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'Even sci-fi can't match this': Bong Joon-ho on Korea's brush with martial law
Oscar winner's decades of political observations come full circle Even for auteur Bong Joon-ho, whose films have imagined everything from mutant river monsters to genetically engineered superpigs, South Korea's brush with martial law felt like science fiction run amok. When now-impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency powers on the night of Dec. 3, the Oscar-winning director found reality outpacing his wildest scenarios. "The whole thing was more surreal than any sci-fi film," Bong t
Feb. 10, 2025 -
Actor-director Yang Ik-june faces assault investigation
News comes just days ahead of Yang's scheduled press appearance for his upcoming thriller 'Confession' Seoul police confirmed Monday they are investigating actor-director Yang Ik-june on allegations of assault. Yang is accused of repeatedly hitting a staff member with rolled paper and making verbal threats at a bar in Seongbuk-gu on Dec. 13. The case is expected to be forwarded to prosecutors this week, according to police. The news comes ahead of Yang's scheduled appearance at a prerelease even
Feb. 10, 2025 -
Jeonju film fest seeks volunteers as local films pack lineup
The Jeonju International Film Festival is gearing up for its 26th edition with an annual call for volunteers. The festival, which celebrates indie and experimental film, is slated to run from April 30 to May 9 at Jeonju's Cinema Street. The festival is seeking 400 volunteers to staff 12 departments, from Korean and international film programming to marketing and technical support. The festival welcomes applications from anyone 18 or older residing in Korea, including foreign residents proficient
Feb. 10, 2025 -
A midwinter's sunny day
'Sunny Day' cast presents seaside tale of homecoming and second-chance romance The cast of "Sunny Day" turned Friday's press conference following the press screening of the film at Yongsan CGV into an impromptu variety show, the team's easy rapport spilling off-screen as they shared anecdotes and traded friendly jabs well past the scheduled time. The film takes this buoyant spirit as its guiding principle -- perhaps its only distinction -- to craft a narrative where life's thornier realities dis
Feb. 10, 2025 -
Korean theaters roll out Oscar showcase programs
Major chains offer nominees lineup ahead of March 2 ceremony Awards season is kicking into high gear as the 97th Academy Awards nominations have arrived after multiple delays due to wildfires in Los Angeles. Riding the awards season wave, South Korea's leading theater chains are treating film enthusiasts to a wide array of special screenings featuring major Oscar-nominated films. Running through February and March, these exclusive showcases offer both unreleased works and recent hits before the
Feb. 7, 2025 -
Bold as his film, 'The Fall' director relishes Korean revival
Director's visual odyssey found unexpected audience in Korea following Christmas rerelease Few filmmakers seem to embody their film as vividly as Tarsem Singh, who showed up at Thursday's press event with the same theatrical flair that defines his newly restored work. At Seoul's Yongsan CGV, the Indian filmmaker arrived in a pink floral jacket and yellow striped vest, kneeling amid bursts of camera flash lights. The showy gesture sums up the spirit of his 2008 extravaganza "The Fall," which has
Feb. 6, 2025 -
CGV unveils advanced format lineup for February
ScreenX, 4DX and IMAX screens showcase fresh titles from Marvel's latest to Oscar winner Bong Joon-ho's "Mickey 17" Multiplex cinema chain CGV has unveiled its premium and large-format slate for February. Marvel's "Captain America: Brave New World," Bong Joon-ho's "Mickey 17" and the supernatural anime "Exorcism Chronicles" are among the lineup to screen at ScreenX, 4DX and IMAX theaters. The theater chain steps up the viewer experience through ScreenX's three-wall panoramic display, 4DX's senso
Feb. 6, 2025 -
At CJ ENM's Visionary tribute, celebrating border tale that changed Korean cinema
Park Chan-wook, cast of 2000 film 'Joint Security Area' reunite In the fall of 2000, as South Korea and North Korea engaged in their first tentative steps toward reconciliation, a film about four soldiers from the South and the North playing cards across the world's most fortified border opened in theaters. The premise seemed improbable, even dangerous, as the South's National Security Law, more strictly enforced back then, punished any depiction of North Korea in the media in a favorable light.
