A Crimson Mark
On a rainy night during the Joseon Dynasty, a high-ranking official casually recites a poem full of loneliness. The source of this covert loneliness is a fellow lower-ranking official, Hong Hyeon. Politically, they often…
Set during a rain-soaked night in the Joseon Dynasty, *A Crimson Mark* unfolds a forbidden romance between two officials of vastly different ranks. A high-ranking chancellor, burdened by loneliness, recites a melancholic poem that reveals his secret longing for a lower-ranking scholar, Hong Hyeon. Their covert affair is fraught with danger, as societal norms and political consequences threaten to tear them apart. In just 13 minutes, this pioneering South Korean short film captures the tension of a clandestine love story, using poetic visuals and a single, powerful metaphor—a hickey, or 'crimson mark'—to symbolize the passion and peril of their relationship. A landmark in early Korean BL, it offers a rare glimpse into historical queer romance with a quiet, sensual intensity.