[Feature] What do you know about Korean zombies?

From their bloody makeup to bone-breaking motions, the zombies in Korean films and drama series have been satisfying viewers’ lust for the zombie apocalypse. But zombies were never the favored choice for films and drama series at first, as local horror fans were much more drawn to evil-possessed characters or ghosts. However, the spine-tingling zombies in horror-thriller “Train to Busan” (2016) and Netflix’s “Kingdom” (2019) have changed all that, with the

Jan. 26, 2022

Korean Theater Association urges government aid amid COVID-19

The Korean Theater Association on Tuesday released a statement to urge the government to give assistance to local theaters that have been suffering since COVID-19 broke out two years ago. The Korean Theater Association’s members include the top three local multiplex operators -- CGV, Lotte Cinema and Megabox. “We have been complaining about the financial difficulties caused by the pandemic and asked for support for the survival of our film industry, but we have not received any c

Jan. 25, 2022

[Herald Interview] Veteran actor, journalist join hands to create political documentary

Veteran actor Kim Eui-sung and journalist Choo Chin-woo’s political documentary about the monthslong candlelight protests in Korea that led to former President Park Geun-hye’s ouster, titled “Candlelight Revolution,” is finally set for release, a month ahead of presidential election. “I proposed this project to Choo,” Kim said during an interview with a group of reporters on Monday. “When I was traveling back in 2018, I was listening to the radio and h

Jan. 24, 2022

[Herald Interview] Seol Kyung-gu returns with timely movie about presidential election

Presidential election season is in full swing as the two main opposing parties level an endless stream of allegations at each other to win over more votes. This is a rough description of what happens in hit maker Byun Sung-hyun’s new political film “Kingmaker,” as well as what is happening in the Korean political scene right now. The film’s main lead Seol Kyung-gu, who played opposition party politician Kim Woon-beom, said that the movie’s release date was not in

Jan. 22, 2022

Political drama, pirate film set to compete at holiday box office

Two homegrown movies will hit local theaters next week to lure film buffs and holiday shoppers ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday. "Kingmaker" and "The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure" will open Wednesday, three days before the five-day Lunar New Year holiday begins. The first day of the new year based on the lunar calendar falls on Feb. 1 this year. The political film "Kingmaker" depicts the subtle relationship between Kim Woon-beom (Seol Kyung-gu), an

Jan. 21, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Special Delivery (Korea) Opened Jan. 12 Action Directed by Park Dae-min Special delivery driver Eun-ha (Park So-dam) mainly works for a criminal group. She delivers anything that cannot be delivered legally. One day, Eun-ha receives a mission to deliver Seo-won (Jung Hyeon-jun), a young boy that a criminal group is chasing after. When she decides to save him, she becomes a target of not only the crime group, but also associated corrupt police officers. Sing 2 (US) Opened Jan. 5 Animation Direc

Jan. 21, 2022

Bong Joon-ho braces for sci-fi film based on unpublished novel about clone

Oscar-winning filmmaker Bong Joon-ho will likely come back with an English-language movie based on an unpublished US science-fiction novel on clones, with Hollywood star Robert Pattinson likely in a starring role, US media outlets reported Thursday. According to Deadline and other news media, the South Korean director is preparing to adapt Edward Ashton's upcoming novel "Mickey7" into a film with Warner Bros. Robert Pattinson, one of the most-sought after actors in Hollywood, is in t

Jan. 20, 2022

Hong Sang-soo's latest film to compete at this year’s Berlin film fest

South Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo will compete at the Berlin International Film Festival for the third year in a row. 　 　According to the lineup for the 72nd edition announced Wednesday, Hong‘s 27th feature, “The Novelist’s Film,” was listed as one of the 18 movies that will vie for the Gold and Silver Bears at the festival scheduled for Feb. 10-16. 　 　It is the third consecutive year that a Hong Sang-soo film has been invited to the competition section of the Berlin fes

Jan. 19, 2022

[Herald Interview] Kang Ha-neul returns as trouble-making swordsman in ‘The Pirates: Goblin Flag’

Kang Ha-neul is returning to the big screen as a trouble-making swordsman in “The Pirates: Goblin Flag” directed by Kim Jung-hoon. Director Kim’s new movie is set in the Joseon era and revolves around a journey by pirates looking for hidden treasures of a Goryeo Kingdom that no longer exists. “When I first read the script, I thought of Muchi (the character played by Kang) as a troublemaker, so it was important for him to stay somewhat hyper most of the time. I thought o

Jan. 19, 2022

23rd Jeonju International Film Festival to kick off in April

Jeonju International Film Festival’s organizing committee announced that the annual film fest will be held for 10 days from April 28 in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. The 23rd Jeonju IFF committee also added that it is hoping to return nearly to how it previously operated the international film festival before the pandemic. There will be 18 sections and 230 films will be screened during the festival, which shows the committee’s determination to host an event just how it was before

Jan. 17, 2022

[Herald Interview] Han Hyo-joo relishes role as charismatic captain in ‘The Pirates: Goblin Flag’

A female captain character is not only rare in Korean films but also for actress Han Hyo-joo, who is widely known for her roles in romantic movies. But Han said she enjoyed greatly playing the role of pirate captain in “The Pirates: Goblin Flag” directed by Kim Jung-hoon. “(Although it is set in the Joseon era,) I did not consider it as a period film but rather as a fantasy adventure movie so I could do everything freely and I really enjoyed it,” Han said. “When de

Jan. 16, 2022

Can ‘The Pirates: Goblin Flag’ be better than the original?

