First printed in 2008, the second series of Korean film stamps produced by Korea Post contains films from after liberation, from 1945 through to the 1960s. Representative films include "Mother and the Guest," "The Seaside Village," "The Coachman" and "The Wedding Day." Continuing with this series of articles, please find below an introduction to the second film, "The Seaside Village."

'The Seaside Village' (1965)

'The Seaside Village' (1965) is directed by Kim Su-yong and is made by Daeyang Films. (image : Korea Post)

The film "Gaenmaeul," or, "The Seaside Village," has as its backdrop a seaside village on the east coast. It draws the lives of the widows whose husbands were lost at sea. They find company in their peers who suffered a similar fate.

The protagonist is the youngest widow, Haesoon, who loses her husband soon after marriage. Another young man in the village, Sangsu, remains attracted to her beauty. Under such circumstances, Haesoon's mother-in-law and brother-in-law aid the two to remarry, and the couple leaves the seaside village and head into the mountains.

As life in the mountains turns out to be more difficult than thought, she loses her husband yet again, and drawn by fate, she heads back to the seaside village once again.

The movie is based on the short story of the same title by Oh Young-su published in 1953 in Munae (文藝), a literary magazine. The film was praised for raising the aesthetic level of Korean cinema and for its exquisite portrayal of scenic nature, while also being awarded the Grand Bell prize. The film stars Ko Eun-ah, Shin Young-Kyun and Lee Min-ja, among others.

In 2008, Korea Post came out with its second series of Korean film stamps. It features 'Mother and the Guest,' 'The Seaside Village,' 'The Coachman' and 'The Wedding Day.' (image: Korea Post)

You can learn more about Korea Post's series of Korean film stamps here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVlQlKH1dm4.

The original movie can be viewed with English subtitles here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwbQgeavk-Y.

By Paik Hyun
Korea.net Staff Writer
cathy@korea.kr