Biographie

Decided to become a filmmaker after seeing Alfred Hitchcock's Sueurs froides (1958).

Turned down the chance to remake Evil Dead (1981).

Was a student of philosophy at Sogang University in Seoul.

His films Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002), Old Boy (2003), and Lady Vengeance (2005) are widely known as the "Vengeance Trilogy".

Met his wife at a university film club in the '80s.

I don't feel enjoyment watching films that evoke passivity. If you need that kind of comfort, I don't understand why you wouldn't go to a spa.

Basically, I'm throwing out the question 'When is such violence justified?' To get that question to touch the audience physically and directly - that's what my goal is. In the experience of watching my film, I don't want the viewer to stop at the mental or the intellectual. I want them to feel my work physically. And because that is one of my goals, the title 'exploitative' will probably follow me around for a while.

In our lives, we have good things and bad things, happiness and pain. Life is full of pain and happiness and that's what I wanted to show.

Living without hate for people is almost impossible. There is nothing wrong with fantasizing about revenge. You can have that feeling. You just shouldn't act on it.

I have principles and rules. I deal very carefully with acts of violence and make sure that audiences understand how much suffering these acts cause.