“The Pirates,” which attracted an audience of more than 8.6 million eight years ago, has returned as “The Pirates: Goblin Flag” directed by Kim Jung-hoon. Although it is the sequel of the hit Korean pirate film, those who have not watched the first movie can enjoy the film without much difficulty as everything -- from the director, plot to all of the cast in the film -- is new. “The Pirates: Goblin Flag” revolves around a journey by pirates looking for hidd

Jan. 15, 2022

Korean movie industry adopts NFTs

The Korean movie industry is taking to non-fungible tokens to attract audiences. Based on blockchain technology, NFTs are unique digital tokens of physical or digital assets that can be traded on the market. The value of the tokens changes depending on market demands. In conjunction with the release of “The Matrix Resurrections” on Dec. 22, Lotte Cinema and Warner Bros. jointly gifted NFT merchandise to the first 30,000 people who bought tickets. Moviegoers could get one of s

Jan. 14, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Special Delivery (Korea) Opened Jan. 12 Action Directed by Park Dae-min Special delivery driver Eun-ha (Park So-dam) mainly works for a criminal group. She delivers anything that cannot be delivered legally. One day, Eun-ha receives a mission to deliver Seo-won (Jung Hyeon-jun), a young boy that a criminal group is chasing after. When she decides to save him, she becomes a target of not only the crime group, but also associated corrupt police officers. The Policeman’s Lineage (Korea) Ope

Jan. 14, 2022

Yoo Ah-in, Ahn Eun-jin to star in Netflix’s ‘Goodbye Earth’

Global streaming service Netflix has confirmed the casting for its original series “Goodbye Earth,” Thursday. Actors Yoo Ah-in, Ahn Eun-jin, Kim Yoon-hye and Jeon Seong-woo will star in Netflix’s new apocalypse movie, according to the company. “Goodbye Earth” revolves around the stories of individuals who are left with only 200 days to live before an asteroid hits Earth. The series is a highly anticipated project. It is director Kim Jin-min’s third Netflix

Jan. 13, 2022

[Feature] Female film leads still out of sight in 2022

The Korean film industry as a whole weathered a tough year in 2021, with only a few movies opening in theaters amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Looking at the list of films that did get a cinematic release, once again, it is hard to ignore the conspicuous absence of female actors. On the list of 20 highest grossing films in Korea last year are five Korean films --“Escape from Mogadishu, “Sinkhole,” “Hostage: Missing Celebrity,” “Hard Hit” and &ldq

Jan. 11, 2022

‘Sewing Sisters,’ a documentary that moved Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook

The upcoming documentary “Sewing Sisters” is a film recommended by the nation’s top filmmakers Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook. “Sewing Sisters,” co-directed by Kim Jung-young and Lee Hyuk-rae centers around three women who used to work for textile companies at Peace Market in the 1970s. “Parasite” director Bong appeared on stage before the film’s pre-screening event held on Jan. 4 and said, “I came here as a supporter and fan of the movie

Jan. 11, 2022

Korean movie, TV series released in China for first time in about 6 yrs

A South Korean movie and a TV series have been officially released in Chinese theaters and via a local streaming platform for the first time in about six years, raising cautious hopes that the yearslong cultural freeze between the neighboring countries is thawing. The comedy film "Oh! My Gran" (2020), starring veteran actress Na Moon-hee, hit Chinese theaters in December, becoming the first Korean-made film released in China since the period action movie "Assassination" in 2

Jan. 11, 2022

President Moon congratulates ‘Squid Game’ actor Oh Young-soo

In a congratulatory message released after actor Oh Young-soo was announced as the winner in the supporting actor in a series, limited series, or television movie category at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, President Moon Jae-in applauded the actor, saying, “His journey of acting for more than half a century eventually overcame borders and cultural differences, creating great emotional and lingering impressions on the world stage. I would like to express my respect and gratitude to actor Oh

Jan. 10, 2022

Oh shines after decades in theater, TV, films

Since his debut in classic Korean film “The Seashore Village” in 1965, Oh Young-soo, 77, has taken various roles in theatrical projects, drama series and films, eventually winning the award for best supporting actor at the 97th Golden Globe Awards for his role as Oh Il-nam in “Squid Game.” He is the first Korean actor to win a Golden Globe. “After hearing the news, I told myself that ‘you are a good guy’ for the first time in my life,” the actor

Jan. 10, 2022