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Park Jin-hai

Korea Times K-Culture Reporter

Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.

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Films

'Parasite' wins top film prize in Sydney

A scene from Bong Joon-ho's latest film “Parasite” / Courtesy of CJ EntertainmentBy Park Jin-haiCannes-winning Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho's “Parasite” won the Sydney Film Prize, the top prize at this year's Sydney Film Festival. According to the film festival, the director received the trophy and prize money during the closing ceremony at the State Theatre in Sydney, Sunday. Earlier in late May, Bong's tragicomedy won Cannes Film Festival's most coveted Palme D'Or, making Korean film history. The Sydney Film Prize is awarded to the most “audacious, cutting-edge and courageous” film in the festival's official competition. John Maynard, jury president of the festival, was quoted as saying, “Parasite has an outrageous disregard for genre conventions ― it is tender and brutal; beautiful and harsh; funny and tragic and a masterwork in its exploration of class.”The director's 2017 film “Okja” was selected as the closing film at the same film festival in the past. Australian movie fans can Bong's latest film when it is released in

Jun 17, 2019By Park Jin-hai
'Parasite' wins top film prize in Sydney
Others

Korean monk pleads Dalai Lama to return to Tibet

Ven. Dongbong, chief monk of Daegaksa Temple, poses at his temple in Seoul, on June 12. He wrote a letter to Dalai Lama in March, marking the 60th anniversary of the Tibetan spiritual leader's exile. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Park Jin-haiWith the news that the aged Dalai Lama is being treated for various illnesses, revered Korean Buddhist monk urged the Tibetan spiritual leader to end his 60 years of life in exile and go back to his old Tibetan home under the rule of China. In his letter to Dalai Lama, Ven. Dongbong, of Daegaksa Temple, home to the Korean independent fighters under the tyranny of Japanese colonial rule, wrote: “Relinquish all attachment to life as the Buddha taught and please go back to your homeland Tibet… To live among Tibetans is the way you should walk to the end of your life, even though it may seem humbling to you. Rather than speaking in front of millions while in exile, this would be much more beautiful and sublime.” “Time is running against him. If he dies outside his old Tibet home, not being able to reach his people and

Jun 17, 2019By Park Jin-hai
Korean monk pleads Dalai Lama to return to Tibet
Films

'Parasite' sweeps local box office

People buy tickets for the award-winning movie “Parasite” directed by Bong Joon-ho at a ticket kiosk in a theater in Seoul, Thursday. Nearly 570,000 tickets were sold for the film's premiere here. YonhapBy Park Jin-haiKorean auteur Bong Joon-ho's Cannes Film Festival award-winning movie “Parasite” swept the local box office on its opening day Thursday. Fanned by its Palme d'Or crown and moviegoers' high expectations for the director, “Parasite” attracted ab audience of almost 570,000 on its opening day, easily surpassing that of runner-up “Aladdin” with 74,000, according to data from the Korean Film Council. Given the real-time reservation rate for the film on its second day remains at 70 percent, and that audiences have left mostly positive reviews, the local industry is expecting “Parasite” to become a box office hit. The reservation rate is similar to that of “Train to Busan” and “Along with the Gods,” smash box office hits that accrued more than 10 million viewers. Bong's tragicomedy is about two

May 31, 2019By Park Jin-hai
'Parasite' sweeps local box office
K-pop

U2 to hold first Seoul concert in Dec.

By Park Jin-haiPoster for U2's first Seoul concert / Courtesy of MBCLegendary Irish rock band U2, led by singer-songwriter Bono, will perform in Seoul for the first time in December. The four-member band's first Seoul concert is part of “The Joshua Tree Tour 2019,” named after the group's 1987 album. It will be held at Gocheok Sky Dome, Dec. 8, according to Live Nation Korea, Friday. The popular band, formed in 1976 in Dublin is made up of vocalist Bono, guitarist The Edge, bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. The band won its first Grammy Award with “The Joshua Tree,” its fifth album. “The Joshua Tree Tour 2017,” which celebrated the monumental album's 30th anniversary, included 51 concerts in six months, with 2.7 million fans around the world enjoying the music. This year's tour begins in New Zealand in November. Korea and Singapore are newly included. The band has sold more than 170 million albums and won 22 Grammy Awards. It is actively involved in social issues and charities through organizations such as Amnesty International and

May 31, 2019By Park Jin-hai
U2 to hold first Seoul concert in Dec.
Films

Body odor class gap guided Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite'

Director tells of Palme d'Or winning film, personaBy Park Jin-haiBong Joon-ho. YonhapDirector Bong Joon-ho, who won Cannes' top prize with “Parasite,” has said more about his film and actor Song Kang-ho, whom he calls his “persona.”His tragicomedy, telling the story of two families of extremely different social backgrounds, one poor and one wealthy, allowed him to become the first Korean director to win the Palme d'Or last Saturday. Mentioning that the widening rich-poor gap is a worldwide issue these days, Bong said he wanted to evade the typical way of depicting the two different social classes. “It is a very familiar scene where those poor and righteous people with great a cause join forces to fight against those vile, greedy and violent rich people. But I don't think this reflects the reality,” the director said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Wednesday. “I wanted to feature the class gap in a more delicate and multi-layered manner. So the rich family couple has been depicted as well-mannered, elegant and naiv

May 29, 2019By Park Jin-hai
Body odor class gap guided Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite'
Arts & Theater

