Private Project

The spy and the young islander

In September 1976, one family’s tragedy has begun because of the Geomudo spy incident. The youngest daughter Kim Yeonghui who was 19 years old at that time, has been imprisoned in Gwangju Prison and met Yu Yeongsu, who got in for being accused of being a Korean spy living in Japan who studies abroad. Yeongsu got arrested for being a spy when he went to Korea to find out more about his motherland. After the long imprisonment, Yeongsu went to Yeonghui and proposed. It was Yeongsu’s mission to make her woman happy who went through the pain of the separation at the land that feels like her father. After half a century, Yeonghui went back to the court for her case. Through Yeonghui’s retrial, we accuse the state’s violence and hear the couple’s love story who overcame the darkness in their times.

a tragedy has begun because of the Geomudo spy incident. The youngest daughter Yeonghui has been imprisoned in Prison and met Yeongsu accused of being a Korean spy living in Japan. He got arrested for being a spy when he went to Korea to find out more about his motherland.

Yeongsu proposed her. It was his mission to make her happy who went through the pain of the separation at the father land. After half a century, she went back to the court for her case. we accuse the state’s violence and hear their love story overcoming the darkness.

  • Hokyung LEE
    Director
    The low lives of Osaka, A job who is near us.
  • Hokyung LEE
    Writer
  • Hokyung LEE
    Cinematographer
  • Jeonghun Cho
    Producer
    Docuinsight
  • Yeonghui Kim
    Key Cast
    "Female Presenter"
  • Yeongsu Yu
    Key Cast
    "Male Presenter"
  • Inwoo Park
    Original Music
  • Jihwan Kim
    Sound Editor
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature, Television
  • Runtime:
    50 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 29, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    Korea, Republic of
  • Country of Filming:
    Japan, Korea, Republic of
  • Language:
    Korean
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 28th Unification Press Awards
    Seoul
    Korea, Republic of
    October 24, 2022
    Special Prize winner
  • SIMFEST The International Film and Television Festival
    Singeorgiu de Mures
    Romania
    August 28, 2023
    International Premiere
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • KBS Media
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Hokyung LEE

Hokyung LEE was born in 1971, studied the oriental history and he has been working at Documentary Production Unit of KBS since 2000 and won various international festival & awards - i.e. ABU Prize, NewYork TV Festival, Houston Film Festival, Asian TV Awards, Sichuan TV Festival (Documentary Grand Prize and Best Director) and Bangkok Documentary Awards.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The production took 3 years. During filming, I experienced a range of emotions - laughing at the couple's romantic chemistry and crying at their struggles. It was truly an honor to bring their story to life. Although the espionage charge that caused the family so much stress for half a century has just been lifted, the couple's long-lasting despair and pain may never be fully compensated.