Pulgasari
Pulgasari is an epic kaiju film directed and produced in 1985 by Shin Sang-ok during his abduction by North Korean authorities. A multinational co-production between North Korea, Japan, and China, it is a remake of the 1962 South Korean film also depicting the eponymous creature from Korean folklore. The ensemble cast includes Chang Son Hui, Ham Gi Sop, Jong-uk Ri, Gwon Ri, and Yong-hok Pak, with Kenpachiro Satsuma as the titular monster. Set during the Goryeo Dynasty, it follows a blacksmith's daughter who brings to life a metal-eating monster envisioned by her father to defeat the monarchy.
Pulgasari was the last film made by Shin under the orders of Kim Jong Il (then-heir apparent); Shin and his wife, Choi Eun-hee, had remained in confinement in North Korea since 1978. The film was initially put forward in February 1985. Principal photography took place in Pyongyang from June to August 1985, with the support of the North Korean military and approximately 13,000 extras. Several employees from Toho handled special effects photography from September to December.
Initially scheduled for a 1986 worldwide release, Pulgasari was banned upon Shin and Choi escaping North Korean supervision in March. Shin later worked on an American remake of the film. Pulgasari was released on VHS in Japan on January 21, 1995, and officially debuted at Kineca Ōmori in Tokyo on July 4, 1998. According to Cine21, it outperformed Godzilla (1998) in Japan and became the highest-grossing North Korean film of all time. In the subsequent years, it has gained an international cult following.
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