This Hollywood Director Was Kidnapped and Forced To Make Action Movies

August 3 2025
Shin Sang‑ok, once hailed as the “Prince of Korean Cinema” for directing nearly 80 films in South Korea’s golden age, was kidnapped in 1978—along with his actress ex-wife Choi Eun‑hee—on the personal orders of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Il, who sought to elevate the country’s movie industry by forcing them to create internationally acclaimed propaganda films