Naval war film 'Noryang' surpasses 3 mln admissions

"Noryang: Deadly Sea," a movie about South Korea's legendary naval admiral Yi Sun-sin, surpassed 3 million cumulative viewers on the 11th day of opening, Lotte Entertainment said Saturday. Director Kim Han-min's final installment of his trilogy about the 16th century admiral recounts the last naval battle between a retreating Japan and the allied forces of the Joseon and the Ming dynasties that pursued them. As of 3 p.m. Saturday, the 2.5-hour epic film took up 34.2 percent

Dec. 30, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Noryang: Deadly Sea” (South Korea) Opened Dec. 20 History/Action Directed by Kim Han-min In 1598, the seven-year Japanese invasion of Korea nears the end as Joseon's national hero Admiral Yi Sun-sin leads an allied fleet of Joseon and Ming to Noryang Strait and annihilates the Wae army. “12.12: The Day” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 22 Drama/Action Directed by Kim Seong-su Over the course of nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979, Gen. Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jung-min) attempts a

Dec. 30, 2023

Jeon Hye-jin’s upcoming comedy action flick, ‘Mission: Cross,’ delays release

Upcoming comedy action flick “Mission: Cross," starring actor Jeon Hye-jin, has delayed its theatrical release, according to distributor Plus M Entertainment. “Mission: Cross,” directed by Lee Myung-hoon, initially was to hit local theaters during the Lunar New Year in February 2024. But Plus M Entertainment said the release has now been delayed, without mentioning the concrete reason. The specific date of the film's release has not been decided, it added. Industry in

Dec. 29, 2023

Actors, directors mourn death of Lee Sun-kyun

Actors and those in the entertainment industry in South Korea on Thursday turned out in force to say goodbye to prolific actor Lee Sun-kyun who took his own life in Seoul on Wednesday. Lee, 48, had been under police investigation since October over suspicions of using illicit drugs on several occasions earlier this year. Scores of actors and directors that Lee had worked with paid their respects at Lee’s funeral altar at the Seoul National University Hospital funeral hall in Jongno-gu, Seo

Dec. 28, 2023

Entertainment industry cancels press events to mourn Lee Sun-kyun's death

A series of press conferences and interviews were canceled following Lee Sun-kyun's sudden death on Wednesday. As Korean actors and entertainment industry insiders express their condolences, more industry events are likely to be canceled over the next few weeks. Local broadcaster tvN said Wednesday it would reschedule the live online press conference for its new romantic comedy drama "Marry Me Now" to Jan. 1. The press conference was prepared to take place at 2 p.m. Wednesday. Act

Dec. 27, 2023

Lee Sun-kyun's acting career from television to silver screen

South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, 48, was one of Korea's most decorated actors on television to silver screen, both domestically and internationally. Lee debuted as the lead actor in the short film "Psyco Drama" in 2000, a story about a lonely nurse. On television, Lee first appeared on broadcaster MBC's sitcom series "Lovers" in 2001, playing an unemployed troublemaker. Lee rose to stardom with the character Choi Do-young in MBC's megahit medical drama "Be

Dec. 27, 2023

Lee Sun-kyun found dead during probe over alleged drug use

Prolific Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun was found dead inside a car in Seoul on Wednesday, days after the third round of police questioning on Saturday over suspicions of illegal drug use. He had been claiming innocence and had requested a lie detector test. According to police on Wednesday, the 48-year-old was found unconscious inside a car parked near Waryong Park in northern Jongno-gu, Seoul, at around 10:30 a.m. He was confirmed dead in an apparent suicide at the scene and was not sent to a hospi

Dec. 27, 2023

Korean auteurs, prolific actors return to silver screen in 2024

Award-winning filmmakers including Bong Joon-ho and prolific actors such as Choi Min-sik are returning to the silver screen next year to deliver joy and laughter. Much-awaited sequels of global blockbuster franchises are also slated for local opening. “Mickey 17,” Bong’s new film since “Parasite” (2019), will hit theaters on March 29 next year, according to Warner Bros. Pictures. The movie is based on Edward Ashton’s 2022 sci-fi novel “Mickey7,” wh

Dec. 26, 2023

'The Glory,' 'The Roundup: No Way Out' most searched-for titles: Naver

The most searched-for television program on the mobile version of the nation's most popularly used search engine was "The Glory," with the most searched-for movie being "The Roundup: No Way Out," according to a report from Naver. According to Naver's report on popularly searched for keywords in 2023 released Thursday -- which made use of Naver's data collected from January to November -- the most searches for a television show on Naver's mobile application

Dec. 26, 2023

“12.12: The Day” becomes 2nd film this year to attract 10M moviegoers

“12.12: The Day,” director Kim Seong-su’s historical drama revisiting the military-led coup that took place in 1979, became this year’s second film to join the club of 10 million tickets sold after “The Roundup: No Way Out.” Having opened on Nov. 22, “12.12: The Day” took just 33 days to attract 10.06 million moviegoers, according to the number tallied by Korea Film Council on Sunday. The film is the first non-sequel Korean film to surpass 10 mil

