Kim Jong-hak facts for kids

Kim Jong-hak (born November 5, 1951 – died July 23, 2013) was a famous South Korean television director and producer. He was best known for creating very popular Korean dramas like Eyes of Dawn (1991) and Sandglass (1995). These shows were huge hits and are still remembered today. Later in his career, he faced financial challenges with big fantasy series such as The Legend (2007) and Faith (2012). Kim Jong-hak passed away in 2013.

Kim Jong-hak's Career in TV

Starting Out in Television

Kim Jong-hak was born in Jecheon, South Korea, on November 5, 1951. He was the fourth of seven children. Even in high school, he showed a talent for theater, winning an award in 1966.

After studying Journalism at Kyung Hee University, he joined the MBC network in 1977. This was an exciting time for South Korean TV! Color TV was just starting, and new camera technology was changing how shows were made. Kim Jong-hak began his career helping experienced directors, slowly learning the ropes. He even got some early credits as a producer on a popular police show called Chief Inspector.

Directing Early Dramas

Kim Jong-hak quickly started directing many different types of shows. He worked on historical dramas, which are called sageuk in Korean. One of his first jobs was helping direct Royal Emissary.

In 1983, he directed a show about a legendary singer named Shin Chae-hyo. He also made a show about a famous mapmaker, Kim Jeong-ho, and another about a scholar named Jeong Yak-yong. These early projects helped him become a very skilled and flexible director. By 1986, he was directing entire series, including parts of the long-running 500 Years of Joseon historical drama.

Working with Song Ji-na

A very important part of Kim Jong-hak's career was his partnership with screenwriter Song Ji-na. They worked together on eight dramas! Their first shows included The Last Station and Teacher, Teacher, Our Teacher. Their teamwork really shined with Human Market, which became a classic Korean TV show. Many actors, like Park Sang-won, often worked with them.

The Success of Eyes of Dawn

Kim Jong-hak's biggest breakthrough was the drama Eyes of Dawn. This show was a huge project for MBC's 30th anniversary. It cost a lot of money (about 7.2 billion Korean won, which was five to ten times more than other dramas back then!) and involved over 270 actors and 21,000 extras. They even filmed in the Philippines and Harbin!

Eyes of Dawn told the story of young Koreans during difficult times, from World War II to the Korean War. When it aired from 1991 to 1992, it was incredibly popular, with almost 60% of viewers tuning in!

The Impact of Sandglass

In 1991, a new TV station, SBS, started, creating more competition. Kim Jong-hak moved to SBS in 1995 to make Sandglass with Song Ji-na. This drama was about three friends whose lives were affected by the political changes in Korea during the 1970s and 80s.

Sandglass was very popular and showed important moments in Korea's recent history. It was so watched that the streets of Seoul were said to be empty when it was on! It had amazing ratings, reaching a peak of 64.5%, making it one of the most-watched dramas ever. The show made its stars, like Choi Min-soo, Go Hyun-jung, and Lee Jung-jae, into huge celebrities. Kim Jong-hak became one of the most important people in Korean television.

While Eyes of Dawn and Sandglass were their biggest hits, Kim and Song continued to create many other dramas.

Later Fantasy Dramas

After 2002, Kim Jong-hak worked on two very ambitious fantasy historical dramas.

The Legend

In 2007, he directed The Legend, also known as Taewangsasingi. This show took five years to plan and starred the famous actor Bae Yong-joon. It was very popular and had excellent ratings, but it was also extremely expensive to make. The high production costs caused Kim Jong-hak to go into debt.

Faith

His last drama was Faith (2012), which was his eighth and final collaboration with Song Ji-na. It was a fantasy story about a plastic surgeon from the 21st century who travels back in time to the Goryeo era. The show faced many challenges, including changes in the main actors and budget problems. It had a budget of 13 billion Korean won, but its ratings were lower than expected, making it a big financial challenge.

These financial difficulties from The Legend and Faith led to serious problems for Kim Jong-hak. He was eventually no longer in charge of his company, Kim Jong-hak Productions.

Kim Jong-hak's Legacy

Kim Jong-hak passed away on July 23, 2013, at the age of 61.

Despite the challenges he faced later in life, Kim Jong-hak's work left a huge mark on Korean television. Experts praised his amazing attention to detail and his passion for making perfect shows. He completely changed how Korean dramas looked and felt, leading to a "Golden Age" for the industry. His dramas, especially Eyes of Dawn and Sandglass, are still seen as masterpieces of Korean television today.

Filmography

As TV Director

• Faith (SBS, 2012)†
• The Legend (MBC, 2007)†
• Great Ambition (SBS, 2002)†
• White Nights 3.98 (SBS, 1998)
• Sandglass (SBS, 1995)†
• Eyes of Dawn (MBC, 1991-1992)†
• Fifth Column (MBC, 1989)
• To the Emperor (MBC, 1989)
• Human Market (MBC, 1988)†
• Our Town (MBC, 1988)
• Teacher, Teacher, Our Teacher (MBC, 1988)†
• The Last Station (MBC, 1987)†
• Beautiful Affair (MBC, 1987)
• Namhan Fortress (MBC, 1986)
• The Hoechun Gate (MBC, 1986)
• 북으로 간 여배우 (MBC, 1986)
• The Age of Heroes (MBC, 1985)
• Seven Roses (MBC, 1984)
• Kingdom of Dongto (MBC, 1984)
• Government-General of Joseon (MBC, 1984)
• The Gates of Men (MBC, 1984)
• Gosanja Kim Jeong-ho (MBC, 1983)
• Dasan Jeong Yak-yong (MBC, 1983)
• The Jester (MBC, 1983)
• Chief Inspector (MBC, 1981)

†denotes collaborations with screenwriter Song Ji-na.

As TV Producer

As Film Producer

• 3pm Paradise Bath House (1997)
• Push! Push! (1997)
• Barricade (1997)
• Insh'allah (1996)

Awards and Recognition

• 2003 Korean Producers and Directors' (PD) Association Awards: Best Drama (Great Ambition)
• 2003 CCEJ Viewers' Drama of the Year: Great Ambition
• 2003 Baeksang Arts Awards: Best TV Director (Great Ambition)
• 1995 Baeksang Arts Awards: Best TV Director, Best Drama, Grand Prize for TV (Sandglass)
• 1992 Korea Broadcasting Awards: Best Drama (Eyes of Dawn)
• 1992 Baeksang Arts Awards: Best TV Director, Best Drama, Grand Prize for TV (Eyes of Dawn)
• 1984 Korea Broadcasting Awards: Best Drama (Kingdom of Dongto), Best Director (The Gates of Men)
• 1984 Baeksang Arts Awards: Best TV Director (Kingdom of Dongto)