According to him, Korean cinema has a unique soul. Del Toro named and praised two prominent Korean directors, Bong Joon Ho (creator of “Parasite”) and Park Chan-wook (director of “The Vengeance Trilogy,” whose new film was shown this year in Busan), as his role models.

Regarding these directors, del Toro said, “They bring the chaos, the ridiculous, the sublime, the poetic, and the horrible all together in one film.” He then referred to Bong Joon Ho’s 2003 film, “Memories of Murder,” as one of his favorite movies. “It’s not an American procedural; it’s a deep existential meditation and an imperfect investigation by imperfect police who are themselves corrupt. It’s so beautiful that the Manichaean idea of good versus evil that exists in American cinema is not seen in this cinema.”

The Oscar-winning director also referred to Park Chan-wook as a “twin soul” and “one of the most beautiful, desperate, and existential romantics in cinema.” Del Toro added that in this cinema, romantic heroes don’t exist in the usual Hollywood style; instead, they are grappling with their own darkness and existential aspects.

Del Toro stated that Korean cinema has remained faithful to its cultural authenticity rather than commercializing for foreign markets. He said, “They make their films in a way that is unique to them. Every time I want to feel a little more alive, I watch a Korean movie.”

He also spoke about his new adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel, describing it as “very autobiographical,” filtered through his 60-year-old Catholic Mexican perspective. This viewpoint is completely different from the Protestant English perspective of the original book’s author