Seo Jeong-min (; 5 January 1934 – 7 July 2015) was a South Korean cinematographer who worked on over 130 films from 1959. He died on 7 July 2015, at the age of 81.
Early life Born in Incheon in 1934, he spent his early years in Hamhung and Chongjin before returning to Incheon, where he experienced Korea's liberation and the Korean War. As a child, he loved watching movies at the theater. In his fourth year at Korea University, studying chemistry, he coincidentally entered the film industry through the recommendation of director Park Sung-bok, a friend of his senior.
Career He debuted with director Im Won-jik's Chon Oboki (1961). In 1964, he won the Grand Bell Awards for Best New Cinematographer for The Marines Who Never Returned, marking the beginning of a period where he almost exclusively handled the cinematography for director Lee Man-hee's major works, dominating the era. In 1966, he also directed Hooni's Mom from Dongdaemun Market, starring Kim Ji-mi, Heo Jang-kang, and Park No-sik.
Later, he worked with directors Kim Ki-young, Im Kwon-taek, and Lee Doo-yong, and continued to participate in films by directors Lee Jang-ho, Jung Ji-young, and Kim Ki-duk in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming a name that connected the past and present of Korean cinema.
Partial filmography Referenced by: The Marines Who Never Returned (1963) The Watermill (1966) Wild Animals (1997) (1997) Birdcage Inn (1998) Whispering Corridors (1998) Libera Me (2000) Address Unknown (2001) Wishing Stairs (2003) My Little Bride (2004) Wet Dreams 2 (2004)
Awards and nominations + Awards and nominations Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Grand Bell Awards 1964 Best New Cinematographer The Marines Who Never Returned 1997Best Cinematographer Piano Man 2001 Libera Me Golden Cinematography Awards1977 Best Cinematographer — Bronze Award First Love 1978 Best Cinematographer — Gold Award The Last Day of Dosolsan 1982 Best Cinematographer — Gold Award They Shot the Sun 1984 Best Cinematographer — Bronze Award Declaration of Fools 1994 Best Cinematographer — Gold Award Absolute Love 1997 Best Cinematographer — Gold Award Piano Man 2001 Best Cinematographer — Gold Award Libera Me
References
External links Seo Jeong-min at the Korean Movie Database