World-renowned director Kim Ki-duk has asked Korea’s movie rating’s agency to reconsider its decision to give a highly restricted rating to his latest film. 

Kim’s new film “Moebius” got a “restricted screening” rating from the Korea Media Rating Board on June 1. Given that Korea does not have a single theater dedicated to screening films with a restricted rating, the agency’s decision means audiences cannot watch Kim’s new film in his home country. 

The board’s decision was prompted by the film’s controversial scene that portrays incest between mother and son. Other scenes portray adolescent characters committing copycat crimes.

But Kim said on Tuesday in a letter sent to the chief of the KMRB that “the scene in question is not focusing on incest itself but on the relationship between mother and father who took the appearance of his son. It was inevitable to emphasize the motif of the film.

“I think Korean movie fans should have a chance to make their own judgment of my film and I am sure they would be able to get what ‘Moebius’ really wanted to say,” Kim said. 

The director said he will give up on screening his films in domestic theaters unless the board changes its decision.

From news reports
(khnews@heraldcorp.com)