Sageuk in Korean denotes historical dramas, including traditional drama plays, films or television series. In English language literature sageuk usually refers to historical films and television series. In North Korea, South Korean historical dramas are generally called 고전 영화 or classic film.
Yongin MBC Daejanggeum Park, where many sageuk television series are shot
The poster of Yangsan Province from 1955
Film still from The Story of Chun-hyang (1923).
Lee Soon-jae, who played several historic figures since 1970s, such as Heungseon Daewongun (1982), Yoo Ui-tae (1991, 1999), Yi Hwang (2004), King Yeongjo (2007) & General Kim Jong-seo (2011)
The term "Cinema of Korea" encompasses the motion picture industries of North and South Korea. As with all aspects of Korean life during the past century, the film industry has often been at the mercy of political events, from the late Joseon dynasty to the Korean War to domestic governmental interference. While both countries have relatively robust film industries today, only South Korean films have achieved wide international acclaim. North Korean films tend to portray their communist or revolutionary themes.
Still from Chunhyang-Jeon (Korean: 춘향전) (1923)