Nationalism in Korean cinema 
Nationalism is good for the cinema, South Korea in five of the top ten films at the box office in recent years include nationalistic themes. Hanbando (The Korean Peninsular), tinged with anti-Japanese sentiments, it is only the latest example. We find in the group Taegukgi (2004), Welcome to Dongmakgol (2005), Silmido (2004), Shiri (1999) and JSA / Joint Security Area (2000). Hanbando is reached the top at the box office, taking up one third of the 1,500 screens in the country, despite concerns related to the theme, in which a fleet of Japanese and Korean naval forces are facing as a result of interference of Japan on inter-Korean railway. The audience critical of the film argue that the film is unrealistic and tickles your nerves nationalistic, stimulating hostility to Japan for the sole purpose of obtaining a commercial success. The director Kang Woo-seok says his film does not criticize Japan without reason and that was his desire to attack Japan and its current policy towards Korea. Not all films with nationalistic themes have been successful, as evidenced by the flop of Heaven's Soldiers (2005) and Rikidozan (2004). The progenitor of the trend in 1999 was Shiri . Kim Heoun-sic, Korean pop culture expert, argues that nationalism makes it difficult to film in a realistic and balanced comparison between the historical experiences and present realities. Kim argues that the lack of national pride of Koreans is the basis of these productions, a kind of surrogate satisfaction. In films like Rikidozan and Fighter in the Wind a character defeats Korean Japanese fighters and attracts Japanese women, and this shows, according to Kim, as the Koreans try desperately to prove to be superior to the Japanese. A recent survey by the University Chicago on the level of patriotism (linked to the economic, scientific, artistic, sporting, cultural ...) played in 34 countries, however, sees only the Koreans and the Japanese 31 th place to 18 °. Gina Yo, the Dongguk University professor argues that the film with the theme of nationalism arises from a collective sense of inferiority and anger related to Korean history and represents a sort of safety valve. [Source: Han Cinema]
