Most Popular
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Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
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New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
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[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul
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Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
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Doctor group's incoming head renews call for govt. to scrap medical school quota hike for dialogue
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Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
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[Music in drama] An ode to childhood trauma
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Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
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'The Roundup: Punishment' becomes fastest 2024 film to top 2 mln admissions
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New head of doctors' association vows war in case of disadvantage to medical professors
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BIFF to return to pre-pandemic scale with 243 films
The 27th Busan International Film Festival, which kicks off Wednesday and runs through Oct. 14, is returning to its pre-pandemic scale. There will be no distancing in the theaters and the organizer is expecting around 170,000 total audience members this year. A total of 243 films from 71 countries will be screened during the film festival and Asian film support programs. The Asia Cinema Fund also will resume this year after a three-year hiatus, according to the BIFF organizer. Following an eve
Oct. 4, 2022
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New multi-sensory webtoon experience with 4DX film ‘Moon You’
Vertically scrolling comics on smartphones are being brought to the big screen by CJ 4DPLEX, a tech subsidiary of CJ CGV, and Naver Webtoon. While retaining the webtoon format, including the typography, speech bubbles and cartoon layout, “4DX Moon You,” which opens in theaters Oct. 12, is "told" with motion seat action and environmental special effects, including wind, fog, snow and more. The result is a fully immersive experience for the upcoming 4DX webtoon’s audien
Oct. 3, 2022
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Action comedy film becomes 3rd Korean flick to top 6m admissions in 2022
"Confidential Assignment 2: International," the action-comedy sequel to a 2017 hit, became the third South Korean film to top 6 million tickets sold on Sunday. According to the film's distributor, CJ ENM, the film, starring Hyun Bin and Yoo Hae-jin, reached over the 6 million mark at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, 26 days after its premiere. It joined "The Roundup" and "Hansan: Rising Dragon" in the 6-million club among South Korean flicks in 2022. "Confidential Assignme
Oct. 2, 2022
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[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week
Honest Candidate 2 (Korea) Opened Sept. 28 Comedy Directed by Jang Yoo-jung Sang-sook (Ra Mi-ran) is jobless after losing the Seoul mayoral election. One day, she accidentally saves a man in the sea and sees an opportunity to return to politics. She starts lying again for a higher approval rating. But Sang-sook soon finds out that she is once again unable to lie -- and this time, she’s not the only one suffering from this mysterious affliction. Project Wolf Hunting (Korea) Opened Sept.
Oct. 1, 2022
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Asian stars to take part in BIFF
Star actors from Asian countries will take part in the 27th Busan International Film Festival, which will be held from Oct. 5-14. Among the actors in attendance will be Thai film star Mario Maurer, as his new film, “Six Characters” directed by M.L. Bhandevanov Devakula, is screening at the festival. Maurer is known for “Pee Mak,” the first film to attract an audience of more than 10 million in Thailand. Along with Maurer, three other actors from “Six Characters&r
Sept. 30, 2022
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[Newsmaker] ‘Squid Game’ Jung Ho-yeon makes '100 Next' list
“Squid Game” star Jung Ho-yeon has been listed in the phenoms category of Time magazine's "100 Next." Launched in 2019, Time 100 Next is the youthful version of its more prominent "Time 100" list and was created to spotlight 100 rising stars shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, science, health and more. “I often joke around and call her a ‘warrior.’ There’s no doubt that she has the skill and courage to fight h
Sept. 30, 2022
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Comedy film ‘Daemuga’ blends Korean shamanism, rap battles
After a beat drops, three participants in colorful clothing begin delivering a rhythmic speech about their lives while breaking out in dance. The crowd surrounding them erupts into cheers when they spit out punchlines. What looks like an ordinary hip-hop rap battle scene in the upcoming comedy film “Daemuga” is a reinterpretation of “gut,” a special performance by a Korean modern-day shaman to bring back spirits. “It (shamanism) is a surreal topic and I wanted to d
Sept. 28, 2022
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Netflix hopes for turnaround with Korean original ‘20th Century Girl’
At the beginning of this year, global streaming giant Netflix, which had not produced films here since its arrival in 2016, announced a plan to release five original Korean-language movies. The list included the romance film "Moral Sense," action film "Carter," action blockbuster "Seoul Vibe," sci-fi film "Jung_E" and romance film "20th Century Girl." So far, the streaming platform has released three films that were on the list and an additio
Sept. 27, 2022
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Song Joong-ki's gangster film 'Hwaran' starts shooting
Korean heartthrob Song Joong-ki’s new crime movie "Hwaran" -- meaning disaster or chaos -- started shooting on Sept. 13 at a site in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, according to the film’s distributor Megabox Joongang Plus M. Directed by Kim Chang-hoon, the film revolves around Yun-kyu, who wants to escape from his everyday struggles. One day, Yun-kyu meets a crime organization’s underboss Chi-gun (Song) and becomes involved in risky situations. “I am glad to b
Sept. 26, 2022
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Yum Jung-ah on learning new things for musical film ‘Life is Beautiful’
Actor Yum Jung-ah's new project has left her covered in bruises from practicing action sequences until they are perfect, but it is a badge she proudly wears. “For good projects, I have to learn new things. There is no other way of doing it,” Yum told a group of reporters on Wednesday. Such outlook on life is what has guided her throughout her career. Recalling the first time that she read the script of “Life is Beautiful,” Yum said she instantly got the feeling that
Sept. 25, 2022
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[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week
Project Wolf Hunting (Korea) Opened Sept. 21 Crime Directed by Kim Hong-sun A team of Korean police officers are on a mission to bring heinous criminals to South Korea from the Philippines via ship. Looking for an opportunity to escape are Jong-du (Seo In-guk), a cold-blooded killer, and Do-il (Jang Dong-yoon), who has an Interpol red notice on him. Meanwhile, a mysterious presence created in a secret lab onboard puts everyone's lives at risk. Confidential Assignment 2: International (Ko
Sept. 23, 2022
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Queen of comedies Ra Mi-ran returns with ‘Honest Candidate 2’
Veteran actor Ra Mi-ran expressed her confidence in reprising the role of politician Joo Sang-sook in the sequel to comedy film “Honest Candidate,” during a press conference at Megabox Coex in Seoul Tuesday. “I had to play her (Joo Sang-sook) in the movie again. I thought no other actor would be able to play her better. I also felt responsible,” Ra said. Ra's performance in the first installment won her the best actress award at the 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2021.
