A Century's End (1999 Film)

A Century's End (Korean: 세기말; RR: Segimal) is a 1999 South Korean film written and directed by Song Neung-han. The film provides a critical examination of contemporary South Korean society during the late 1990s, a period marked by significant economic and social transition.

Poster for the film A Century's End — Promotional poster for the 1999 film A Century's End.

Narrative Structure

The film is structured into four distinct chapters, each addressing different facets of societal instability and moral ambiguity in Seoul. The chapters are titled:

Moratorium
Amorality
Moral Hazard
Y2K

Through these segments, the narrative follows the lives of various individuals, reflecting on the anxieties and cultural shifts prevalent in South Korea at the turn of the millennium.

Cast

The film features an ensemble cast, including:

Kim Kap-soo as Choi Du-sup
Lee Jae-eun as So-ryeong
Cha Seung-won
Lee Ho-jae
Ahn Suk-hwan
Jung Kyung-soon
Lee Ji-eun
Jo Kyoung-hoon
Ryu Tae-ho
Jo Duk-je
Heo Gi-ho as Professor Jung
Lee Yoon-gun as Professor Park
Hong Suk-youn as taxi driver 1
Jang Nam-yeol as detective 1
Choi Min-geum as So-ryeong's mother