Film director Park Chul-soo dies in traffic accident

Film director Park Chul-soo, famous for experimental and sometimes erotic flicks, died Tuesday morning in a car accident. He was 65.

According to the police, Park was hit by a van when he was crossing the street after editing his film in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, around midnight. The driver was reportedly under the influence of alcohol.

Born in 1948, Park entered the film industry in 1976 and made his debut film, “Golmok Daejang,” in 1978. He then moved on to direct several films including “Emi,” which garnered him the Daejong Film Award in 1985. The film follows a mother’s vengeance against the world when her daughter is abducted and raped.

Since 1987, he became interested in using sex to break various social taboos. In 2000, he hired actress Seo Gap-sook, who almost lost her career after confessing to a string of extramarital affairs and detailing her sexual experiments in her autobiography, and made the film “Bongja.”

His 2003 flick “Green Chair,” stirred controversy as it was based on the real scandal between a housewife and a high school student, which led to the former being jailed. The film was invited to the Sundance and Berlin film festivals.

Park was in post-production for his new film, “Love Conceptually.”

Park’s funeral will be held on Thursday at the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)