Kim Young-ho (; born 1970) is a South Korean cinematographer. Kim's filmography spans a wide variety of genres, including epic period drama, comedy, science fiction, and contemporary drama. Kim pioneered the use of advanced filming techniques using Hollywood filming equipment to create stylish images that are hard to see in Korean films at that time.
Kim has collaborated with numerous well-known and acclaimed filmmakers, including Kim Sung-su, Kang Je-gyu, and Kim Yong-hwa. Kim is a frequent collaborator of director Park Hoon-jung, having worked together on numerous projects including the films The Showdown (2011), V.I.P. (2017), The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion (2018), Night in Paradise (2021), The Witch: Part 2. The Other One (2022), as well as Park's first OTT drama series The Tyrant (2024).
His best-known works include Kang Je-gyu's film Tidal Wave (2009), Won Shin-yun's film The Battle: Roar to Victory (2019).
Career
1996 to 2001: Early career, study in San Francisco After graduating from the Department of Photography at Chung-Ang University, Kim began work on his first film in 1996 as a camera operator. Kim worked as a camera crew in films such as, Im Sang-soo's film Girls' Night Out, Min Byeong-cheon's film Phantom, the Submarine (1999) and Kim Sung-su's film Musa (2000). Despite having the opportunity to debut as a cinematographer, he chose to study at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. This bold decision, proved to be the foundation for his career. Studying abroad exposed him to the latest filming equipment in Hollywood and advanced filming techniques.
2002 to present After returning to South Korea, Kim made his debut as a cinematographer with Yoo Ha's film Marriage Is a Crazy Thing in 2002. He drew inspiration from films like The Thin Red Line (directed by Terrence Malick, cinematography by John Toll), Kiss of Death (directed by Kathleen Bigelow, cinematography by Adam Greenberg), Hatred (directed by Mathieu Kassovitz, cinematography by Pierre Haïm), Fargo (directed by the Coen Brothers, cinematography by Roger Deakins), and Alien 3 (directed by David Fincher, cinematography by Alex Thompson). He continued to hone his craft through projects like Father and Son: The Story of Mencius (2004, Kim Ji-young), Mr. Gam's Victory, and Hello, Brother.
In 2006, Kim's career reached new heights with his work on director Jo Dong-oh's film The Restless. He reunited with film crews of film Musa (2000), such as music director Shirō Sagisu. The film explores the concept of souls awaiting reincarnation for 49 days. Kim's expertise in CG and color correction in post-production was showcased in this project. In 2007, he won the bronze medal for Best Cinematography for The Restless at the 30th Golden Cinematography Awards.
Kim met lighting director Yang Woo-sang when he was working on Beat and have been working with him ever since. Mr. Gam's Victory, Hello, Brother, The Restless, and A Good Day to Have an Affair. His work in A Good Day to Have an Affair (2007, Jang Moon-il), and Harmony (2009, Kang Dae-gyu) further solidified his reputation as a leader in the industry.
His proficiency in filming scenes using CG was highlighted in Tidal Wave (2009, Yoon Je-kyun), where he successfully integrated CG elements into large-scale settings like skyscraper, Gwangan Bridge, and wide sandy beaches. Kim received the cinematography award at the 29th Film Critics Association and the 5th Korea University Film Festival.
Kim collaborated with director Yoon Je-kyun for the film Quick. Yoon Je-kyun served as producer and co-directed with Jo Bum-goo and producer Yoon Je-kyun. Kim, along with special effects director Hong Jang-pyo, worked on the action scenes in Quick, including creating high-speed video sequences at 300 km/h. The film's highway speed, chain collision, and explosion scenes were praised for pushing the boundaries of Korean cinema.
Kim explained that making a 3D movie required specialized and expensive equipment like a "rigging system" to capture the left and right eye perspectives, a more complex and 30-day longer filming process, and about 30% higher production costs compared to 2D movies. He noted that South Korea's 3D filmmaking technology still lagged behind the United States, and it was "not easy to express a three-dimensional effect like Avatar", highlighting the significant technical challenges involved in achieving high-quality 3D results.
