Colonial-Era Korean Cinema, Kim Won-bo, and the Visual Structure of Korean Martial Body Culture: A Comparative Study of Nongjungjo (1926) and Subak-Related Materials

This study examines possible relationships between colonial-era Korean cinema, anti-colonial historical networks, and Korean martial body culture through comparative analysis of the 1926 film Nongjungjo , directed by Lee Gyu-seol, and visual materials associated with Kim Won-bo.

Particular attention is given to a fighting scene in Nongjungjo depicting close-range combat mechanics involving frontal body control, upper-body destabilization, and rear-hand striking motions. These structures are compared with movement characteristics documented in later Subak-related materials associated with Kim Won-bo and subsequent Korean martial transmission traditions.