Pulgasari

For other uses, see Bulgasari (disambiguation).
Pulgasari
An artwork depicting a horned creature in front of an inferno
Japanese VHS flyer
Directed by
Written byKim Seryun
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
  • Cho Myŏnghyŏn
  • Pak Sŭngho
Edited byKim Ryŏnsun
Music bySŏ Chŏnggŏn
Production
companies
Distributed byTwin (1995)
Raging Thunder (1998)
Release dates
  • January 21, 1995 (1995-01-21) (VHS)
  • July 4, 1998 (1998-07-04) (Tokyo)
Running time
95 minutes
Countries
LanguageKorean
Budget$2–3 million

Pulgasari[a] is an epic monster film[i] Shin Sang-ok directed and produced in 1985 during his abduction in North Korea. A co-production between North Korea, Japan, and China, it is considered a remake of Bulgasari, a lost 1962 South Korean film that also depicts an eponymous creature from Korean folklore. The ensemble cast includes Chang Sŏnhŭi, Ham Kisŏp, Ri Chongguk, Ri Ingwŏn, and Yu Kyŏngae, with Kenpachiro Satsuma in the title role. Set during the Goryeo dynasty, the film follows a blacksmith's daughter who brings to life a metal-eating monster her late father envisioned to defeat the monarchy.

Shin and his wife, Choi Eun-hee, were in captivity in North Korea since their kidnapping by Kim Jong Il in 1978. The pitch for Pulgasari was submitted in February 1985, and became Shin's last film made under Kim's orders. Principal photography took place in Pyongyang from June to August 1985, with the Korean People's Army contributing roughly 13,000 extras. A team of 15 Toho employees handled special effects photography from September to December. With an estimated ¥200–300 million ($2–3 million) budget, Pulgasari was one of the most expensive films ever produced in North Korea.

Pulgasari was previewed at Toho Studios in January 1986 and readied for release in Japan and North Korea later that year. However, the film was banned in March after Shin and Choi escaped North Korean supervision and fled to the United States, where Shin later worked on a remake. Pulgasari eventually debuted on VHS in Japan on January 21, 1995, and had its official premiere in Tokyo on July 4, 1998, to commercial success. According to Cine21, it became the highest-grossing North Korean film of all time. Critical reception in Japan was positive, with many favorable comparisons to Godzilla (1998). Pulgasari has since become the most-widely-seen North Korean film internationally and has gained a cult following.

  1. ^ Kinema Junpo 2003, p. 145.
  2. ^ Satsuma 2007.
  3. ^ Eiga Chirashi 2023a.
  4. ^ Eiga Chirashi 2023b.
  5. ^ Associated Press 1994, p. 3.
  6. ^ McCarthy 1994.
  7. ^ Milner 1997, p. 44.
  8. ^ Becker 2005, p. 138.
  9. ^ Fowler 2014.
  10. ^ 1995 Japanese flyer for Pulgasari, p. 2.
  11. ^ Kinema Junpo 2024.
  12. ^ Przywara 2002.
  13. ^ Cho.
  14. ^ Romano 2015.
  15. ^ Power 2019.


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