Korea’s Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr Jeong Yo-an, says the Korean Film Festival will deepen cultural understanding, foster creative collaboration and strengthen friendship between Korea and Nigeria.
Yo-an made the remark at the opening of the 14th edition of the Korean Film Festival, organised by the Korean Cultural Centre Nigeria (KCCN) on Thursday night in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the festival is aimed at bringing Korean storytelling and perspectives to Nigerian screens.
NAN reports that the three-day film festival, which began on Thursday, was a vibrant celebration of cinematic artistry, which featured Korean movies such as ‘The King’s Warden ‘,.
Others were ‘The Book Fish’, ‘Move Those Grave’, ‘Lucky Chan-Sil’, and ‘Short film’ by the winner of the 2026 Korean Cultural Centre Film Contest.
The ambassador further said that over the years, the festival has brought Korean stories closer to Nigerian audiences, as well as bringing family friendship of justice and human dignity.
“The spirit of this festival is to share stories, deepen cultural understanding and to strengthen the friendship between Korea and Nigeria through film.
” I just want you to enjoy today’s film, not only as a Korean story, but as a good human story that we can all share across borders; such a story will bring Korea and Nigeria a little closer together,” he said.
He said that Korea has thousands of years of history and, according to Korean tradition, Korea’s first kingdom was ‘Gojoseon’, which was traditionally founded in 2333 BCE.
“Centuries ago, the ancient kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla emerged. Later, Balhae flourished in the north, while unified Silla ruled the south. Then came Goryeo, which is actually the modern English name ‘Korea’
According to him, the movie ” The King’s Warden” was not only a story about a king, but it is a story about people, friendship, loyalty, courage, and human dignity.
“The film leaves us with one simple, powerful question: when power and position disappear, what remains is our humanity, compassion, courage, loyalty and respect for human dignity.
“History is shaped not only by kings and powerful people, but also by the choices and courage of ordinary people.
“We are here for the global popularity of Korean films, dramas, music, food, and culture as it continues to grow,” he added.
The King’s Wardens is a 2026 historical drama film directed and written by Jang Hang-jun.
The film explores the life of the post-king, Dan-jong, during his exile in 1457 and has been a major success at the Korean box office.
According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), the movie released on Feb. 4, had recorded over 16,921,889 admissions across 2,262 screens, generating approximately 120 million dollars in box office gross as of Sept. 3.
Mr Israel Audu, Executive Director, Kaduna International Film Festival (KADIFF), said the Korean Film Festival in Nigeria was a remarkable platform that continued to strengthen cultural understanding and people-to-people relations between Korea and Nigeria.
Audu, who is also the Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Film Festival Association(NFFA), expressed delight at witnessing the power of film that brings two cultures closer together.
According to him, film is a language that transcends borders, connects people, preserves culture, tells our stories and creates opportunities for meaningful dialogue.
He noted that through cinema, a young Nigerian filmmaker could tell a story that resonated with an audience thousands of kilometers away.
Audu emphasised that just as Korean cinema continued to inspire audiences across Korea and the world, the KCCN and KADIFF short film contests have demonstrated incredible creativity.
” They have also encouraged the storytelling ability of Nigerian filmmakers, particularly emerging talents, because this is what we saw at the contest.
“As juries, our responsibility was not simply to select films, but to recognise originality, creativity, storytelling, technical excellence and the ability of filmmakers to communicate meaningful ideas through the language of cinema,” he said.
He commended the KCCN for its continued commitment to promoting Korean culture and strengthening cultural relations through film
“We at KADIFF value this opportunity to collaborate with the center. Together, we can build platforms for Nigerian filmmakers to learn, participate, compete, and connect with audiences worldwide
” To the participating filmmakers, I encourage you to keep telling your stories, learning, creating and never underestimate the power of your voice.
“Africa has countless stories waiting to be told, and you are among those who will shape how the world sees and understands our continent,” he added.
Audu thanked everyone who contributed to the success of our film festival, adding that they really made this year’s edition absolutely remarkable.
“May this friendship between Nigeria and Korea continue to grow stronger through film, cinema and creative collaboration”.
Meanwhile, some Nigerians, who watched the movies, expressed satisfaction with the lessons in the movies.
A movie enthusiast, Grace Moses, a student, told NAN that the film festival was refreshing and entertaining.
Moses, who said it was her third time attending the film festival, said she was impressed by the truly breathtaking showcase of films.
According to her, the movie ‘The King’s Warden’ has demonstrated that there are bad and wicked people.
The movie centred on the well-known tragic story of a young king who was dethroned.
“The film explores the domestic life and psychological isolation of the deposed King Danjong during his exile in 1457.
“We need more of such a festival, because it is really refreshing,” she said.
Another movie enthusiast, Reign Moses, who said he came with her siblings to attend the festival, appreciated KCCN for putting up the film festival
“We had fun and no dull moments throughout the movie. Such a festival is bringing the two countries together for better understanding of their cultures,” she stressed.(NAN)
