What Jeongbaengi Is About
Jeongbaengi documents a real disaster and its human aftermath. In July 2024, torrential rains submerged the Jeongbaengi village area of Yongchon-dong in Seo-gu, Daejeon, leaving residents facing catastrophic flood damage. Rather than focusing on the disaster itself, the film's lens stays on the people living through it — their survival, the psychological weight of trauma, and the collective, unglamorous work of rebuilding daily life from the ground up. What's striking is that it's framed not as tragedy porn but as a portrait of community resilience.
What We Know So Far
Directed by Oh Jeong-hun and produced by indie company Haidendeun Co., Jeongbaengi was made with support from Daejeon City and the Daejeon Information & Culture Industry Promotion Agency (DICIA). According to Financial News, the documentary has been selected for the Korean Competition section of the 23rd Seoul International Environment Film Festival — one of Asia's most significant environmental film events. The film held its first special preview screening on May 16, 2026 at CGV Daejeon Tanbang, and Noc Cut News reported that the response was strong enough to warrant wider distribution.
Runtime clocks in at 90 minutes. As a documentary, it features the actual residents of Jeongbaengi village and various interviewees rather than professional actors — these are the people whose lives were upended.
Why It's Anticipated
Environmental documentaries have become a critical focal point in global cinema, and Jeongbaengi arrives at a moment when climate-driven disasters feel less like outliers and more like the new normal. What makes this one different — honestly — is that it's not lecturing. It's not a systems-analysis film or a climate-change manifesto. Instead, it's anchored in the specific, the local, the human. One village. One summer. The people who were there.
That it's screening at a festival of this caliber, selected from thousands of submissions, signals that the filmmaking community sees something worth watching here. The fact that it's being distributed nationally in Korea suggests confidence that audiences want to see this story too — not as spectacle, but as witness.
Release Date and Where to Watch
Jeongbaengi is expected to premiere at the Seoul International Environment Film Festival (opening June 5, 2026) and will receive a nationwide theatrical release in Korea on June 24, 2026. The film hasn't been released yet. Streaming availability hasn't been confirmed — Movie OTT will track platform announcements as distribution rights are finalized across regions. Check the Where-to-Watch widget below for updates as they're announced.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Jeongbaengi releasing?
Jeongbaengi is expected to premiere at the Seoul International Environment Film Festival on or shortly after June 5, 2026, with a planned theatrical release in Korea on June 24, 2026. International release dates haven't been announced yet.
Is Jeongbaengi out yet?
No. As of now, the film hasn't been released to the public. It's held one preview screening (May 16, 2026) and will premiere at the festival before its theatrical rollout.
Where will I be able to watch Jeongbaengi?
Streaming availability hasn't been confirmed yet. The film is currently slated for theatrical release in Korea. Movie OTT will update this page as soon as streaming platforms or additional release information becomes available.
What's the runtime?
Jeongbaengi runs 90 minutes.
Who directed Jeongbaengi?
The documentary was directed by Oh Jeong-hun and produced by indie company Haidendeun Co., with support from Daejeon City and the Daejeon Information & Culture Industry Promotion Agency.
What to Look Forward To
Jeongbaengi arrives at the intersection of urgent environmental storytelling and intimate human drama — a documentary that doesn't need a hook beyond its premise. Watch for updates on Movie OTT as the June festival premiere approaches and the theatrical release date draws closer.
