Korea Independent: The Square

Korea Independent: The Square [OmeU] South Korea, 2025, directed by: Bosol Kim with Woonjong Jeon, Yujun Lee, Wonseok Seo, 73 min

The animated film “The Square” tells of the unrealizable love between Swedish diplomat Bori, who is stationed in Pyongyang, and traffic police officer Bok-ju. In the isolated reality of North Korea, their relationship must remain hidden and is at constant risk of blowing up. Additional tension is created by the perspective of interpreter Ri Myeong-jun, who monitors Bori and is increasingly drawn into a conflict of loyalty.

The film uses the grey wintry Pyongyang and an analog 2D animation style to sensitively capture loneliness, longing and the contradictory feelings of its characters.