Joint Security Area 4K 2000 KOREAN Ultra HD 2160p

Storyline
In the DMZ separating North and South Korea, two North Korean soldiers have been killed, supposedly by one South Korean soldier. But the 11 bullets found in the bodies, together with the 5 remaining rounds in the assassin's magazine, amount to 16 cartridges for a gun that should normally hold 15. The investigating Swiss/Swedish team from the neutral countries overseeing the DMZ suspects that another, unknown party was involved - all of which points to some sort of cover up. The truth is much simpler and much more tragic.

User Review
Although a native Korean, I've always been skeptical of Korean movies. They tend to overplay emotions and lack realism. Well, this movie changed my whole outlook - it is a grippingly realistic movie that rips through the storyline. I was spellbound. Set in the highly charged Korean demilitarized zone, it is the tale of a shootout gone wrong, but the movie is much more than just a whodunit. It illustrates quite subtly the delicate North-South emotions that transcends ideologies of the 2 regimes; it really is about characters and their situations, rather than actions. The film also features some beautiful cinematography - the scenes I remember are the tall grass (the minefield incident) and the muted cigarette exchange on top of a snow-covered hill. The latter, particularly, is extremely poignant in its silence. Why are they smoking together? And why do they not speak? The answers to these questions, I guess, are the subjects and emotions that the movie tries to convey. The only flaw I can offer is the clear mis-casting of Lee Young-Ae as the neutral major, but her role in the movie is not central enough (although she does take up quite an amount of air time) to drag down the whole movie. IMHO, I would have used a Korean-European new face in the role. I am sure that it appeals to Koreans more than foreigners, although i'm also sure you can enjoy it without prior knowledge. I recommend this very highly. It's a pity that it's still not out on DVD even after 1 year following its release, and I hope it is released soon so that movie lovers everywhere can appreciate it.