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Han Gong-ju

Han Gong-ju

2013 · Film · South Korea · Drama

Directed by Lee Su-jin · 112 min

Although inspired by the 2004 group sexual assault of a middle school girl in Miryang, the character Han Gong-ju and her life after the incident were creatively reconfigured. It portrays the life of a girl who transferred schools after being sexually assaulted. Han Gong-ju in the film is difficult to regard as a character who directly portrays a specific real person.

C

OVERALL TRUTH BASIS · Inspired reconstruction

Inspired by the 2004 gang rape of middle school girls in Miryang, but the character Han Gong-ju and her life after the incident were creatively reconstructed.

Gang rape of middle school girls in Miryang

A case of sexual violence involving the gang rape of middle school girls in Miryang that occurred in 2004. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea confirmed human rights violations during the investigation, including the disclosure of victims’ identities and details of their victimization, and recommended that those involved be referred for investigation and that measures be taken regarding supervisory responsibility.

Event details →

FACT / FICTION

Verification 6

Fact / Fiction verification

6 records
FactConfidence High

<Han Gong-ju> is a feature film directed by Lee Su-jin.

On screen · Verified record
On screen
—
Verified record
This is confirmed by interviews with the director and coverage of the film.
View 1 sources
  • LEE Su-jin, Director of HAN GONG-JUKOFIC KoBiz · Creator interview · Grade AOpen source →
FactConfidence High

The film was inspired by the 2004 gang rape of middle school girls in Miryang.

On screen · Verified record
On screen
It depicts the life of a girl who transfers schools after being sexually assaulted.
Verified record
The connection to the inspiration is confirmed by interviews with the director and subsequent coverage.
View 3 sources
  • LEE Su-jin, Director of HAN GONG-JUKOFIC KoBiz · Creator interview · Grade AOpen source →
  • True Crime in South Korean Cinema - Han Gong-juKOFIC KoBiz · Specialist database · Grade AOpen source →
  • 밀양여중생 집단성폭행 피해자 인권침해 직권조사 결과 관련자 수사의뢰 및 관리책임자 징계 등 권고국가인권위원회 · Government source · Grade AOpen source →
CompositeConfidence High

Han Gong-ju is not a character who uses an actual victim’s real name as-is.

On screen · Verified record
On screen
A character using the alias Han Gong-ju is at the center.
Verified record
The director expressed caution about limiting the work to the specific past incident itself.
View 1 sources
  • LEE Su-jin, Director of HAN GONG-JUKOFIC KoBiz · Creator interview · Grade AOpen source →
FictionConfidence Medium

The detailed events involving friends, family, and school after the transfer cannot be equated with the records of the actual incident.

On screen · Verified record
On screen
—
Verified record
The film takes an actual incident as its starting point and constructs the life after the victimization cinematically.
View 2 sources
  • LEE Su-jin, Director of HAN GONG-JUKOFIC KoBiz · Creator interview · Grade AOpen source →
  • <한공주> 이수진 감독 인터뷰 - 영화가 끝난 뒤 생각이 시작되길 바랐다씨네21 · Creator interview · Grade BOpen source →
FactConfidence High

The work’s true-story and historical background includes the “gang rape of middle school girls in Miryang.”

On screen · Verified record
On screen
Inspired by the 2004 gang rape of middle school girls in Miryang, but the character Han Gong-ju and her life after the incident were creatively reconstructed.
Verified record
Inspired by the 2004 gang rape of middle school girls in Miryang, but the character Han Gong-ju and her life after the incident were creatively reconstructed.
View 2 sources
  • LEE Su-jin, Director of HAN GONG-JUKOFIC KoBiz · Creator interview · Grade AOpen source →
  • True Crime in South Korean Cinema - Han Gong-juKOFIC KoBiz · Specialist database · Grade AOpen source →
CompositeConfidence Medium

Han Gong-ju in the film is difficult to regard as a character who directly reproduces a specific real person.

On screen · Verified record
On screen
Character in the film.
Verified record
It is appropriate to distinguish her as a fictional, composite, or dramatized character.
View 1 sources
  • LEE Su-jin, Director of HAN GONG-JUKOFIC KoBiz · Creator interview · Grade AOpen source →

CHARACTER ↔ PERSON

Characters and real people

1 characters

한공주

Fictional composite character

Sources used

  1. LEE Su-jin, Director of HAN GONG-JUKOFIC KoBiz · Creator interview · Grade AOpen source →
  2. True Crime in South Korean Cinema - Han Gong-juKOFIC KoBiz · Specialist database · Grade AOpen source →
  3. 밀양여중생 집단성폭행 피해자 인권침해 직권조사 결과 관련자 수사의뢰 및 관리책임자 징계 등 권고국가인권위원회 · Government source · Grade AOpen source →
  4. <한공주> 이수진 감독 인터뷰 - 영화가 끝난 뒤 생각이 시작되길 바랐다씨네21 · Creator interview · Grade BOpen source →