Academy Award-winning actress Youn Yuh-jung has spoken out about South Korea's conservative attitudes toward sexual minorities, calling for greater acceptance and equality. Speaking at a press conference for her latest film "The Wedding Banquet" at the Busan Cinema Center, the acclaimed actress emphasized that "everyone is equal, whether gay or straight" and expressed hope that Korean society would become more progressive on LGBTQ+ issues.
"Korea is still conservative, so I hope things move forward. We should open our hearts to all people," Youn stated during the September 19 press conference held ahead of the film's screening in the World Cinema section of the 30th Busan International Film Festival. The actress drew comparisons between Korea and the United States, noting that "our country is not yet like the United States in terms of being more accepting of sexual minorities." She reinforced her message by adding, "We are all human and we are all equal."
Youn's comments carry particular weight given her personal experience with LGBTQ+ issues. During the film's U.S. release, she revealed that her eldest son publicly came out as gay in 2000. She shared that after New York legalized same-sex marriage, her son held his wedding ceremony there. The actress noted that her personal journey with her son's sexuality was closely connected to her involvement in the film, explaining that she drew from those experiences in her performance, though she did not mention her son specifically during the Busan press conference.
"The Wedding Banquet" is a romantic comedy remake of acclaimed Taiwanese director Ang Lee's 1993 film of the same title, which won the prestigious Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. The updated story follows Min, a gay Korean student studying in the United States who faces the prospect of returning home after graduation and decides to arrange a fake marriage with a lesbian woman to appease his family. James Schamus, who co-wrote the original screenplay with Ang Lee, also penned the script for this contemporary remake.
The film features actor Han Gi-chan in the lead role of Min, while Youn plays his grandmother who travels from Korea to America to attend what she believes is her grandson's legitimate wedding. The movie made its debut at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and is scheduled to open in Korean theaters on September 24, giving local audiences their first opportunity to see this culturally significant remake.
Korean American filmmaker Andrew Ahn, who has publicly identified as gay, directed the remake. Ahn shared his personal connection to the original film during the press conference, explaining, "When I first saw Ang Lee's 1993 film, I didn't realize how meaningful it was to portray an Asian homosexual character. Later, as both a person and a filmmaker, I was greatly influenced by it." He elaborated on his motivation for remaking the film, stating it wasn't simply because he loved the original movie, but because "so much has changed since then, including the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States, and I also reached an age when many of my Korean friends were getting married."
Ahn made significant cultural adaptations to the remake, changing the main character's background from Taiwanese to Korean and incorporating various Korean cultural elements throughout the story. "Since I am Korean, of course I wanted to show Korean culture," Ahn explained. "Through Korean wedding rituals like the pyebaek ceremony, I became more aware of my identity as both a Korean and a Korean American. I wanted to explore my identity through the wedding scenes." The director added a deeply personal reflection: "As a gay man, I had wondered if I could ever have such a wedding, but through this film, I feel like I experienced a Korean wedding for myself."
Interestingly, Ahn originally approached Youn to play Min's mother, but the veteran actress suggested taking on the grandmother role instead, citing her age as a factor in the decision. Youn offered insight into her approach to the character, explaining, "Acting is not like solving a math problem where you plan out everything depending on whether you are the mother or grandmother. The love for a child is the same." However, she noted that becoming a grandmother in real life had changed her perspective: "After becoming a grandmother, I realized that unlike when I was a parent – when I scolded my kids and told them not to do things out of a sense of duty – I became much more forgiving. Life never goes the way you want. Now I only hope my grandchildren grow up healthy. Maybe those thoughts showed through in my performance."
Han Gi-chan, who portrays the conflicted gay student Min, shared his approach to the challenging role during the press conference. "To love someone is ultimately to love their inner self. I approached the role from the perspective of loving someone's soul," he explained. Reflecting on the broader themes of the film, Han described it as "a story about new forms of family," expressing his hope that "it becomes a film that embraces audiences with humor, friendship, and warmth."
The remake arrives at a time when LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance remain contentious issues in South Korea, despite growing international pressure for greater inclusion and equality. Youn's candid comments about Korea's conservative stance, combined with her personal experience as the mother of a gay son, add significant weight to the cultural conversation surrounding the film's release and its themes of family acceptance and love.
