By Lee Hyo-won

“Poongsan,” a cross-border drama produced by award-winning director Kim Ki-duk, is set to open in local theaters on June 23, the film’s distributer announced Monday.

The movie has been the subject of much curiosity, particularly since Kim had mentioned it in his controversial self-portrait, “Arirang.” The latter film recently won a coveted prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

“Poongsan” marks the film maverick’s return to Korean cinema after a three-year hiatus since an actress almost died on the set of a movie he directed in 2008. The same year he also became involved in a legal dispute over a film he had produced.

“Poongsan” stars popular singer-turned-actor Yoon Kye-sang as a mysterious man that crosses the border between the two Koreas, to deliver anything from Seoul to Pyongyang within three hours. Things take a turn when he is challenged with the task of transporting a high-ranking official’s lover, played by actress Kim Gyu-ri, taking refuge in the South.

The film is directed by Juhn Jai-hong, who made his directorial debut with “Beautiful” based on an original script by Kim.