Kim joined Director Cho Bum-goo' 2011 film Quick. He worked with special effects director Hong Jang-pyo.
Kim joined Director Oh Ki-hwan's Korean-Chinese co-production "The Breakup Contract" (分手合约), which was released in China on April 12, 2013. The team included lighting director Hwang Soon-wook, music director Lee Ji-soo, and editor Shin Min-kyung. Malaysian Jeffrey Kong served as the art director.
In 2014, his film The Pirates was released. He collaborated with Director Lee Seok-hoon, scriptwriter Cheon Seong-il, martial arts director Ko Hyun-woong, art director Kim Ji-ah, costume designer Kwon Yoo-jin, VFX supervisor Kang Jong-ik, and music director Hwang Sang-joon, all of whom are top production staff members in the Korean film industry.
In 2014, Kim and Choi Young-hwan participated in the 3rd 'Korean Director Showcase' in Beijing, China, organized by The Korean Film Council. The event aimed to promote Korean directors, cinematographers, and screenwriters in the Chinese film market and enhance Korea-China co-productions following a co-production agreement. Selected participants were highly recognized in China and chosen through a survey by major local production investment companies. During the event, they visited the China Film Business Center, a planning and development support center for Korea-China joint production films, and the Korea Film Council's 'China Film Business Center' to share information for Korean filmmakers and their entry into the Chinese market.
My Sister, the Pig Lady (2015).
On October 23, 2017, The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister Do Jong-hwan) announced seven non-permanent members of the Korean Film Council: Now Film CEO Lee Jun-dong, producer Kang Won-sook, cinematographer Kim Young-ho, writer Kim Hyun-jung, director Mo Ji-eun, director Cho Young-gak of the Korean Independent Film Association, and professor Joo Yoo-shin of Busan Yeongsan University. cinematographer Kim Young-ho was appointed upon recommendation by the Korean Cinematographer's Guild. They responsible for comprehensively discussing and deciding on film-related policies, such as the establishment and implementation of the Basic Film Promotion Plan and the KOFIC Operation Plan, as well as the revision and abolition of the Articles of Incorporation, during their two-year term until October 2019.
Kim is a frequent collaborator of director Park Hoon-jung. He worked on Park's directorial debut "The Showdown" (2010), where he collaborated with costume designer Jeong Kyeong-hee and editor Shin Min-kyung. He also worked on "VIP," where he collaborated with art director Cho Hwa-seong, costume director Cho Sang-gyeong, and makeup director Kwon Soo-gyeong. Kim was part of director Park Hoon-jung's "The Witch" franchise, working on "The Witch 1" with art director Cho Hwa-seong, costume director Cho Sang-kyung, martial arts directors Park Jung-ryul and Kim Jung-min, and music director Mowg. In "The Witch 2," he worked with art director Cho Hwa-seong, art director Choi Hyun-seok, music director Mowg, and action director Kim Jung-min. Kim also collaborated on Park Hoon-jung's "Night in Paradise" with art director Cho Hwa-seong. He joined Park's first OTT drama "Tyrant" (2024).
His best-known works include Won Shin-yun's film The Battle: Roar to Victory (2019), where he also worked with Art Director Lee Jong-geon and Martial Arts Director Kim Min-soo.
In 2022, Kim collaborated with director Jeon Woo-sung on the TVING original series Bargain.
In 2024, Kim served as panel in Conjinwon-Netflix, Production Academy Program Operations.
