Overview

Aufsteiger Korea (Korea on the Rise) is a documentary directed by Jürgen Natusch and filmed in Seoul by cinematographer Nils Clauss over eleven days in March 2013. The film traces South Korea’s remarkable transformation from an impoverished agricultural country to one of the world’s leading industrial powers in the span of just two generations.

Through the stories of individuals shaping today’s Korea, the film offers a closer look at the forces driving this change. We meet Hyo Jin, a young journalist who has only ever known Korea as a modern high-tech society; Professor Lee Kark-Bum, who advocates for more flexible working hours and the idea of “smart working”; and Peter Schreyer, the chief designer whose creative vision has helped Hyundai and Kia gain recognition worldwide. Together, their perspectives highlight how Korea balances tradition, rapid growth, and global ambition.

Set against the backdrop of Seoul and its greater metropolitan region, home to around 25 million people, the documentary explores how companies like Hyundai and Samsung symbolize both the opportunities and challenges of this rise. Beyond economics, Korea on the Rise also asks how creativity, cooperation, and social reform can shape the country’s next chapter. The result is a portrait of a nation at a turning point, reflecting on past struggles while looking toward a more connected and innovative future.

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

NILS CLAUSS

PRODUCTION

A ZDF PRODUCTION