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## Director Shin Seong-hoon, Acclaimed Filmmaker, Faced Industry⁤ Struggles Before Passing

Shin Seong-hoon, ‍the 40-year-old director celebrated for ‌his ⁤award-winning film *Thank You for ​Jjajangmyeon*, passed away in May. ‍Prior to his disappearance and subsequent death, Director Shin openly discussed the meaningful ‌financial and professional challenges ​faced by independent filmmakers in South Korea.

Director shin explained the precarious ‍nature ‍of a career in film, stating, “If you don’t make commercial films ​consistently, itS not easy to continue⁢ working​ as⁣ a director. Among short and independent film directors,there are probably many people who have a harder time than me. Everyone is just speechless. Until you start working in ‌commercial films, you have to live like​ a war every day.⁣ If you don’t‌ make films ‌consistently, we can’t make a living.”

The financial strain became so acute that Director Shin recently‌ took⁤ on a​ part-time job loading and unloading parcels. He described the ⁣physical toll, saying, “After working for a day, it wasn’t easy. It ‌hurt like my whole body was broken.Every time I went‍ to ⁢the bathroom, ‌I got a ‘hyeonta’. When I ⁢returned home after ⁤work, I thought, ‘Isn’t it the path⁢ to becoming‍ a director anymore?'”

Director⁣ Shin also spoke of a broader sense of disillusionment ‌within the independent film community.⁢ He noted that many directors shared similar struggles, and expressed feelings of hurt and ⁢betrayal stemming⁤ from collaborative relationships. “It’s just that not everyone is good at sharing ​deep stories, and the ⁤directors I‌ frequently enough communicated ‌wiht also have a hard time. We all have the​ same ⁤concerns in the same surroundings…There are times when delivery is‌ not possible. That’s why people leave repeatedly, and‌ it ⁤seems like a lot ‍of ‍emotions have ‍come and gone over the past few days,” he shared.Director Shin began his ⁢entertainment career⁢ as a‌ singer in 2002,​ later taking on minor acting roles. He achieved critical acclaim with *Thank You for jjajangmyeon* in 2022,winning both the Best Director and Best Picture awards at the 7th Hollywood Bluebird Film Festival.The⁢ film went‌ on to receive a total of 81 awards from various film festivals. Actress Hyunyoung,who appeared in the film as a talent donation,won the Best Supporting Actress⁢ Award in the Short Film Category at the ‘3rd Louive‌ Buñuel Memorial Awards’ at ⁤the ‌French Film Festival. Director Shin praised Hyunyoung’s dedication, noting her “deep sincerity” and “deeper ⁢understanding of​ movies than expected,” recalling her resilience during challenging filming conditions.

His subsequent ‌films, ‌*Minors* (released last year) and *God’s Choice* (released in February), also garnered recognition and awards at international film⁢ festivals. Director Shin’s⁣ final⁤ project, ⁤*Minors 2*, is currently‌ in post-production ​and was originally ⁢slated for release in the second half of this year.

[Image of Director Shin Seong-hoon from Light Culture House] ‌/Photo = Light Culture House