Released in Korea in 1978, Gold Wing 123, or Golden Wing 123, is an animated sci-fi superhero feature from Kim Cheong Ki, who also directed the classic Robot Taekwon V (1976) and created the popular Wuroemae series. Like Robot Taekwon V, Gold Wing 123 draws from Japanese genre themes and character designs to create Korea's very own world-saving transforming superhero, a young man who attains super powers and is tasked to defend earth from the evil plans of a galactic conqueror. Known in the West as Goldwing, Gold Wing 123 is one of Korea's earliest and most classic animated films. The Gold Wing 123 was mastered in HD for Blu-ray release, but some imperfections still exist in the film due to the state of the original archive print.
Director
Kim Chung-gi
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Gold Wing 123 emerged during Korea's ban on Japanese cultural imports, making its Ultraman-adjacent aesthetics a bold act of underground pop culture smuggling.
Kim Cheong Ki allegedly completed this in six months with a skeleton crew, explaining why entire shots look like they were drawn during lunch breaks.
KR
