I've grown up watching a lot of Western genre films on TV, and America is not just a country, but it's one of the most important countries in the world, and examining the process of how this nation came to be, it's an important thing, even for outsiders.

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.

In my opinion, all relationships between people have some sort of violence, and it is central.

If you are watching my films and wondering, am I missing humorous speak because I'm not Korean? Am I missing out? You don't have to worry, because you're only missing probably about a few cents worth out of your ticket price.

I did have a feminist side to me, just not in such a pronounced way.

I actually pay careful attention to that sort of thing - infusing humor into my films - because that's how important I think humor is.

I love Philip Glass' work, not only as a film composer but also as a musician. The film score work that he does always amazes and shocks me.