South Korea and Kung Fu Movies

[DrNgor]

This question comes in two parts:

1. Does anyone know when Hong Kong and Taiwanese martial arts productions started filming in South Korea? And the reason: Costs? Presence of classical architecture (temples, shrines, etc.)? 

2. Was there always a relatively fluid movement of talent in between Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan?

[One Armed Boxer]

A combination of everything already mentioned by other members.

Cost was definitely a factor for Hong Kong productions that filmed there, and as South Korea was essentially under a dictatorship while Park Chung-hee was president, it was significantly easier to fly crews into Korea sometimes than it was to fly actors out.  As @TibetanWhiteCrane mentioned Shaw Brothers already filmed there in the 60's, but 1972 seemed to be the watershed year for filming there, with Shaws filming 'Four Riders', Golden Harvest filming 'Hapkido', and Yangtze Productions filming 'Crush' (there's probably more, but those are the ones that spring to mind off the top of my head).

I can't really think of any Taiwanese productions that have shot in Korea other than Lee Tso Nam's 1984 actioner 'Wild Panther' which starred (the Korean born) Chang Shan and Don Wong Tao, and you also have 1993's 'Rendezvous of Japanese Kanto', which was a co-production.

In regards to the 2nd question about there being fluid movement.  There was particularly during the late 70's and early 80's, with the primary factor being money. HK productions paid the best, then Taiwan, then South Korea. Hence why so many Taiwanese and Korean stars showed up in HK productions during this time, of course it also happened both before and after in each respective decade, but this was the peak period. Casanova Wong said in an interview that he'd always try to get roles in a HK production first, then if not Taiwan ('Monk's Fight'), with his native Korea being last.

As the 80's progressed, especially with the Korean guys like Hwang Jang Lee and Casanova Wong, as the kung-fu genre went out of fashion you saw them working in Korea more and more.

[DragonClaws]

12 hours ago, DrNgor said:

1. Does anyone know when Hong Kong and Taiwanese martial arts productions started filming in South Korea? And the reason: Costs? Presence of classical architecture (temples, shrines, etc.)? 

 

Golden Harvest miht have been first non Korean studio, to work in the country during the early 70's?. When they were starting work on Hapkido?. Bringing in Korean Martial Arts talents to work on their Hong Kong movies.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Shaws was first, I think there was a few instances in the 60's and of course the finale of Chinese Boxer was filmed there and I believe the outdoor footage of The Shadow Whip was too (need final confirmation on that, might have been Japan).

But yeah, as far as bringing Korean MA talent and styles to the fore, GH def was the first to really do that as stated above.

(Not MA but King Boxer director, Cheng Chang Ho's 1967 drama Always in my Heart was a HK/Korea co-production shot in Korea.)

Edited March 2, 2021 by TibetanWhiteCrane

[ShawAngela]

If I'm not mistaken, Shaws' Partisan lovers was shot in  Korea, and isn't it in Liu Yung's interview that I translated once in this forum that he said that they often went to shot in Korean locations because it was cheaper ? But I don't remember which movie he was talking about...

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

7 hours ago, DrNgor said:

And the reason: Costs? Presence of classical architecture (temples, shrines, etc.)? 

 

I don't know if I'm alone on this one, but I always found it jarring when passing off Korea as "ancient China" in the old KF movies. The Korean styles of architecture and just general surroundings are so unique that it just doesn't match at all. Warriors Two is a good example of that and a few other GH and indie joints stand out. I forget if Secret Rivals is actually suppose to take place in Korea but I think it is, so that's fine. Maybe it's just me.

[DrNgor]

1 hour ago, TibetanWhiteCrane said:

I don't know if I'm alone on this one, but I always found it jarring when passing off Korea as "ancient China" in the old KF movies. The Korean styles of architecture and just general surroundings are so unique that it just doesn't match at all. Warriors Two is a good example of that and a few other GH and indie joints stand out. I forget if Secret Rivals is actually suppose to take place in Korea but I think it is, so that's fine. Maybe it's just me.

Your observations are valid. I'm going to assume that Hong Kong doesn't have many ancient buildings. Going to the Mainland to shoot during the 70s was probably unheard of. And Taiwan? I dunno. Perhaps it doesn't have a lot (if any) because of its colonization history?

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

3 hours ago, DrNgor said:

Your observations are valid. I'm going to assume that Hong Kong doesn't have many ancient buildings. Going to the Mainland to shoot during the 70s was probably unheard of. And Taiwan? I dunno. Perhaps it doesn't have a lot (if any) because of its colonization history?

Mainland was not possible at the time, but Taiwan had plenty of space, lush greenery, "desert-like" enviroments, mountains, rivers, temples, villages etc. so yeah, that's why that was THE destination out of HK to shoot. Of course if you needed snow and the likes, Korea was the main option with Japan being the other (Golden Swallow was shot in Japan for an example).

[goldenarm]

The South Korean gov't gave film makers from HK incentives to shoot pictures there IIRC.  They were obligated to shoot 2-3 pictures there.

[Markgway]

I believe that the first Hong Kong-Korean co-production was 1958's Love with an Alien.