Korea’s ambassador to Nigeria, Jeong Yo-an, says the Korean Film Festival will deepen cultural understanding, foster creative collaboration and strengthen bilateral ties.

Mr Yo-an made the remark at the opening of the 14th edition of the Korean Film Festival, organised by the Korean Cultural Centre Nigeria, on Thursday night in Abuja.

The festival aims to bring Korean storytelling and perspectives to Nigerian screens.

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 added that over the years, the festival has brought Korean stories closer to Nigerian audiences, as well as bringing family, friendship, justice, and human dignity.

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 the unified Silla ruled the south. Then came Goryeo, which is actually the modern English name ‘Korea’,” he said.

According to him, the movie ‘The King’s Warden’ is not only a story about a king, but a story about people, friendship, loyalty, courage, and human dignity.

‘The King’s Warden’ 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 box-office success in Korea.

According to the Korean Film Council, the movie released on February 4 had recorded over 16,921,889 admissions across 2,262 screens, generating approximately 120 million dollars in box office gross as of September 3.

Israel Audu, executive director of Kaduna International Film Festival, 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.

Mr Audu, also the vice chairman of the Nigerian Film Festival Association, expressed delight at witnessing the power of film to bring 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.

(NAN)