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The Power of Kangwon Province

Play trailer Poster for The Power of Kangwon Province 1998 1h 49m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Recently separated lovers (Baek Jong-hak, Oh Yun-hong) have a series of close encounters at a popular mountain retreat.

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The Power of Kangwon Province

Critics Reviews

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Richard Brody The New Yorker 06/14/2021
The South Korean director Hong Sang-soo offers a coolly bracing drama of the mysterious bonds of lovers, and an original form to match... Go to Full Review Manohla Dargis New York Times 06/09/2021
A master of ellipsis, Mr. Hong keeps Jisook and Sangkwon at such a remove that initially it seems as if we're watching unconnected stories, which is very much to his purpose. Go to Full Review Derek Elley Variety 02/23/2012
Unlike many films centered on ennui and emotional rootlessness, it's never boring. Go to Full Review Soham Gadre Film Inquiry 07/17/2021
The Power of Kangwon Province's mixture of routine human interactions built around a playful narrative structure works delightfully Go to Full Review Glenn Heath Jr. The Film Stage 06/14/2021
B+
Even if it lacks the deep melancholy and near-mystical sense of time found in Hong's greatest films, The Power of Kangwon Province impressively foreshadows his interest in situations that devour one's spirit. Go to Full Review Sean Gilman The Chinese Cinema 06/11/2021
Hong Sangsoo's second feature is more recognizably his work than his debut... funnier than The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well, and its men are less violent and less pathetic. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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05/11/2009 Among the bright filmmakers to emerge from South Korean film's recent boom years such as Park Chan-wook (Old Boy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance ), Bong Joon-ho (Tokyo!, The Host, Memories of Murder), Kim Ki-duk (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring and Samaritan Girl) and Lee Chang-dong (Oasis and Secret Sunshine), Hong Sang-soo is the most Frenchified contemporary Korean filmmaker. His tone is droll and his mode is detached. Beautifully photographed, this film is filled with crafty bits of cinephilia. However, this film is as Korean-specific as Chunhyang by Im Kwom-taek. This film is constantly and deeply suspicious of reunifications of any kind. This films is not just about the broken lovers. This is a portrait of a broken heart of politically and geographically divided Korea. See more Read all reviews
The Power of Kangwon Province

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Cast & Crew

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Hong Sang-soo

Director

Baek Jong-hak

Sangkwon

Oh Yun-hong

Jisook

Kim Yu-seok

The Policeman

Jeon Jae-hyeon

Jaewan

Park Hyun-young

Eunkyoung

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The Power of Kangwon Province

The Power of Kangwon Province (1998) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Recently separated lovers (Baek Jong-hak, Oh Yun-hong) have a series of close encounters at a popular mountain retreat.
Director
Hong Sang-soo
Producer
Ahn Byeongju
Screenwriter
Hong Sang-soo
Distributor
ASC Distribution
Production Co
Miracin Korea Film Company
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Korean
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 4, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 17, 2017
Runtime
1h 49m