Shin Sang-ok

Known for: Directing
Born: October 18, 1926, Chongjin, Korea
Died: April 11, 2006
Movies: 97

Shin Sang-ok (born Shin Tae-seo; October 11, 1926 – April 11, 2006) was a South Korean filmmaker with more than 100 producer and 70 director credits to his name. His best-known films were made in the 1950s and 60s, many of them collaborations with his wife Choi Eun-hee, when he was known as "The Prince of South Korean Cinema".

In 1978, Shin and Choi were kidnapped by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il for the purpose of producing critically acclaimed films. The two remained in captivity for 8 years until 1986, when they escaped and sought asylum in the United States. Shin continued to produce and direct films in America, now under the pseudonym "Simon Sheen", before eventually returning to South Korea for his final years.

He received posthumously the Gold Crown Cultural Medal, the country's top honor for an artist.

Best-Known Movies

5.7

3 Ninjas Kick Back

1994

5.2

3 Ninjas Knuckle Up

1995

6.7

Five Fingers of Death

1972

5.5

Pulgasari

1986

7.0

The Lovers and the Despot

2016

6.2

The Flower in Hell

1958

6.9

Mother and a Guest

1961

6.7

A Thousand Year-Old Fox

1969

3.5

The Gardener

1998

6.4

Finger of Doom

1972

Filmography

2024	Cinema in the Land of Comrade Kim	Himself
2016	The Lovers and the Despot	Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
1973	The Great Duel

Directing, Writing & Producing

2023	Winter Story	Director, Producer
2009	The Country I Saw, Part 3	Director
1998	The Gardener	Producer
1995	3 Ninjas Knuckle Up	Director
1994	Vanished	Director, Writer
1994	3 Ninjas Kick Back	Writer
1990	Mayumi: Virgin Terrorist	Director
1987	My Happiness	Director
1987	The Country I Saw	Director
1986	A Traffic Controller on Crossroads	Producer
1986	Pulgasari	Director, Producer
1985	Salt	Director
1985	Love, Love, My Love	Director
1985	The Tale of Shim Cheong	Director, Producer
1984	Runaway	Director
1984	An Emissary of No Return	Director, Screenplay
1984	Miles Along the Railway	Director
1976	Woman Prisoner No. 407 II	Director
1976	Woman Prisoner No. 407	Director
1975	I Love Mama	Director
1975	Blood and Rose	Screenplay, Director
1973	The Ghost Lovers	Director
1973	Farewell	Director
1973	The Three-Day Reign	Director
1972	Filial Daughter Simcheong	Director
1972	A Story of Two Sisters	Producer
1972	Lady of the Court	Director
1972	Five Fingers of Death	Producer
1972	Finger of Doom	Producer
1972	The Last Flight to Pyongyang	Director, Producer
1971	War and Human Being	Director, Producer
1971	Six Assassins	Producer
1970	A Ghost Story of Joseon Dynasty	Director
1970	The Evening Bell	Director
1969	The Eunuch 2	Producer, Director
1969	The Partisan Lovers	Producer
1969	Women of Yi-Dynasty	Director, Producer
1969	A Thousand Year-Old Fox	Director
1969	The Snake Woman	Director
1969	A Man And a Gisaeng	Director, Screenplay
1968	The Eunuch	Director
1968	Past Loves	Producer
1968	The Homeless Wanderer	Director
1968	Over the Hill	Producer
1968	A Male Housekeeper	Producer
1968	Prince Daewon	Director, Producer
1968	Desire	Producer
1967	Mountain	Director
1967	Traces	Screenplay, Director
1967	Mounted Bandits	Director
1967	The King with My Face	Producer
1967	The Violator	Producer, Director
1967	The Phantom Queen	Director
1967	The Goddess of Mercy	Director
1965	The Girl Raised as a Future Daughter-in-law	Producer
1965	The Story of Bae Local Offcial	Director
1965	The International Secret Agent	Producer
1965	Sorrow Even Up in Heaven	Producer
1965	The Heir	Producer
1965	The Sino-Japanese War and Queen Min the Heroine	Producer
1964	Deaf Sam Yong	Director, Producer
1964	The Last Woman of Shang	Producer
1964	The Teacher with Ten Daughters	Producer
1964	Red Scarf	Director
1963	Rice	Director, Producer
1963	The Cloud Bridge of Gratitude	Producer
1963	A Reluctant Prince	Director, Producer
1963	Love Affair	Director
1962	Heartlessness	Producer
1962	Bound by Chastity Rule	Director, Producer
1962	Revenge	Producer
1962	Teacher Waryong's Trip to Seoul	Producer
1962	The Story of Sim Cheong	Producer
1962	Tyrant Yeonsan	Director, Producer
1961	Prince Yeonsan	Producer, Director
1961	The Evergreen	Producer, Director
1961	Mother and a Guest	Director, Producer
1961	An Upstart	Producer
1961	Iljimae the Chivalrous Robber	Producer
1961	Seong Chun-hyang	Director, Writer
1960	A Returned Man	Producer
1960	Madam White Snake	Director
1960	To the Last Day	Producer, Director
1960	Romance Papa	Producer, Director
1959	Independence Association and Young Rhee Syngman	Director
1959	A Sister's Garden	Producer, Director
1959	Dongsimcho	Director
1959	Chun Hui	Director
1959	It's Not Her Sin	Director, Writer
1958	A College Woman's Confession	Director
1958	The Flower in Hell	Director, Producer
1957	The Shadowless Pagoda	Producer, Director, Screenplay
1955	The Youth	Producer, Director
1955	Dream	Director

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