Director Lee Byeong-heon behind 2019 hit comedy “Extreme Job” has returned with “Dream,” a sports comedy, which is being released eight years after the film was initially set up. The film tells the story of a Yoon Hong-dae (Park Seo-joon), a professional football player-turned-coach who is put on disciplinary probation after becoming involved in an unexpected incident and tasked with coaching the South Korean national soccer team for the Homeless World Cup. “There w

Film March 30, 2023

“Rebound” doesn’t just tell the real-life story of an underdog basketball team making it all the way to the championships – the film itself overcame real setbacks to make it into local theaters. The film, director Jang Hang-jun’s first project in 6 years, will finally open in local theaters after 11 years of setbacks. The film tells the moving story of passionate youths based on a real-life 2012 national high school basketball championship through tense, dynamic sce

Film March 29, 2023

Netflix will put on hold the release of an original film featuring Yoo Ah-in, after the 36-year-old actor was questioned by police over allegations that he habitually used illicit drugs. Netflix was slated to release director Kim Hyoung-joo’s “The Match,” which stars Lee Byung-hun and Yoo Ah-in, in the first half of this year. All decisions regarding the film, including the release date, will be “temporarily put off,” a Netflix official was quoted as saying to loc

Film March 28, 2023

March is a busy season for many university students in South Korea as it is the beginning of the new academic year. The arrival of spring has seen bustling subway stations and streets near universities, all packed with varsity jacket-clad students making their way to eateries and cafes nearby. Daehangno, which directly translates into “University Road” in English, is located in Hyehwa-dong in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The name dates back to the Joseon era when its top educational institution

Food March 25, 2023

Arts Council Korea has appointed both the director and curator of a Danish art center as the artistic directors of the Korean Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition in 2024, the first-ever joint artistic directorship since the establishment of the Korean Pavilion in 1995. Jacob Fabricius, the artistic director of Art Hub Copenhagen, and curator Lee Seol-hui at Kunsthal Aarhus in Denmark will plan the Korean Pavilion around the theme, “Korean Scent Journey."

Arts & Design March 25, 2023

For those who still love to handwrite their schedules on paper, or decorate their planners with colored pens and stickers, the small stationery shop All Write may be worth a visit. Located in Jongno-gu, central Seoul -- a 10-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station Exits No. 1 and No. 2, All Write is a store that doesn’t stand out in the calm, quiet neighborhood of Cheongunhyoja-dong. There is no sign or fancy entrance. Rather, the shop welcomes visitors with small potted plants. Unlike the

Culture March 24, 2023

“Woong Nam” (South Korea) Comedy Opened March 22 Directed by Park Sung-kwang Inspired by the Dangun myth, in which a bear turns into a human after 100 days of eating garlic and mugwort, “Woong Nam” tells a story of bear-turned-superhuman brothers Woong-nam and Woong-bok. Actor Park Sung-woong plays the dual role to depict police officer Woong-nam and criminal gang leader Woong-bok. The film was written and directed by comedian Park Sung-kwang. “Soulmate” (

Film March 24, 2023

The 2023 fall-winter collection by Lie Sang-bong for his eponymous brand, which was presented at last week’s Seoul Fashion Week, will travel to Vienna later this year for a special fashion show and exhibition. Veteran fashion designer Lie and the Belvedere Museum in Vienna collaborated to feature Austrian painter Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss” in Lie's latest collection. It was the Austrian museum’s first-ever project involving its art piece being presented through

Arts & Design March 23, 2023

Cannes-winning actor Jeon Do-yeon said she practiced a “do or die” mindset for her role as a top assassin in her first-ever action film, “Kill Boksoon.” “I was particularly careful about doing action scenes and practiced a lot because I had to (work with) fellow actors, not stuntpeople. I worried about getting too emotional and overdoing the action scenes,” she told reporters during a press conference held at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas on Tuesday.

Film March 21, 2023

Filmmaker Hong Sang-soo’s 29th project, “In Water,” will hit local theaters on April 12. “In Water” follows Seong-mo (Shin Seok-ho), an aspiring film director who has recently given up acting and decides to self-fund his own project. He and two friends go to an island to shoot the movie together, but struggling with what to make, as Seong-mo wanders around the rocky shores to find inspiration. There, he encounters a young woman picking up trash. The 62-year-old aute

Film March 20, 2023

Actor Park Seo-joon is returning to the big screen for the first time in four years with director Lee Byeong-heon’s sports comedy film “Dream.” The 34-year-old’s most recent project on the screen was the multiple Oscar-winning “Parasite” (2019). In still photos released by distributor Plus M Entertainment on Monday, Park is seen talking with actor Lee Ji-eun, who appears as documentary film producer Lee So-min. Lee is better known as IU, the name she uses for

Film March 20, 2023

“Suzume” (Japan) Opened March 8 Adventure/Animation Directed by Makoto Shinkai “Suzume” revolves around a 17-year-old girl’s quest to stop an apocalypse triggered by the opening of magical doors all over Japan. The film is Shinkai’s third film in the series after “Your Name” (2017) and “Weathering with You” (2019), which both center around natural catastrophes like earthquakes and climate-related disasters. “Soulmate” (S

Film March 18, 2023

Jeonju International Film Festival has established a donation committee to spread the culture of donation and social contribution, while part of the proceeds will be delivered to a nongovernmental organization. Under the slogan of “glorious value,” which also reads “cinematic value” in Korean, the donation committee is JIFF’s first-ever move to support those in need, since the festival’s establishment in 2000. JIFF said it will receive applications for donat

Film March 17, 2023

Hit TV drama star Lee Sun-Kyun from “Pasta” (2010) and “My Mister” (2018) is trying his hand at an unprecedented comical role in upcoming romance thriller “Killing Romance,” directed by Lee Won-suk and written by “The Beauty Inside” writer Park Jeong-ye. “Killing Romance,” also starring actors Lee Ha-nee and Gong Myung, revolves around a former actor Hwang Yeo-rae, who is known for her terrible acting skills and eventually leave the ind

Film March 17, 2023

A family day out at Children’s Grand Park Located in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Children’s Grand Park is the perfect destination for a fun family day out. The park houses an amusement park which offers a wide range of family-friendly attractions and activities that are suitable for children of all ages. The park features thrilling rides for older children, who should not miss the opportunity to try out the Wave Swinger and the Drop Tower. In particular, the Family Coaster is wildly popular

Culture March 17, 2023