Hong Kyung-pyo (, born August 11, 1962), also known as Alex Hong, is a South Korean cinematographer. In 2025, he became the first cinematographer to win the Grand Prize for Film at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards for his work in Harbin. His most known films are Bong Joon Ho's Parasite and Lee Chang-dong's Burning.
He has worked with several acclaimed film directors, including Bong Joon Ho, Lee Chang-dong, Kang Je-gyu, Kim Ji-woon, Na Hong-jin, Lee Sang-il, and Hirokazu Kore-eda.
Early life Hong Kyung-pyo was born on August 11, 1962, the third of four brothers. Hong was raised in Waegwan, Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang Province, located near a U.S. military base. Hong was a high-achieving student through middle school, but his academic performance declined during his high school years in Daegu. This period of instability led to his expulsion during his second year. After transferring to Yangmok High School in his hometown, Hong briefly ran away to Seoul with a friend. Upon returning a month later, he refocused on his studies with the goal of eventually establishing himself in Seoul. Following his graduation from Yangmok High School in 1981, Hong enrolled in the economics department of a college near Seoul. He remained there for one year before withdrawing from the program.
Career
Career beginnings After dropping out of college, Hong remained uncertain about his future. In 1987, the improving quality of television commercials sparked his interest in a film career. The purchase of a camcorder by his elder brother marked the beginning of his filmmaking endeavors. The following year, he bought a video production textbook at Kyobo Bookstore in Gwanghwamun, and the author's contact information led him to the Korean Society of Cinematographers. Hong then become member of Korean Society of Cinematographers.
In 1989, Hong started as a cinematographer's assistant on the film All That Falls Has Wings. At 27, he was older than most assistants, who were usually 21 or 22. Hong's early experiences in Chungmuro motivated him to pursue further study, particularly after being profoundly affected by Andrei Tarkovsky's Mirror. He grew frustrated with the Chungmuro apprenticeship system, which mandated at least five years of work as an assistant before one could become a cinematographer.
Hong went to Los Angeles in 1991 as an assistant cinematographer for the film . He chose to stay until 1994, a period he has referred to as his "period of wandering." While living at a homestay in Santa Monica, he spent most of his time watching films. He did not go to film school but rented and watched about 800 to 900 films from a local video store, including classic, Hong Kong, and Chinese movies. He intentionally avoided using a camera, except for occasional part-time work to support himself, believing he would "pick it up again when I'm sure what to film." His first real job in Los Angeles was overseeing the filming for Kim Soo-hee's film .
Debut and early acclaim Upon returning to South Korea, Hong began his career as a cinematographer in 1998 with Im Sang-soo's film, Girls' Night Out. For this project, he utilized a silver retention process to achieve a metallic aesthetic. In 1999, he used 16mm film for Kim Si-eon's film Fly Low. He garnered immediate attention for his distinctive use of light and color, experimentalism, and creativity. Both films were selected for the 'New Currents' main competition section at the Busan International Film Festival.
That same year, Hong worked as cinematographer in Min Byung-chun's Phantom: The Submarine. He utilized a "dry-for-wet" technique to achieve underwater visuals without actual water, similar to methods used in Hollywood films such as Crimson Tide. For a 25-minute submarine combat sequence, Hong maintained dense smog on a 400-square-meter set for 36 days, using approximately 200 liters of oil-based smog. To simulate an underwater environment, he continuously adjusted smog concentration, filters, and lighting while sealing the set throughout the winter. Although considered safe, the conditions required the crew to wear gas masks. Initially, crew members expressed concern that the footage resembled toys in a blurry fog rather than a deep-sea environment.
By the end of 1999, Cine21 recognized Hong as Cinematographer of the Year for his technical contributions to Korean cinema, noting his use of the "dry-for-wet" technique. His work on the film incorporated artificial lighting and vibrant colors to convey the somber atmosphere and a stylized visual tone.
Collaborations and rising profile In 2000, Hong served as cinematographer for three films: Kim Jee-woon's The Foul King, Lee Hyun-seung's Il Mare, and E J-yong's film Asako in Ruby Shoes.
The 2002 film Champion marked a turning point for Hong, as it was his first project where he exercised direct oversight over the lighting department. Previously, he had deferred to lighting directors, often noting tonal inconsistencies as a result. With Champion, he reduced these discrepancies, aligning the visual tone more closely with his intentions. The boxing sequence set in Las Vegas incorporated computer graphics to achieve camera movement through the ring ropes. Due to the film's modest box office performance, these technical elements received limited widespread attention.
In Jang Joon-hwan's Save the Green Planet!, Hong executed a sequence featuring a continuous camera transition from the exterior to the interior of a building. The film utilized a range of visual techniques, including diverse flashback sequences, inventive framing, and open-angle filming. For scenes requiring an intense depiction of blood, Hong used a film stock other than Kodak for the first time. For flashback sequences, he employed a silver retention development process, leaving a high concentration of silver particles on the film to achieve a distinct look. While Director Jang envisioned a style akin to Panic Room, budget constraints limited the realization of certain aspects of their shared artistic vision.