Sept. 22, 2022
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Director Kim Hong-sun returns with spine-chilling 'Project Wolf Hunting’
Not too long after presenting his Netflix series “Money Heist: Korea -- Joint Economic Area,” director Kim Hong-sun is back with a bloody gore film, “Project Wolf Hunting.” “Project Wolf Hunting” opens with Korean police officers on a mission to bring heinous criminals to South Korea from the Philippines via a ship. Looking for an opportunity to escape are Jong-du (Seo In-guk), a cold-blooded killer, and Do-il (Jang Dong-yoon) who has an Interpol red notic
Sept. 20, 2022
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Revisiting the acting career of Lee Jung-jae
“I’m not going home until I make it big.” Just as Lee Jung-jae said through the words of Lee Han, the character in his first-ever movie gig, “The Young Man” in 1994, the now internationally acclaimed actor returned home Sunday after becoming the first Asian ever to win for best actor in a drama series at the Primetime Emmy Award last week. A day after his win, it was confirmed that Lee’s big-screen debut will be rereleased in local theaters on Sept. 29, offe
Sept. 20, 2022
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BIFF opening, closing ceremony tickets go on sale Friday
Tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 27th Busan International Film Festival will go on sale online at 2 p.m., Friday. This year's BIFF, which takes place Oct. 5-14, will return to its pre-pandemic full scale with 243 films from 71 countries. This year’s opener will be Iranian director Hadi Mohaghegh's "Scent of Wind," while Japanese director Ishikawa Kei's "A Man" will close the festival. Tickets for films screened during the festival will open onl
Sept. 19, 2022
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[Eye interview] Understanding Korea through its classical musicians
On May 29, violinist Yang In-mo, the first ever Korean to win the Paganini International Violin Competition in 2015, won the top prize at the jean Sibelius International Violin Competition. A few days later, cellist Choi Ha-young won the first prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition held in Belgium. And two weeks after that, pianist Lim Yun-chan won the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, becoming the youngest winner at age 18. Lim quickly became a household name -- even those who have
Sept. 15, 2022
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‘Life is Beautiful,’ a long-awaited Korean jukebox musical film
It is no secret that Korean moviegoers have a soft spot for musical films. From “Mamma Mia” (2008) to “Les Miserables” (2012) and “La La Land,” (2016), many Hollywood musical films have found great success in Korea. Yet, memorable Korean musical films that appeal to local audiences have been conspicuously absent. This is why there has been a lot of hype in Korean online communities around Korea’s first jukebox musical film “Life is Bea
Sept. 14, 2022
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Lee Jung-jae's girlfriend is a rich heiress
Actor Lee Jung-Jae’s win of the Emmy award for his role in Netflix-original series “Squid Game” on Monday created a buzz worldwide but there was someone else who shared the limelight with him -- his longtime girlfriend Lim Se-ryung. Sporting a white Dior dress, she hit the red carpet hand-in-hand with the actor in Los Angeles. Lim, 45, is by no means just a celebrity’s girlfriend. She is the vice chairman of Daesang Group, one of the largest food conglomerates in South Ko
Sept. 14, 2022
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Hong Kong movie star Tony Leung to attend BIFF next month
Hong Kong movie star Tony Leung Chiu-wai will attend the 27th Busan International Film Festival to receive the Asian Filmmaker Of The Year. The award will be presented to the actor during the opening ceremony on Oct. 5 at the Busan Cinema Center. "Since his 'City of Sadness' won the Golden Lion Award at the 1989 Venice International Film Festival, he has been one of the greatest actors of our time for over 30 years,” BIFF director Huh Moon-young said of Leung during an online press
Sept. 12, 2022
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What to watch before seeing ‘Confidential Assignment 2’
If you have plans to see the Korean film “Confidential Assignment 2: International" directed by Lee Seok-hoon during the Chuseok holiday, here's what to watch before you head to the cinema. Original movie Although there won't be any problems without having watched the first movie, the audience can have fun comparing the two as there are many original movie references in the new film “Confidential Assignment 2: International." Helmed by Kim Sung-hoon, the original
Sept. 10, 2022