The reason why I always wanted to make an American film was because of the Western genre. It is something that I would very much like to make in the future, because it's very uniquely American, and I can't make a Western film in Korean.

When I'm writing something, if it gets too serious, I just can't bear it, so I take a step back and take the overall scene in and vent the air a little bit.

I tend not to use the humor which would only apply to Koreans, or which would only affect the Koreans, as much as I can.

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

Certain subjects may no longer be taboo in cinema. But there are ways to treat them that still create shock.

Actually, I can't stand watching violent scenes in films; I avoid watching horror films. I don't tend to watch action films mainly because I find them boring, but I watch the films of David Cronenberg and Martin Scorsese, usually in a state close to having a heart attack. I'm a complete coward. I make violent films as a result of my sensitivity to violence - in other words, my fear of violence.

I hate jeans for no reason.