation that's also a Korean cultural asset doesn't exist in our lives".
Released in July 1976, Taekwon V took hold of Korea as its first full-length animated sci-fi.
His popularity brought on the release of a string of sequels.
In no time, Taekwon fever had gripped the country infecting tens of thousands of young filmgoers.
This time around, expectations are flying high as the animation is ranked first in terms of this week's online ticket sales.
RECORDED: "'Robot Taekwon V' was probably the one and only animation character back in the 70s. People were familiar and also proud to watch a robot perform the Korean martial art of taekwondo in the film".
Now the big question is whether the film created three decades ago will suit the tastes of filmgoers today.
So far, director Kim Cheonggi says the answer seems to be yes.
RECORDED: "I have gained a lot of confidence by seeing a positive audience response at the film's preview. There, people in their 30s and 40s who had seen the animation back in the 70s brought their children to watch it together. It's the reappearance of visual, tonal quality and special effects from back then".
To mark this milestone, a three-meter high statue of who else but Taekwon V has risen at Seoul Plaza.
Son Heekyung, Arirang News.
He was a robot practicing taekwondo, the unforgettable Taekwon V.
The animation action hero is now back in Korean movie theatres after some unprecedented film restoration work.
Son Heekyung has this story.
The robot's name is Taekwon V, and he's here to keep peace in the world.
Many remember his trademark move of flying high in the sky, and fighting the forces of evil.
The all-time hero of Korean children has made a comeback to the big screen.
SON HEEKYUNG, REPORTER: "The digitally restored "Robot Taekwon V" has been reborn as an action animation for the first time since 1976. Feared lost, it was rediscovered, then restored over two years' time by the Korean Film Council. The sci-fi animation is now playing at more than 170 theaters nationwide".
The discovery of a print in 2003 overjoyed the Korean film industry.
A grand budget of one million US dollars was poured into the restoration work.
Now it's become the first Korean film to be fully digitally restored.
Nonetheless, members of the restoration team say it wasn't an easy journey.
RECORDED: "There were parts that were simply impossible to restore. Despite this, we put in a lot of manpower and used the latest restoration technology, for the first time in Korea. We decided to restore Taekwon V because it would be unthinkable to believe that an animation that's also a Korean cultural asset doesn't exist in our lives".
Released in July 1976, Taekwon V took hold of Korea as its first full-length animated sci-fi.
His popularity brought on the release of a string of sequels.
In no time, Taekwon fever had gripped the country infecting tens of thousands of young filmgoers.
This time around, expectations are flying high as the animation is ranked first in terms of this week's online ticket sales.
RECORDED: "'Robot Taekwon V' was probably the one and only animation character back in the 70s. People were familiar and also proud to watch a robot perform the Korean martial art of taekwondo in the film".
Now the big question is whether the film created three decades ago will suit the tastes of filmgoers today.
So far, director Kim Cheonggi says the answer seems to be yes.
RECORDED: "I have gained a lot of confidence by seeing a positive audience response at the film's preview. There, people in their 30s and 40s who had seen the animation back in the 70s brought their children to watch it together. It's the reappearance of visual, tonal quality and special effects from back then".
To mark this milestone, a three-meter high statue of who else but Taekwon V has risen at Seoul Plaza.
Son Heekyung, Arirang News.
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