Legal
Mandatory deposit under the Motion Pictures & Video Act
What We Do
Actively discovering and collecting materials at home and abroad
For future generations, KOFA receives domestic films by mandatory deposit under Article 35 of the Motion Pictures and Video Products Promotion Act, and also collects by donation, purchase and copying. It collects all genres, incl. features, documentaries and animation, in every format from film to digital files. It also gathers production records (scripts, continuity books, censorship files, posters, stills, flyers) and items of exhibition value (costumes, props, equipment, books, magazines).
Methods
Gift
Free transfer of film prints (gift contract)
Buy
Ownership acquired through a sales contract
Copy
Copies made when donation or deposit is not possible
Cataloging: Helping Everyone Find and Use Collected Materials
The Korean Film Archive systematically organizes information about films and other audiovisual materials it collects so that users can easily find and use them. Cataloging records basic information such as title, producer, year of production, and content, together with the material’s form, format, and production and holding information, so that each item can be identified and understood. This lets the archive manage information on collected materials by consistent standards and helps users search for and use the materials they need.
KOFA sets its own cataloging standards, drawing on international film description and domestic records standards, and builds systematic information on collected materials. This catalog data supports search and use, and is a key basis for studying Korean film history and culture.
Optimal Care & Systematic Checks for Permanent Preservation
Physical film carries cultural and historical information and is the most stable medium known. To preserve it, KOFA runs climate-controlled vaults at two sites, Sangam and Paju, minimizing risk of loss.
Film is damaged by physical and chemical factors and eventually deteriorates. KOFA constantly monitors optimal temperature and humidity per film type, and periodically measures color density and shrinkage, rewinds film and adds chemicals. All film cans and poly bags pass the ISO Photographic Activity Test (PAT). With optimal care and systematic checks by film type, we strive to preserve film permanently.
Film Holdings
As of June 30, 2026
| Type | Region | Titles | Film Types | Sets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feature Film |
Korea | 6,079 | Negative Film | 6,076 |
| Print (Positive) Film | 10,994 | |||
| Intl | 2,637 | Negative Film | 976 | |
| Print (Positive) Film | 3,000 | |||
| Non-Feature Film |
Korea | 3,253 | Negative Film | 2,248 |
| Print (Positive) Film | 2,553 | |||
| Intl | 1,052 | Negative Film | 82 | |
| Print (Positive) Film | 1,147 |
Korean Film Holdings by Decade
As of June 30, 2026
| Era | Titles | Titles Held | Held % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tot | 16,713 | 14,940 | 89.4% |
| 1910 | 7 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 1920 | 59 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 1930 | 73 | 5 | 6.8% |
| 1940 | 91 | 20 | 22.0% |
| 1950 | 317 | 67 | 21.1% |
| 1960 | 1,540 | 720 | 46.8% |
| 1970 | 1,380 | 1,195 | 86.6% |
| 1980 | 936 | 928 | 99.1% |
| 1990 | 775 | 763 | 98.5% |
| 2000 | 1,117 | 1,112 | 99.6% |
| 2010 | 4,567 | 4,491 | 98.3% |
| 2020 | 5,851 | 5,639 | 96.4% |
Kept optimal via cleaning, disinfection, deacidification, sorting
KOFA preserves non-film materials, an important audiovisual heritage: video, audio, posters, flyers, stills, scripts, periodicals, censorship documents and museum objects, kept by medium in dedicated climate-controlled vaults. Causes and condition of deterioration are assessed, and cleaning, disinfection, deacidification or organizing is applied per material to keep it stable.
Video and audio are periodically cleaned, inspected and rewound, and copied or migrated by priority. Posters are kept in neutral-paper folders with neutral interleaving sheets to prevent surface damage and overlap. Stills are kept in archival paper and sealed neutral boxes; both are being digitized. Documents are sterilized and disinfected, and rapidly acidifying ones deacidified. Museum objects, such as props and costumes, are treated by material and condition, then stored in dedicated boxes and dehumidified cabinets.
