UN Journal Kayla Lee |   A women's human rights film based on a true story — "47 Years, 7 Months: A Female Professor's Outing" — has made its public debut through a production showcase, with a formal audience release now announced.

 

 

Director Han Myeong-gu's film held its production showcase on June 30 of last year at the Korea House folk theater in Jung-gu, Seoul, where the director officially introduced the film's production background and its core message. The film traces the tragic life of a woman who, after suffering sexual violence within the family during childhood, found herself cut off from mainstream society — raising fundamental questions about crime, human dignity, and social responsibility.

 

The film's protagonist, Song Bul-sun, is sexually assaulted by her uncle at the age of 13, and subsequently falls into a life of crime — theft and pickpocketing — in order to survive. She goes on to learn criminal techniques inside a correctional facility, falls into a cycle of recidivism, and ultimately accumulates a total of 28 arrests and 47 years and 7 months behind bars. Never once given a real chance at a normal life, the story of a woman who spent the majority of her existence incarcerated forms the central narrative of the film.

 

Director Han Myeong-gu at the Production Showcase

 

The director described Song Bul-sun's story as "not simply a record of crime, but a record of the structural wounds that society has long turned away from," adding that it is "a film that asks viewers to look back at the environment in which a person began their life, before condemning them." He further emphasized that the film "is not a crime story, but a film that asks about human dignity and social responsibility," stressing the need for deeper reflection on women's human rights and social support systems.

 

Shining a Light on Korea's Women's Prisons

 

47 Years, 7 Months is also notable as one of the rare Korean films to focus closely on the realities of women's correctional facilities and the lives of inmates. The film realistically portrays daily life inside a prison — its systems, routines, and the human relationships among inmates.

 

Among the details depicted: the six-color uniform classification system for inmates, twice-daily washing, a ban on private food and personal items, a newspaper purchase request system, a prison visitation performance system, inter-inmate cultural activities, exchanges with inmates at other facilities, and the formal discharge procedures upon sentence completion — all woven into the film's narrative alongside its human story.

 

The film also captures the protagonist's efforts to begin a new life at a facility for people with disabilities after her release, raising questions about rehabilitation and humanity.

 

 

Over 200 Veteran and New Actors Participate

 

The film features a large cast of both veteran and emerging actors, lending it a strong sense of authenticity.

 

Principal Cast:

Yoo Young-mi — Song Bul-sun (protagonist)

Jeong Hye-seon — Song Bul-sun's mother

Choi Da-hyeong — Prison warden 'Daemo'

Hwang Ji-ae (Sena) — Hong Kong pickpocket ring leader

Kim Hee-young — Japanese pickpocket Michiko

 

 

Additional veteran actors participating include Choi Jun-yong, Kim Deul-hyeon, Kim Hyeong-il, Jeong Hong-jae, Kim Hye-seon, Han Tae-il, and others, while emerging actors include Eom Su-bin, Kwak Su-jin, Lee Ae-rin, Mi Gyeong-kim, Hwang Jae-hee, Song Ji-hee, Choi Ye-ji, Kim Min-seo, Song Jeong-bin, Sin Hyeok-ho, and Adia Kim, among others. A total of approximately 200 actors and staff participated in the production, elevating it to full-scale feature status.

 

 

"Not a Criminal — a Victim of the System"

 

The film's final scenes are expected to show Song Bul-sun, having completed her sentence, beginning a new life at a facility for people with disabilities with the help of a social worker — a closing that speaks directly to themes of recovery and human dignity.

 

The production team stated that the film is "not a simple criminal biography, but a record showing how a person's path through life can be distorted by social structures," and that it is intended to be "a work that makes audiences think again about women's human rights and social responsibility."

 

Director Han Myeong-gu's true-story film 47 Years, 7 Months: A Female Professor's Outing is currently in post-production and is targeting a 2026 theatrical release.

 

Reporter Lee Jeong-ha | haya9004lee@gmail.com Copyright © Diplomacy Journal Corp. All rights reserved.