50 Years of the Korean Film Archive 1974~1990

KOFA was founded on January 18, 1974. Amid North-South rivalry, it quickly joined the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) after North Korea. It began as an affiliate of the Korean Motion Picture Promotion Corporation (KMPPC), located in Naeja-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

With the move to new premises in 1976 and FIAF observer membership, KOFA expanded its facilities. On February 28, 1979, two film storage rooms were opened, covering 159m² and holding about 2,000 films. Though limited, these provided a basic foundation for film preservation.

KOFA's full FIAF membership was approved in 1985 at the 41st NY Congress, 10 years after becoming an observer in 1976. 

KOFA's search for Korean films overseas began in the mid-1980s, focusing on Japanese studios and archives. The first success came in the late 1980s, acquiring four films from major Japanese studios, including Gyeongseong (1940) and Suicide Squad of the Watchtower (1934).

In 1988, the Seoul Olympics, a global sports festival that promoted Korea, was held. Various events were also held to promote Korean culture and art in time for the Olympics.

To showcase Korean cinema during the Seoul Olympic Cultural Arts Festival, KOFA held the Photo Exhibition of Korean Cinema from the Japanese colonial era to 1988 at the Chungmuro Station on the Seoul Subway, demonstrating its efforts to promote Korean film heritage.