〈My First Action〉 Chronicles Debut Struggles of 31 Leading Korean Directors

〈My First Action〉, a two-volume nonfiction essay vividly recounting the arduous debut journeys of 31 leading directors who have shaped South Korea's film industry, will be published Sept. 25.

The book tells the stories of the anxious, fiercely competitive years these directors spent as aspiring filmmakers before barely making it to the starting line. The group includes directors such as Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook, as well as Jang Hang-jun, Kang Yoon-sung and Yoon Ga-eun, who now move freely between theaters and streaming platforms. Directors celebrated around the world and those whose films drew more than 10 million moviegoers once walked over hills because they could not afford transportation and faced repeated rejections of their screenplays. Their candid confessions about enduring and moving toward the next scene, never knowing whether it would work out, are captured in full.

The new book is an expanded, revised edition of 〈The Moment of Debut〉, first published in 2014 to widespread acclaim. The new edition is twice as long and has been divided into two volumes, published 12 years later. The project was jointly conceived by the Directors Guild of Korea (DGK) and Cineplay, a web magazine specializing in film. Reporters, including editor in chief Joo Sung-chul, conducted in-depth interviews with the directors.

Volume 1 features the stories of 16 directors, beginning with Kang Yoon-sung, who made his debut at 47 as a late-blooming newcomer, and including Bong Joon-ho, Choi Dong-hoon, Lee Joon-ik, Byun Young-joo and Kim Han-min. Volume 2 presents the stories of 15 directors, including Park Chan-wook, who recalls getting by in those days by badmouthing successful people; Yoon Ga-eun, whose mind went blank when director Lee Chang-dong asked her a sharp question; Kim Sung-hoon, who endured a seven-year hiatus after his debut film failed; and Lee Kyoung-mi, who dreamed of making films while commuting to work by metropolitan bus. Readers will also find vivid behind-the-scenes stories from directors such as Lee Hae-young, Jang Hang-jun and Yoon Je-kyoon, who form the backbone of South Korean cinema today.

The stories of directors who had to endure uncertainty without a set gateway or examination also offer weighty advice on how to make it through the period of being “nothing” before becoming something. Hankyoreh Publishing, the book's publisher, said the book “will be a story for everyone living with anxiety and happiness at the same time before a dream they want to achieve, as well as a warm consolation and practical encouragement for all young people immersed in their own ‘first action.’”