Koreans become aware of the Korean War from the very early childhood, but their levels of awareness vary greatly: Those who have personally experienced the war have opinions that inevitably differ from those who have only read about it in history books. Scorched Earth is an explosive documentary that destroys the boundaries between these two groups. Based on declassified US military documents and archival footage, as well as testimonies from those who participated in bombings and civilian victims, director Lee Mi-young thoroughly illuminates the reality of the US Air Force’s indiscriminate bombing that resulted in numerous civilian casualties during the three-year Korean War. This film, armed with shocking evidence about the bombings found in the materials Lee collected with strong determination, testimonies that vividly convey the reality of the war, and a keen narration, looks squarely not at a past war but at an incident that requires investigation. (HONG Eunmi)