内容摘要：North Korean film director Park Jung-joo, who was born in South Korea, has died at the age of 74. Co

North Korean film director Park Jung-joo, who was born in South Korea, has died at the age of 74. Courtesy of Naver blog

By Lee Min-young

Park Jung-joo, a South Korean-born North Korean movie director, died on Tuesday at the age of 74, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a wreath and mourned his death, speaking highly of Park's career at the Korean Film Studio, for which he received the highest cultural award from the North's founder Kim Il-sung.

Park was in born in Gwangju, South Korea, and defected to the North during the 1950-1953 Korean War.

After starting with the short film "Wind of a Good Harvest Year" in 1974, he rose to fame in the 1990s when he was involved in making the 62-part North Korean propaganda film series "Nation and Destiny" under Kim Jong-il, the current leader's late father.

Park directed more than 40 art films during a career that spanned three decades.