Non-Film Holdings
As of June 30, 2026
| Type | Type | Qty |
|---|---|---|
| Videotape | DV / 8mm / DVCAM / HDV | 3,794 |
| 1inch / VHS / Betamax / U-matic | 36,085 | |
| Betacam / Betacam SP / D2 / D3 / D5 / Digi-Betacam | 10,981 | |
| HDCAM / HDCAM SR | 2,331 | |
| Video Disc | LD | 3,972 |
| HD DVD / VCD / DVD / Blu-ray | 65,070 | |
| Audio | LP | 25,143 |
| TAPE | 30,656 | |
| CD | 79,298 | |
| Images | Posters / Flyers | 58,445 |
| Stills / Still Film | 1,093,060 | |
| Docs | Scripts / Continuity | 50,562 |
| Theses / Periodicals | 32,807 | |
| Books | 21,509 | |
| Press Kits | 11,763 | |
| Others | 5,858 | |
| Censor | 10,161 | |
| Objects | Film Equipment / Props | 1,593 |
| Other Objects | 1,429 |
Preservation & Restoration to Extend Film Life
The Korean film preserved by the Korean Film Archive numbers over 4,000 titles, including A Crossroads of Youth (1934), the oldest surviving Korean feature film. Until film production shifted to digital in the 2010s, film graced the history of Korean cinema; it is a shared asset and a precious cultural heritage to hand down to future generations.
Film deteriorates naturally over time. Storage conditions such as temperature and humidity, and long-term storage, can cause shrinkage, deformation, contamination and scratches. To slow this, KOFA performs detailed inspection, cleaning and splice repair, and duplicates or restores onto new stock when needed, preserving originals in cold, dry conditions. KOFA is Korea’s only institution with printing and processing facilities for professional film restoration.
Preservation & Restoration to Extend Film Life
The Korean film preserved by the Korean Film Archive numbers over 6,000 titles, including A Crossroads of Youth (1934), the oldest surviving Korean feature film.
Until film production shifted to digital in the 2010s, these films graced the history of Korean cinema. They are a shared asset and a precious cultural heritage to hand down to future generations. However, film naturally deteriorates over time. The Korean Film Archive therefore carries out preservation treatments that slow deterioration alongside restoration work that transfers film to new stock, extending the life of film. The Korean Film Archive is currently the only place in Korea with printing and processing facilities for film restoration.
We digitize and restore film. This means scanning film digitally and reproducing the work’s color and visual characteristics as faithfully as possible to create a 4K digital cinema screening master. Film has the best resolution and preservability of any existing moving-image medium, but it easily collects dust, scratches, and shrinks after long exposure to environments outside proper temperature and humidity. Digital restoration repairs this damage characteristic of film. It is very demanding and time-consuming work that requires continuous technical research.
Korean Film History Research & Outreach
Since 2004, KOFA has pursued research and publication with two goals: building a foundation for Korean film history research and popularizing it. It later founded the Korean Film History Research Institute to strengthen research support and share results.
The Curatorial Research Team continues this work, organizing Korean film historical materials through veteran filmmaker oral histories and online collections to support scholars worldwide. It also produces Korean classic film Blu-ray and DVD collections and the Archive Prism series for the public, and runs publication and academic projects supporting overseas Korean studies and fans.
Introducing the New KMDb & Online Channels
KMDb (www.kmdb.or.kr), the Korean Film Archive’s flagship service, is Korea’s largest Korean film database, where you can easily search not only Korean films and filmmakers but also the diverse audiovisual materials held by the archive.
Provides film festival award information and curated film lists, and introduces user-created lists under the new name "Selection." The "Film Writings" section with in-depth criticism and columns, and the "Collection" section with scholarly curation of holdings, offer rich information and insight to both film lovers and researchers.
Online Channels
Guide to the online channels run by the Korean Film Archive. Select a channel to open its site in a new window.
Official SNS
Video & Exhibit
YouTube
Classic Film Theater
Watch over 190 Korean classic films online for free, with Korean and English subtitles.
YouTube
KOFA Official Channels
Provides videos of KOFA events such as GV (Q&A with the audience) held at Cinematheque KOFA.
Naver TV
Classic Film Theater
Over 190 Korean classic films, the same as on YouTube, can also be watched on Naver TV.
Google Arts & Culture
Google Arts & Culture
Moments of Korean film history in text, images and video, such as "Actor Song Kang-ho" and "Director Lee Man-hee’s Films and Life."