Photo: Photo by Tania Volobueva (tanka v) Cropped by RanZag / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Kim Ki-duk was a screenwriter, film producer and film director. Born on December 20, 1960, Kim Ki-duk was from Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang, South Korea. Death is recorded on December 11, 2020, at the age of 59. Listed accolades include Order of Cultural Merit, Silver Bear for Best Director (2004) and Golden Lion (2012). Notable works include Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring and Pietà.
My Take
Kim Ki-duk is one of those filmmakers I find impossible to watch passively. A self-taught director who clawed his way up from rural North Gyeongsang, he carried that hardscrabble grit into everything he shot. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring is serene, Pieta is brutal, yet both stare unflinchingly at human cruelty and grace. Winning both the Berlin Silver Bear and the Venice Golden Lion put him among Asia's most decorated directors, but he never sanded off his rough, outsider edge. His work is genuinely divisive, and I respect that. Losing him in 2020 felt like losing a singular, uncompromising voice.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Kim Ki-duk
- Name (Japanese)
- キム・ギドク
- Reading
- きむ・ぎどく
- Born
- December 20, 1960 – December 11, 2020
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Rat
- Origin
- Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang, South Korea
- Occupation
- screenwriter / film producer / film director / film editor / film actor
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- Order of Cultural Merit
- 2004 Silver Bear for Best Director
- 2012 Golden Lion
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring | — | |
| Notable work | Pietà | — |
4. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim%20Ki-duk
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A0%E3%83%BB%E3%82%AE%E3%83%89%E3%82%AF
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q212990
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Kim Ki-duk born?
Born December 20, 1960.
When did Kim Ki-duk die?
Died December 11, 2020, aged 59.
Where was Kim Ki-duk from?
Kim Ki-duk was from Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang, South Korea.
What did Kim Ki-duk do?
Kim Ki-duk worked as screenwriter, film producer, film director, film editor, film actor.
What was Kim Ki-duk known for?
Notable works include Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring, Pietà.
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