Midnight Runners(Korea)Opened Aug. 9Action. Directed by Kim Joo-hwanKi-joon (Park Seo-joon) is a police academy cade who is bursting with energy and eager to go catch the bad guys. What he lacks in thought he makes up for with action. Contrasting him is Hee-yeol (Kang Ha-neul), a fellow cadet who is timid and well-versed in theory but less savvy when it comes to the practical things. One day, the two witness a kidnapping and decides to take action. A Taxi Driver (Korea)Opened Aug. 2Drama. Direct

Film Aug. 11, 2017

Poke it and the dents slowly disappear; stretch it, and the strings droop lazily; mold it all back together, and it returns to its original shapeless blob form, evoking a strange sort of satisfaction. Such is the quality of slime, a squishy, glue-based substance that has become a sweeping global fad of late. Online clips featuring the multicolored, dough-like form -- which comes in all sizes and can be transparent, opaque, glittery or gravelly -- have been appealing to a wide audience, free from

Culture Aug. 9, 2017

Busan International Film Festival’s Chairman Kim Dong-ho and Executive Director Kang Soo-youn will resign from their posts after hosting this year’s edition.“We will be leaving after the festival closes on Oct. 21, after making our best efforts to hold the festival, which will take place two months from now, because we firmly believe that the festival should take place this year no matter what,” the two said in a joint statement issued Tuesday.Kim, one of the founding members of BIFF 22 years ag

Film Aug. 9, 2017

Sol Kyung-gu has undergone another drastic transformation in the upcoming thriller “Memoir of a Murderer.”　The 50-year-old veteran actor, who was in Cannes in May with “The Merciless,” shed several kilograms to play a “retired” serial killer in his late 50s to early 60s, suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. “My memory has forgotten but my hand remembers murder, like a habit,” says the movie’s tagline. 　“When I was in ‘Oasis’ and ‘Silmido,’ I was young, so it was easier to lose weight,” Sol said o

Film Aug. 8, 2017

The much-anticipated wedding of Hallyu mega-celebrities Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo will take place at The Shilla Seoul, on Oct. 31, a Blossom Entertainment source confirmed Tuesday.　“Only the date and the venue have been decided for now,” said the executive from Blossom Entertainment, Song Joong-ki’s management agency. “Specific details and whether or not they will hold a press conference are yet undecided.”The ceremony will take place at the hotel‘s Yeong Bin Gwan, an annex built in the sty

Film Aug. 8, 2017

Sunmi, a member of now-disbanded girl group Wonder Girls, will be releasing a solo album on Aug. 22.　The album will mark the singer’s return to the K-pop scene in three years.　Sunmi moved from her former management agency JYP Entertainment to Makeus Entertainment after Wonder Girls disbanded in January. 　 Sunmi (Makeus Entertainment)The now 25-year-old songstress debuted in 2007 as the supporting vocalist in Wonder Girls. 　She halted group activities for awhile in 2010 to pursue studies at Dongg

Performance Aug. 7, 2017

The European Jazz Festival, set to take place in Seoul from Sept. 1-3, will feature a rich lineup of globally-renowned names in jazz.The festival will be staged at the Mapo Art Center’s Art Hall Mac.　The event, which meets its fifth installment this year, will feature an array of international musicians including Finnish jazz pianist Iiro Rantala, Swedish jazz guitarist Ulf Wakenius, Italian jazz and folk accordion player Luciano Biondini, Belgian musician Myriam Alter and the German team Tingva

Performance Aug. 6, 2017

“The Battleship Island” is a war flick which deals with the turbulent history of Koreans forced into slave labor by the Japanese on Hashima Island, the site of Japan’s first major undersea coal exploitation. It is also a film that is at the center of a heated public debate. 　Some claim it depicts Korean characters as overly villainous in comparison to the Japanese corporate executives who held them captive. But the film’s director Ryoo Seung-wan is confident that he and his crew have given their

Film Aug. 6, 2017

A Taxi Driver(Korea)Opened Aug. 2Drama. Directed by Jang HoonIt is 1980. German journalist Peter (Thomas Kretschmann) needs a taxi to get to Gwangju, Korea’s southwestern city swept up in a turbulent struggle between government and citizen. Unassuming taxi driver Man-seob (Song Kang-ho) does not know what is in store for him, and is only intent on receiving the hefty fare from Seoul to Gwangju to pay his back rent. The two realize how grave the situation is upon reaching the city, and Peter, wit

Film Aug. 4, 2017

The tranquil joy of seaside life is returning to Korean television in a new season of “Three Meals a Day,” subtitled “Sea Ranch.” 　The new season takes place on the secluded island of Deungnyangdo, off the southern coast, and stars actors Lee Seo-jin, Eric Mun and Yoon Kyun-sang alongside a family of wild goats.　“Three Meals A Day,” which was created by director Na Young-seok in 2014, features a group of celebrities procuring food and making meals with rudimentary tools in the countryside.　This

Television Aug. 3, 2017

Director Kim Ki-duk on Thursday released a statement in response to accusations he had hit and coerced an actress on the set of “Moebius” in 2013.The director said that he could not exactly recall the events from four years ago. However, he stressed that the strike happened while demonstrating a scene.“I myself was in the scene and might have hit the opposing actress while following the viewpoint or hit myself. This happened while I was demonstrating and explaining that this was the scene I want

Film Aug. 3, 2017

An actress is suing director Kim Ki-duk for assault and coercion, reports said Thursday.The actress says Kim slapped her and forced her to shoot a sex scene that was not in the script while working on Kim’s 2013 film “Moebius.” She eventually quit, and Lee Eun-woo replaced her in the female lead role. Kim Ki-duk (Yonhap)Kim’s representative said that while it is true that the director struck the actress across the face, it had been part of coaching a scene. “We never forced a sex scene that wasn

Film Aug. 3, 2017

“Falsify,” a drama-thriller series revolving around journalists seeking to expose social injustices, is leading ratings. The show clinched first place among drama series aired Mondays and Tuesdays at 10 p.m., with 12.1 percent viewership as of Tuesday, according to Nielsen Korea. 　 “Falsify” (SBS)“Falsify” kicked off on July 24. It stars Namgoong Min as the temperamental tabloid reporter Han Moo-young. 　Uhm Ji-won plays a jaded prosecutor who has learned that the road to justice is paved with in

Television Aug. 2, 2017

Last year, actress Kim Ji-won was most vividly engraved in viewers’ minds as a tough female army lieutenant who knew what she wanted -- both in life and in love -- and wasn’t afraid to go after her target.　That role in the 2016 hit series “Descendants of the Sun” made Kim one of the most promising actresses on Korean television. Her portrayal of the tenacious but vulnerable Lt. Yoon Myung-joo made a deep impression: Many viewers confessed they watched the drama to support the love story between

Television July 31, 2017

Crime-thriller series “Stranger” ended with much fanfare Sunday, achieving 7.3 percent viewership at one point during its last episode.　The tvN drama that aired Saturdays and Sundays was lauded for its gripping plot and strong performances.　Viewers have eagerly demanded a second season, to which tvN replied Monday that “no specific plans are in place as of yet.” 　“I believed that we could ... have a good-hearted influence on the world,” actor Jo Seung-woo said of the series.　Jo played seemingly

Television July 31, 2017