Filmography Feature films +Feature film credit(s) Year Title Credited as EnglishKorea DirectorDoPDoPCrewLighting1996The Real Man진짜 사나이Park Heon-soo rowspan="4" rowspan="4" rowspan="4" The Adventure of Mrs. Park박봉곤 가출사건Kim Tae-kyun1997Beat비트Kim Sung-su1998Girls' Night Out처녀들의 저녁식사Im Sang-soo1999Earnest Desire절망Lee Kyu-man Phantom, the Submarine유령Min Byung-cheon rowspan="3" rowspan="3" rowspan="3" Eternity영영Kim Dae-hyun2000Musa무사 Kim Sung-su2002 The NameThe NameRyu Hoon Marriage Is a Crazy Thing 결혼은, 미친짓이다 Yoo-ha rowspan="6" colspan="2" rowspan="6" 2004 Father and Son: The Story of Mencius 맹부삼천지교 Kim Ji-youngMr. Gam's Victory슈퍼스타 감사용Kim Jong-hyun2005 Hello, Brother안녕, 형아Lim Tae-hyung 2006 The Marshmallow Times 라즈베리 타임즈 Lee Seung-il,Hiroshi Fukutome2007 The Restless 중천Jo Dong-oh A Good Day to Have an Affair 바람피기 좋은 날 Jang Moon-il Punch Lady펀치 레이디Kang Hyo-jin rowspan="5" colspan="2" rowspan="5" 2008My new partner마이 뉴 파트너Kim Jong-hyun2009 Tidal Wave해운대Yoon Je-kyoon Harmony하모니Kang Dae-gyu2010The Showdown혈투Park Hoon-jung Encounter조우Im Tae-hyung colspan="2" 2011Quick퀵Jo Beom-gu rowspan="3" colspan="2" rowspan="3" 2012The Tower타워Kim Ji-hoon 2013 A Wedding Invitation 영화 이별계약分手合约 Oh Gi-hwanBlack Gospel블랙 가스펠hisMT Ministry 2014Black Gospel 2: People I Met on a Journey to Find Souls블랙 가스펠 2: 소울을 찾는 여정 가운데 만난 사람들Kim Sung-kwon,Lee Im-ju rowspan="6" colspan="2" rowspan="6" The Pirates해적: 바다로 간 산적Lee Seok-hoon 2015My Sister, the Pig Lady돼지 같은 여자Jang Moon-il 2016Never Said Goodbye시칠리아 햇빛아래Lin Yu-hsien 2017 V.I.P. 브이아이피Park Hoon-jung 2018The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion마녀 2019Citizen Roh시민 노무현Baek Jae-ho 2020The Battle: Roar to Victory봉오동 전투Won Shin-yun rowspan="4" colspan="2" rowspan="4" Night in Paradise 낙원의 밤Park Hoon-jung 2022The Witch: Part 2. The Other One마녀 Part2. The Other One The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure해적: 도깨비 깃발Kim Jung-hoon2023The Moon더 문Kim Yong-hwa
Web series +Web series credit Year TitleCredited as English Korean Director DoP DoP Team 2022 Bargain 몸값 Jeon Woo-sung 2024 The Tyrant 폭군 Park Hoon-jung Newsen
Accolades Awards and nominations +Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nominationAward ceremonyYearCategoryNomineeResult 56th Baeksang Arts Awards 2019 Technical Award The Battle: Roar to Victory 30th Blue Dragon Film Awards 2009Best Cinematography and Lighting Tidal Wave 40th Blue Dragon Film Awards 2019 The Battle: Roar to Victory 42nd Blue Dragon Film Awards 2020 Night in Paradise 44th Blue Dragon Film Awards 2023 The MoonKim Young-ho,Hwang Soon-wook 30th Buil Film Awards 2021 Best Cinematography Night in Paradise 32nd Buil Film Awards 2023 The Moon 25th Chunsa Film Art Awards 2020 Best Technical The Battle: Roar to Victory 30th 2007 Bronze Award for Best Cinematography The Restless 41st Grand Bell Awards 2007 Best Cinematography The Restless 51st Grand Bell Awards 2014 The Pirates 56th Grand Bell Awards 2020The Battle: Roar to Victory 59th Grand Bell Awards 2023 Best CinematographyThe Moon 5th Korea University Film Festival 2009 Best CinematographyTidal Wave 29th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards 2009 Best CinematographyTidal Wave 6th 2019 Best Cinematography The Battle: Roar to Victory
Listicles +Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placementPublisherYearListiclePlacementKorean Cinematographers Guild201821 Cinematographers with excellent cinematographyPlaced
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