Dec. 25, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“12.12: The Day” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 22 Drama/Action Directed by Kim Seong-su Over the course of nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979, Gen. Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jung-min) attempts a coup, while another commander, Lee Tae-shin (Jung Woo-sung), tries to stop the secret plan from unfolding. “Pororo Popstar Adventure” (South Korea) Opened Dec. 13 Animation Directed by Yoon Je-wan, Kim Seong-min Pororo and friends accidentally land on the planet Parangdol and participate in a

Dec. 22, 2023

[Herald Interview] Director Kim Han-min calls trilogy on Adm. Yi ‘blessing from heaven'

Director Kim Han-min who helmed “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” (2014), South Korea’s biggest hit of all time with 17 million admissions, spent the last decade producing a trilogy on Adm. Yi Sun-sin, one of the most revered figures in Korean history. On Wednesday, the epic finale “Noryang: Deadly Sea” opened in theaters. “I’m just not ready to leave Adm. Yi Sun-sin. To borrow his word, it was definitely a blessing from heaven – 'cheonhaeng

Dec. 20, 2023

Korean Film Archive screens this year’s acclaimed indie films

The Korean Film Archive (KOFA) is currently screening 14 well-received indie films that were released between December 2022 and November 2023. The 14 films will be screened at KOFA’s Cinematheque theater in Mapo-gu, Seoul. KOFA said the screening will not only wrap up this year’s indie film scene but will also give audiences a chance to revisit this year’s hit indie films. The 14 indie films to be screened include: Director Lee Ji-eun’s “The Hill of Secrets,”

Dec. 15, 2023

'12.12: The Day' lifts November ticket sales in cinemas overall: KOFIC

The continued success of modern historical drama flick “12.12: The Day” has led to improved November ticket sales at local theaters overall, according to the Korean Film Council. According to KOFIC data, November ticket sales at local theaters reached 70.2 percent of pre-pandemic levels at 41.1 billion won – up by 22.5 percent on-year. The average number of November ticket sales at cinemas from 2017 to 2019 stands at 58.6 billion won. The KOFIC said “12.12: The Day”

Dec. 15, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“12.12: The Day” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 22 Drama/Action Directed by Kim Seong-su Over the course of nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979, Gen. Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jung-min) attempts a coup, while another commander, Lee Tae-shin (Jung Woo-sung), tries to stop the secret plan from unfolding. “Our Season” (South Korea) Opened Dec. 6 Drama Directed by Yuk Sang-hyo Bok-ja (Kim Hae-sook) visits her daughter Jin-joo (Shin Min-a) as part of her “vacation from heaven” af

Dec. 15, 2023

[Herald Review] ‘Noryang,’ a grand finale to trilogy on Adm. Yi Sun-sin

Director Kim Han-min returned to the silver screen after 1 1/2 years to bring to a close his decadelong project on Admiral Yi Sun-sin, this time with the epic finale “Noryang: Deadly Sea.” A lot larger in scale, “Noryang" features epic characters and more sophisticated computer graphics than its first installment “The Admiral: Roaring Currents,” South Korea’s biggest hit of all time with 17 million admissions, and its prequel “Hansan: Rising Dragon.

Dec. 13, 2023

[News Analysis] What CJ ENM gains from uniting US, Japanese content firms

Japanese film and TV studio Toho International's $225 million investment in the US studio of South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM is seen by industry experts as CJ ENM's move to strategically assemble a content powerhouse as it readies to battle streaming giants Netflix and Disney+. Toho International is the American branch of the Japanese production firm behind the current box office hit, “Godzilla Minus One.” The Korean release of the film has not yet been confirmed. S

Dec. 12, 2023

Original foreign animations, budget films outshine blockbusters in 2023

This year saw Korean cinemas slowly coming back to life from the damage of the pandemic, bringing more moviegoers to theaters than last year. However, ticket sales show that it's not blockbusters or sequels that satisfy audiences, but original storytelling and unique foreign animated and budget films. According to Korea Film Council data, a total of 111.6 million moviegoers visited theaters from Jan. 1 to Dec. 7 this year. Considering that a total of 112.8 million people visited theaters fr

Dec. 11, 2023

‘The Nature Man’ wins grand prize at 49th Seoul Independent Film Festival

Director Noh Young-seok’s “The Nature Man” won the grand prize at the 49th Seoul Independent Film Festival, the organizer announced Monday. “The Nature Man,” starring Shin Un-seop, Byun Jae-sin and Jeong Yong-hoon, tells the story of two ghost-seeking YouTubers who happen to meet a bizarre man who lives in a forest by himself. The director wrote, shot and edited the film. He also did the art and music direction for the film. Judges for the film fest said “The

Dec. 11, 2023

Short film streaming platform Samansa launches in Korea

Samansa, a streaming platform that specializes in short films, has soft-launched operations in South Korea, becoming its second country of operations. The service, founded in Japan in 2021, provides some 800 short films from around the world, with subtitle options including Japanese and Korean. The platform claims 45,000 subscribers and 200,000 monthly active users in Japan, with numbers growing by 10 to 15 percent, monthly. "There's rapid technological development in the way people wa

Dec. 11, 2023