DISTRIBUTION
Thirteen rare Korean films. New 4K restorations. A collection ready to be rediscovered by audiences around the world.
The restoration of The Whapung Collection is the first stage of a much larger ambition: to return these films to international circulation after decades of limited availability.
Produced between 1979 and 1985, the thirteen films reveal a little-known chapter in the career of Chung Chang-wha and offer a remarkable cross-section of Korean popular cinema at the turn of the 1980s.
For many audiences outside South Korea, these will effectively be discoveries. International distribution is therefore an essential part of the project — not simply as the exploitation of a restored catalogue, but as the means through which these films can once again become part of a living film culture.
PROJECT STATUS — OCTOBER 2026
The 4K restoration programme is currently progressing in South Korea.
As of early October 2026, the first two films have been restored and subtitled in English, creating the first international presentation masters from the collection.
Three additional titles are currently undergoing restoration, while work is progressing across the remaining films.
The programme is moving rapidly through its principal digitisation phase, with the 4K scanning of the complete thirteen-film collection expected to be completed by November 2026.
Restoration, colour work, sound treatment, quality control, subtitling and preparation of final masters will continue on a title-by-title basis as each film progresses through the workflow.
FROM RESTORATION TO REDISCOVERY
A restoration only fully achieves its purpose when a film can be seen again.
For The Whapung Collection, international distribution is therefore inseparable from preservation. The creation of new 4K masters provides the opportunity to return films that have been extremely difficult to access for decades to cinemas, festivals, cinematheques and home audiences.
The collection is particularly significant because it extends beyond the martial arts cinema for which Chung Chang-wha is best known internationally. These thirteen films encompass drama, romance, youth cinema, melodrama, historical subjects, martial arts and more adult-oriented productions, revealing a much broader picture of both Chung’s work as a producer and Korean popular cinema of the period.
The objective is consequently not simply to preserve thirteen films, but to establish the conditions for their long-term international circulation and rediscovery.
WORLDWIDE RIGHTS
Karmax-910 controls worldwide rights across all media for the thirteen films included in The Whapung Collection.
This makes it possible to develop a coordinated international strategy for the collection while remaining open to different forms of exploitation and partnerships according to each territory.
Rights and licensing opportunities may include:
• Theatrical distribution
• Home video — Blu-ray / UHD
• VOD and streaming
• Television and broadcast
• Festival and cinematheque screenings
• Repertory and retrospective programming
• Special screenings and cultural events
A COLLECTION — AND THIRTEEN INDIVIDUAL FILMS
The Whapung Collection has been conceived as a coherent restoration and rediscovery programme, but each of its thirteen films also has its own identity, genre, audience and potential for international distribution.
Partners may therefore discuss opportunities involving individual titles, selections of films or the collection as a larger programme.
This flexibility makes the catalogue suitable for a wide variety of partners, from specialist physical-media labels and streaming platforms to theatrical distributors, broadcasters, festivals and cultural institutions.
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS
Karmax-910 welcomes discussions with distributors, home-video labels, streaming platforms, broadcasters and other professional partners worldwide interested in introducing these films to new audiences.
As restoration progresses, viewing materials and information concerning available masters can be provided to qualified professional partners.
The collection also offers opportunities for editorial and historical contextualisation around Chung Chang-wha, Korean cinema of the late 1970s and 1980s, and the long-standing connections between the Korean and Hong Kong film industries.
DISTRIBUTION & LICENSING ENQUIRIES
Professional enquiries regarding territorial rights, licensing, available titles, viewing materials and distribution opportunities are welcome.
Worldwide Rights & Sales: Karmax-910
RIGHTS & LICENSING →
CONTACT →
Preserved from original film elements.
Restored in 4K.
Ready for a new international life.