Feb. 5, 2025 -
Star producer Na Young-suk to create Netflix original
Netflix 2025 lineup includes boxing legend Manny Pacquiao in 'Physical: Asia' Netflix unveiled its 2025 content slate on Tuesday, promising a diverse lineup spanning TV series, films and entertainment shows. The global streaming powerhouse detailed its strategic vision at the "Next on Netflix 2025" press event on Tuesday, emphasizing its commitment to genre-spanning storytelling. "In the content industry, it's easy to fall into the temptation of repeating past successes. However, that is a trap.
Feb. 4, 2025 -
'Exhuma' shares Jury Prize at France's Gerardmer Fantasy Film Festival
Jang Jae-hyun's occult thriller shares Jury Prize with Canadian feature 'Rumors' as 'In a Violent Nature' claims Grand Prix South Korean supernatural thriller "Exhuma" split the Jury Prize at France's Gerardmer International Fantastic Film Festival on Sunday, continuing the momentum for Korean genre films in the international film festival circuit. Director Jang Jae-hyun's boundary-crossing horror film shared the honor with "Rumors," a Canadian feature from Guy Maddin and the Johnson brothers. R
Feb. 3, 2025 -
‘Squid Game’ actor Lee Joo-sil dies at 81
Lee Joo-sil, who appeared in Netflix's global hit drama series “Squid Game,” has died at the age of 81, her agency said Monday. Lee had battled stomach cancer since being diagnosed with it in November, her agency, 1230Culture, said. In the second season of “Squid Game,” Lee played the mother of police officer Hwang Jun-ho, played by Wi Ha-joon, who in the first season infiltrated the game as a guard to search for his missing brother. Her other major roles include the mother of Park So-yun, a cha
Feb. 3, 2025 -
'Hitman 2' tops Lunar New Year holiday box office, selling 1.26 m tickets
"Hitman 2," starring Kwon Sang-woo, claimed the top spot at the box office during the six-day Lunar New Year holiday. According to the Korean Film Council, the action-comedy topped the holiday box office by selling 1.268 million tickets from Saturday to Thursday, bringing its cumulative total to 1.51 million. Coming in second was "Dark Nuns," a supernatural thriller starring Song Hye-kyo, which sold 1.05 million tickets during the holiday, pushing its total to 1.18 million. "Harbin," which premi
Jan. 31, 2025 -
Sequels, remakes dominate Seollal box office
Risk takes back seat to proven formulas as studios chase familiar hits In South Korea, where the Lunar New Year traditionally sends millions flocking to multiplexes for family entertainment, this year's cinema offerings suggest an industry increasingly wary of original bets. As Koreans gear up for the six-day holiday, theaters are rolling out the most risk-averse holiday lineup in recent memory — three new releases, each a sequel or remake. Leading the pack is "The Priests 2: Dark Nuns," an occu
Jan. 27, 2025 -
Robert Pattinson's Korean food adventure turns spicy during 'Mickey 17' press tour
Robert Pattinson's first brush with Korean street food turned into a hilarious ordeal of sweat and laughter as The Batman star kicked off the press tour for Bong Joon-ho's latest sci-fi venture "Mickey 17." In a clip posted on the film's official Instagram account on Thursday, Pattinson hit up a local Yongsan eatery with director Bong. The actor dives straight into the tteokbokki, only to discover that the supposedly "mild" dish was actually the "very spicy" option -- a prank set up by the staff
Jan. 24, 2025 -
Korean Film Council rolls out AI-enhanced masterclass in Saudi Arabia
The Korean Film Council has launched a global film education initiative in Saudi Arabia in partnership with the Korean Academy of Film Arts and NEOM Company to assist emerging Saudi filmmakers. Director Kim Tae-yong of "Late Autumn" and "Wonderland" is heading the six-day intensive program that began Jan. 21, joined by "Wonderland" producer Park Kwan-soo and KAFA professor Na Kyung-chan. The masterclass breaks new ground by incorporating OpenAI's "Sora" for AI-powered storyboarding. It builds on
Jan. 24, 2025