In our lives, we have good things and bad things, happiness and pain.

It is not possible for a person to be completely free of sin and be squeaky clean.

Living without hate for people is almost impossible.

Lots of people think the violence in the films I make is overwhelming, but they think they're seeing something that they aren't seeing.

People who really try to be conscious of what they have done, who take responsibility, to me these kinds of people are heroes.

The atmosphere of Catholicism in Korea is quite different to the way it is practised and perceived in Europe or the U.S.

The reason I want to show shocking things is that they always pose an ethical question.

There's a humble beauty about listening to period instruments that I like.

Visual elements are, of course, the director's job.

When I grow older and less popular, there will come a time when I have to shoot films on low budgets.

When I was growing up, we were taught in school that North Koreans, and especially the North Korean leadership, were all devils.

When I was making my first films, I was very interested in Hollywood B movies.

When it comes to remaking my own films in the English language, I can only imagine that it is a very boring process, I wouldn't ever dream of it.

When we are confronted with extreme situations, we forget about moral issues; we simply act and must then accept the consequences.

When you consider the concept of vampirism, it is inherently part of a Western culture.

Whenever I visit a city, I like to see what classical music concerts are on offer.

Whether it's trivial or important, every choice has a moral aspect to it to a certain degree.

Actors, I think, are all the same. Both Korean actors and American actors are all very sensitive people, and they are all curious to know what the director thinks of them and how they are evaluated, and they try to satisfy the director. And they like it if you listen carefully to their opinions and accept them.

All of the characters in my films, they share one commonality. It doesn't matter whether they are good or bad, it doesn't matter whether they are smart or stupid, these characters all take responsibility for their own behavior. I'm much the same.

I cannot believe that violence depicted onscreen actually causes people to act out violently. That's oversimplifying the issue. If somebody commits a violent act after seeing violence in a movie, I think the question that needs to be asked is: would that person still have committed the act if he had not seen a violent film?