My Punch-Drunk Boxer

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Movie: My Punch-Drunk Boxer (English title)
Revised romanization: Pansori Bokseo
Hangul: 판소리 복서
Director: Jung Hyuk-Ki
Writer: Jung Hyuk-Ki, Jo Hyun-Cheol
Producer: Lee Jung-Eun, An Eun-Mi
Cinematographer: Kang Min-Woo
Release Date: October 9, 2019
Runtime: 115 min.
Genre: Boxing
Distributor: CGV Arthouse
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

Byeong-Goo (Um Tae-Goo) was once a promising professional boxer. A mistake he made ended his career. He now makes a living by doing small jobs at a gym run by Mr. Park (Kim Hee-Won)). Byeong-Goo wants to make a comeback in the boxing ring, but he is diagnosed with punch-drunk syndrome (CTE). One day, Min-Ji (Hyeri) comes and joins the gym. She sees Byeong-Goo’s passion for boxing and supports him. With Min-Ji’s support, Byeong-Goo decides to complete his own peculiar boxing style “Pansori Boxing” and he begins his reckless challenge.

Notes

Filming began April 24, 2018 and finished June 7, 2018.

Cast



Um Tae-Goo	Hyeri	Kim Hee-Won
Byeong-Goo	Min-Ji	Director Park



Choi Joon-Young	Lee Seol	Choi Duk-Moon
Kyo-Hwan	Ji-Yeon	CEO Jang

Additional Cast Members:

Go Seung-Bo - Seung-Bo
Son Young-Soon - Kyo-Hwan's grandmother
Kim Min-Che - Ji-Yeon's mother
Lee Joo-Won - Director Lim
Lim Han-Bin - Han-Bin
Lim Sung-Mi - doctor / interviewer
Shin Yoo-Ram - Bull Gym director
Kim Han-Joon - doping news reporter
Won Geun-Hee - photo studio owner
Na Kyung-Jin - nurse 1
Yoo Yi-Joon - friend 2
Lee Hong-Nae - Bull Gym coach
Song Ha-Rim - A/S driver
Son Suk-Bae - small store Mr. Kang
Lee Min-Jae - medical staff
Kwon Hyuk-Sung - Firebird gym member 9
Shin Joo-Hyup - Min-Ji’s ex-boyfriend

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Comments

A Jul 15 2025 6:32 pm Just watched the movie and I loved the way we at times, felt we were "peeping Toms" in ByeongGu's life. We saw him through windows mostly, across the street, fron around a corner... We rarely saw him directly. I legit felt sad everytime we were "teletransported" to the next scene without a warning and could only think of how scary BG must have felt to suddenly finding himself somewhere without remembering how he got there... Everyone did well in their roles and the vintage feel of it (I'm not sure if this was a contemporary tale or what... I doubt it judging from the TV and the camera used) made you think about the times you don't want to forget but are fading in your memory or those you decide to leave behind as you grow older.

Aaaa Oct 18 2021 11:14 am It’s a beautiful movie, it’s funny deep and sincere. I wish there were more movies like this.

gaiabythesea Jul 04 2021 10:12 am My Punch Drunk Boxer is a calm film, moving at a pace as idyllic as the seaside town it is set in. It is a letter to times almost forgotten, the air of remembrance present in the smallest of details. You see almost no digital devices, the clothing is generic enough to be timeless and within each character, you find hints of yearning for the prime that they lack.

From Min Ji still confused about life, Gyo Hwan pushing forward for his and the forgotten past of Byeonggu and Director Park, you get a sense of listlessness that seeps into every scene.

The editing is choppy at times, so choppy that it has to be intentional, often coinciding with moments we see Byeonggu’s condition deteriorates. The sudden, confusing cuts mirror his own perception and provide a look into his mind. Indeed, Byeonggu and Director Park are the only characters granted with a clear point of view, the two who are in a time that is not theirs.

The simple but effective cinematography captures both, the sense of a forgotten place and the turmoil of the characters. Many wide shots are used, the action occupying only a small portion of the frame while life goes on around the characters. Even the last shot of the film is seen from a distance and even though only two are present, they are too far away to connect with. Close ups are reserved for heightened moments and often only for Byeonggu.

The colour palette also lends into the emotions. For ordinary scenes outside the gym, the colouring is often realistic and chaotic. The scenes in the gym are almost the same but surrounded by warm yellow that makes it seem oddly nostalgic - as if the gym almost exists in sepia

It is during the most emotional scenes that the palette narrows down drastically - from opening sequence, the confession in Min Ji’s room, the final conversation in the gym and the last match, the colours become unreal. Saturated. The palette becomes darker ans focused and you just know that something important is about to happen.

From the incorporation of traditional music, the emptiness in the boxing world and our forgetting and forgotten hero, this film dwells in the past without the wistful happiness of nostalgia. Far from perfect, it is just a peek into the feeling of fading away.

You get the crux about midway, in a scene where Byeonggu speaks to himself about his grandfather and how forgot himself. Every moment aches for something long gone because the biggest tragedy here is not forgetting or being forgotten but rather knowing that you are forgetting and being forgotten.

Irina Jan 16 2021 6:43 pm Uhm tae-goo is so talented and charismatic . Such a great actor

Fed Mar 06 2020 3:04 pm I don't understand did he die in the end of the movie or he was okay

Tuk Fai Feb 22 2020 5:07 pm A real disappointment. He didn't look a boxer and the script was so bad. Acting vs script was a mess.

HM Sep 22 2019 6:14 am Dempsey Roll? Ippo is that you? Go back to the ring already.

My Punch-Drunk Boxer

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Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

Notes

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