Taking movies to the west

South Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk talks of the values of Asian cinema in Beijing. Wang Kaihao reports.

After a chilly phase in China-South Korea relations in recent times, things seem to start warming up again.

South Korean cinematic icon Kim Ki-duk's appearance in Beijing on Tuesday was probably an icebreaking trip for the two countries' cultural circles, especially as it comes a day ahead of South Korean President Moon Jae-in's state visit to China.

"I've always believed that there are boundless cultural and economic possibilities for cooperation between China and South Korea," he says. "I hope we can be together at the forefront of a new era of China-South Korea cultural relations."

In the past 15 months, cinematic exchanges between the two countries stagnated due to the tension over the deployment in South Korea of the US-developed Terminal High Altitude Area Defense antimissile system.

The 57-year-old director has won praise for his outstanding performance in several major European film festivals. In 2004, he won a Silver Bear (for best director) at the Berlin Film Festival with Samaritan Girl and was bestowed a Silver Lion (for best director) at the Venice Film Festival for 3-Iron. His film Pietu won the Gold Lion (best picture) in Venice in 2012.