[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] Behind the launch of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF)—Korea’s first international film festival—was Kim Dong-ho, the inaugural executive chairman, who pushed forward with a challenge whose success was far from guaranteed. EBS’s “Witness to the Times” looks back on the pivotal moments when Korean cinema expanded its reach to the world through his life story.

The third episode of “Witness to the Times,” airing on the 16th, reveals the journey of Kim Dong-ho, born in 1937, as he transitioned from a civil servant to a film industry professional and laid the groundwork for the Busan International Film Festival.
Kim Dong-ho took on the role of inaugural Executive Chairman just 13 months before the festival’s opening. The episode details how he pushed forward with the launch despite skepticism from those around him and successfully organized the first Busan International Film Festival—with a budget of 2.2 billion won—starting from an initial allocation of 300 million won.
The episode also focuses on how the international film festival managed to screen films despite the barriers of censorship at a time when all films were subject to prior review. This is significant not only as the birth of a film festival but also as a process through which Korean cinema secured a space to engage more freely with global cinema.
The first Busan International Film Festival, held in 1996, attracted 184,071 attendees. Its unexpected success served as the starting point for establishing Busan as Asia’s leading film city.
The documentary also highlights Kim Dong-ho’s hands-on approach. Director Bong Joon-ho recalled in a past interview that he had witnessed Kim Dong-ho personally running around the 1996 Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) to learn the ins and outs of film festival management.
The program also reveals the story of how, after facing backlash from the film industry upon his appointment as president of the Korean Film Council in 1988, he strove to become a filmmaker himself, as well as the behind-the-scenes story of the establishment of the Namyangju Film Studio, where major Korean films such as *Shiri* and *Joint Security Area (JSA)* were shot.
The broadcast also includes Kim Dong-ho’s tribute to the late Kang Soo-yeon. He visits her grave to remember her, having formed a bond with her following the 1989 Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF).
In this way, Kim Dong-ho’s personal history also serves as a record that intersects with the birth of the Busan International Film Festival and the growth of the Korean film industry. “Witness to the Times” traces the choices and challenges of a filmmaker, shedding light on how the foundation for today’s Korean cinema to connect with the world was laid.
“Witness to the Times” will air on EBS at 9:10 p.m. on the 16th.