Cho Young-wuk

Cho Young-wuk, born January 1, 1962, is kind of a legend in the South Korean film scene, though you might not recognize his face. His music? Oh, you’ve heard it. If you’ve been swept up in the dizzying chaos of “Oldboy,” that’s him. The moody, haunting soundtrack that basically crawls under your skin. That was Cho, turning every scene into a fever dream. He’s the guy directors call when they want their movies to have a soul—or, you know, a punch to the gut. He didn’t just stop with “Oldboy.” Fast forward to “The Handmaiden,” and he’s back at it—lush, seductive, a little bit dangerous. Honestly, his scores almost mess with your head as much as the movies themselves. And “Decision to Leave”? Yeah, Park Chan-wook dialed up Cho again for that one, too. There’s this whole poetic, almost sneaky quality to his music; it creeps up on you, twisting the mood without you even noticing. He doesn’t just do thrillers, either. Cho’s been all over the map in Korean cinema, from indie gems to big, glossy blockbusters. Maybe that’s why he’s such a favorite among directors—they know he’ll never phone it in. Every note feels deliberate, sometimes as sharp as a knife, sometimes soft as a stolen glance. He’s a composer, a producer, and, honestly, one of those behind-the-scenes geniuses who keeps South Korean films sounding unforgettable.