Hong's cinematography in Kang Je-gyu's 2004 war film Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War was noted for its intensity and scale, drawing comparisons to Saving Private Ryan. The film portrayed the Korean War through extensive close-quarters shooting and frequent close-ups—a style favored by Director Kang to convey battlefield chaos—alongside low-angle shots to ground the war scenes.
To capture explosion effects, Hong commissioned engineer Song Seon-dae to build a custom, remote-controlled vibrating device, opting for local production due to the limited three-week rental period for international equipment. Song created the device within a month using a motor sourced from Cheonggyecheon to shake the camera and mimic the impact of explosions. Because movie cameras use a spinning mirror (typically set at 180 degrees) for smooth video, reducing this angle to 90, 45, or 25 degrees creates a choppier motion. Given the camera's approximately 25-kilogram weight, inducing natural shaking was challenging, making the custom device necessary. Hong's work on the film earned multiple accolades, including Best Cinematography at the Grand Bell Awards, the Blue Dragon Film Awards, the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards, and the Golden Cinematography Awards. Later that year, Hong served as cinematographer for E J-yong short film Joy of love (2004).
In 2007, he worked on Lee Myung-se's film M, receiving Best Cinematography at the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards and the Technical Award at the Busan Film Critics Awards. While Hong was in Los Angeles—commuting between Mexico and the Dominican Republic for a project titled Fire Bay—production was abruptly postponed a week before filming was scheduled to begin. During this period, he met Bong Joon-ho, who was visiting the United States. Bong asked about Hong's availability and invited him to work on Mother, noting an appreciation for Hong's ability to convey subtle messages through color, which he felt suited the film's delicate aesthetic.
International recognition and Grand Prize Na Hong-jin selected Hong as the cinematographer for The Wailing following a recommendation from actor Kim Yun-seok, who had previously worked with Hong on Sea Fog. Kim believed their personalities would complement each other, saying to Na, "I think you both have similar energies," prompting Na to offer Hong the script.
Hong later reunited with Bong Joon-ho for the film Parasite. Principal photography spanned from May 18 to September 19, 2018, with locations in Seoul and Jeonju. For the production, Hong used Arri Alexa 65 cameras paired with Angénieux zoom lens. For practical lighting, he requested sophisticated indirect illumination alongside the warmth of tungsten light sources. Prior to set construction, Hong and art director Lee Ha-jun conducted multiple site visits to track the sun's movement and collaboratively determine optimal set placement. Reviewer Zack Sharf noted Hong as a cinematographer to watch, highlighting his dynamic camerawork. Director Bong Joon-ho has stated that he intends to work with Hong on all of his future Korean films.
At the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards, Hong received the Grand Prize in the film category in the film category for his work on Harbin. This marked a milestone in the awards' history as the first time the Grand Prize was awarded to a crew member rather than a film, director, or actor. In his acceptance speech, Hong shared the honor with his crew, stating, "Harbin was filmed in Mongolia, Latvia, and Korea in the cold midwinter under strong winds and harsh cold. I would like to share this honor and joy with all my comrades on the set of the film who have put their passion and dedication into achieving artistic perfection."
Filming style Hong Kyung-pyo utilizes an integrated director of photography system that combines camera and lighting operations under the cinematographer's control. During his four years in Los Angeles working on local productions, including Kim Soo-hee's Harmonica of Sorrow, he observed that American crews merged filming and lighting responsibilities, unlike the separate departments common in Chungmuro at the time.
Upon returning to Korea, Hong introduced this integrated shooting and lighting approach. He stated, "Because light comes first and that light comes through the lens, how and at what angle the light is handled determines the quality of the shooting." Although the system initially faced industry resistance, its adoption became a defining aspect of his production workflow.
Hong's crew training prioritizes collaborative workflow and communication across departments, such as lighting and grip teams, over technical skills alone. Excluding the B camera unit, his standard crew typically consists of a four-person camera team handling exposure, focus, equipment, and film management; a five-person lighting team; and a five-person grip team.
Filmography +Film(s) credit of HongYearFilmDirectorNotes 1998 Kim Si-eon Debut Girls' Night Out Im Sang-soo 1999Phantom: The Submarine 2000 The Foul King Kim Jee-woon Il Mare Lee Hyun-seung Asako in Ruby Shoes E J-yong 2001Guns & TalksJang Jin 2002ChampionKwak Kyung-taek 2003 Save the Green Planet! Jang Joon-hwan 2004 Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War Kang Je-gyu 2005TyphoonKwak Kyung-taek 2007 Lee Eun-heeMLee Myung-se 2008Eye for an EyeKwak Kyung-taek2009MotherBong Joon Ho ActressesE J-yong TimelessRyoo Seung-wanshort film 2010 HauntersKim Min-seok 2011 Always Song Il-gon 2013Boomerang FamilySong Hae-sung SnowpiercerBong Joon Ho 2014Sea FogShim Sung-bo 2016The WailingNa Hong-jin Run-OffKim Jong-hyeon2018BurningLee Chang-dong 2019 Parasite Bong Joon Ho 2020Deliver Us From EvilHong Won-chan2022WanderingLee Sang-ilJapanese filmBrokerHirokazu Kore-eda 2023 Project Silence Kim Tae-gon 2024 Harbin Woo Min-ho 2026HopeNa Hong-jin 2027AllyBong Joon Hoanimated film
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