Photography, Jeju give new meaning of life to retired couple

Choi Jae-young, left, and Kim Mee-hee pose in front of the large display cabinet full of cameras at the couple's Juju home. / Provided by ChoiBy Park Jin-haiFormer elementary school teacher Kim Mee-hee, 63, says she had never imagined she would pick up photography as a hobby after retirement. “It wasn't on my to-do list. Probably moreso, because of my husband,” she said. Her husband, photographer Choi Jae-young, who has worked for local newspapers Dong-A Ilbo and JoongAng Ilbo, has been either away from home taking photos or coming home very late after having drinks with his colleagues. “I had been literally sick and tired of all the cameras in the house,” she said. Settling down in Jeju in 2014 after retirement, which has been her husband's long dream for almost 15 years, changed all that. “If we had stayed in Seoul, we would have had our separate cars and hung out with each other's friends. But when we came down here, owning just one car, we had to go around together,” Kim said. Her husband used to hang out with his new artist friends in the neig

May 28, 2019By Park Jin-hai
Photography, Jeju give new meaning of life to retired couple
Sports

S. Korea looking for 1st point vs. South Africa

Players of the South Korean men's under-20 football team train in Katowice, Poland, on May 26, 2019, in preparation for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. (Yonhap)South Korea will chase their first point of the FIFA U-20 World Cup when they face South Africa this week.Their second match of Group F will kick off at Tychy Stadium in Tychy at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, or 3:30 a.m. Wednesday (Seoul time).Both teams are reeling from losses last Saturday. South Korea fell to Portugal 1-0, as their second-half surge on the offensive end came up short. South Africa played the final 25 or so minutes with 10 men, as Argentina came out on top 5-2.With Portugal and Argentina favored to occupy the top two spots of Group F, South Korea and South Africa will duke it out for third place and a chance to squeeze into the knockouts.The top two seeds from each of the six groups, plus the four best third-place teams, will reach the round of 16. Given the history of third seeds getting through since the expansion of the tournament to 24 nations in 1997, teams will most likely need at least four points to qualify.Against P

May 28, 2019By Park Jin-hai
S. Korea looking for 1st point vs. South Africa
Films

Bong Joon-ho: 1st Korean winner of Cannes' top prize

Director Bong Joon-ho, holding Cannes Palme d'Or award, reacts after winning the top prize for his latest film “Parasite” during the closing ceremony of the 72nd Cannes Film Festival in southern France, Saturday night. The director became the first Korean director to bring home the top prize at the world's most prestigious film festival. / Courtesy of Reuters-YonhapDirector becomes first Korean director to bring home top prize from CannesBy Park Jin-haiKorean auteur Bong Joon-ho won the Palme d'Or, with his black comedy “Parasite” at Cannes Film Festival in France, Saturday night. With that feat, Bong became the first Korean director to win the top prize at the world's most prestigious film festival, with a unanimous decision by its jury members. It was the second time for the 49-year-old director competing for the Palme d'Or award; his previous was with the 2017 film “Okja.” “I'm sorry I didn't prepare this speech in French, but I didn't expect to win the Palme d'Or. I am truly honored. I've always been inspired by French cinema. I'd like to

May 26, 2019By Park Jin-hai
Bong Joon-ho: 1st Korean winner of Cannes' top prize
  • PHOTOS Guess 'Parasite' plot with 12 still images
Films

Director Lee Jang-ho looks back on Korea's motion picture history

This miniature set replicates the shooting site of Lee Chang-dong's “Secret Sunshine” (2007) at Korea Film Museum in Seoul. / Korea Times photo by Park Jin-haiBy Park Jin-haiBack in 1919, the March 1 uprising against Japan's brutal colonial rule of Korea swept the entire nation and over 2 million people took to the streets, calling for Korea's independence.There is another key historic event that celebrates its centennial this year but it has been in the shadow of the national resistance movement. Korea's motion picture marks its 100th anniversary in 2019. Dansungsa Theater in central Seoul premiered Kim Do-san's film “Righteous Revenge” on Oct. 27, 1919. In the form of a kino-drama (play with motion picture inserts), it told the story of a man, played by director Kim, who had suffered cruel abuse at the hands of his stepmother, and fights back against her when she conspires to take all the property his father bequeathed to him and defame the family's name. Director Lee Jang-ho / Korea Times file photoTo mark its significance in Korean film history, the date o

May 23, 2019By Park Jin-hai
Director Lee Jang-ho looks back on Korea's motion picture history
  • Director tells stories behind his films, censorship
Films

Director tells stories behind his films, censorship

Director Lee Jang-ho speaks during a preview event for the U.K. documentary film “The Lovers and the Despot” in this September 2016 file photo. / Courtesy of Atnine FilmBy Park Jin-haiDirector Lee Jang-ho, 74, holds a unique place in the Korean film industry. Of the 100 films selected by the Korea Film Archive in 2014 for their historical value and influence, Lee was the only director who had three films ― “Heavenly Homecoming to Stars” (1974), “A Fine, Windy Day” (1980) and “Declaration of Fools” (1983) ― make the top 10. The director, fondly referred to as the director “with an eye of a child and power of a beast,” said it was because unlike other famous directors he didn't stick to a particular movie style. He just kept conducting cinematic experiments over time. “All three of them are different genres. My debut film was a melodrama that I created in my late 20s, A Fine, Windy Day was a social realist film, and Declaration of Fools was a black comedy,” the director said. Poster for the film “Heavenly Ho

May 23, 2019By Park Jin-hai
Director tells stories behind his films, censorship
  • Director Lee Jang-ho looks back on Korea's motion picture history
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