The Korea Times

INTERVIEW 'Minari' actor Han Ye-ri recalls why the film is special to her

Han Ye-ri / Courtesy of PancinemaBy Kwak Yeon-sooWhen Han Ye-ri first saw the script for director Lee Isaac Chung's moving drama, “Minari,” she didn't think it was a story about immigrants. She thought it depicted the universal story of a family. The semi-autobiographical story of Chung, the film tells the story of a Korean immigrant family that moves to rural Arkansas to start a farm in the 1980s.Han plays the role of Monica, a young mother who follows her husband's decision to move to Arkansas in pursuit of the American dream. To portray Monica and bring emotion to her character, Han said that she turned to a particular person for inspiration. “To portray Monica, I thought about my mother a lot. It made me think about women who lived in that era and raised children in their early twenties, trying to make better decisions for their families,” she said during an interview with The Korea Times via Zoom, Tuesday. The questions Han held in mind while filming were: “why does Monica love Jacob?” and “why is she staying with him?” “Moni

Feb 23, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

[INTERVIEW] 'Minari' actor Han Ye-ri recalls why the film is special to her

Films

K-pop idols lackluster on big screen

Irene in a scene from “Double Patty” / Courtesy of kth, Pan Cinema By Kwak Yeon-sooA growing number of K-pop idols are taking up the challenge of appearing on the silver screen, but their transitions are having to weather harsh evaluations. Red Velvet leader Irene's film debut in “Double Patty,” which hit theaters Feb. 17, drew criticism for her unnatural acting. The feature attracted 4,450 people over the Friday-Sunday period, raising its total admissions to 11,268, according to box office data from the Korean Film Council. But the star, who previously had a lead role in the 2016 web drama “Game Development Girls,” reacted humbly, saying she “learned a lot” from her first movie role. Park Jeong-hwa, right, in a scene from “Dragon Inn Part 2: The Night of the Gods” / Korea Times file Park Jeong-hwa of girl group EXID hit the silver screen in “Drago

Feb 22, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Films

'Train to Busan' getting US remake

A scene from “Train to Busan” / Courtesy of NEW By Kwak Yeon-sooYeon Sang-ho's zombie thriller, “Train to Busan,” which attracted more than 10 million moviegoers at local theaters, will be remade into a Hollywood film, according to foreign news reports. Indonesian director Timo Tjahjanto, known for Netflix's action thriller “The Night Comes for Us” (2018), is currently in talks with the U.S. production company New Line to helm the film, Deadline reported. Atomic Monster's James Wan and Michael Clear and Gaumont's Nicolas Atlan and Terry Kalagian will produce alongside Coin Operated's Gary Dauberman, who is adapting the screenplay. Judson Scott, Sidonie Dumas, Christophe Riandee and Johanna Byer are executive producing, it added. The cast and production schedule have not been revealed yet. The apocalyptic horror film, which premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, is set inside a train headed to the southern city of Busan. A strange virus spreads from one person w

Feb 21, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Trends

As pandemic drags on, movie ticket sales fall to historic low

An empty cinema foyer in Seoul is seen Jan. 14. / Korea Times file By Kwak Yeon-sooThe COVID-19 pandemic upended the local box office in 2020. Ticket sales were at their lowest levels since the early 2000s, according to a report from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). Last year, 59.52 million people visited movie theaters, down 73.7 percent from 2019 and the lowest number since 2004 when KOFIC started to compile local box office data. The industry's total revenue also hit its lowest since 2005, plunging 73.3 percent to 510.4 billion won ($460 million) from 1.9 trillion won the previous year. Contrary to the previous years when at least a few films passed 10 million or more in attendance, not a single film passed this milestone in 2020.In 2019, five films ― “Extreme Job,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “Aladdin,” “Parasite” and “Frozen 2” ― exceeded 10 million in ticket sales, setting a new record for Korean box office history. Last year was the first year since 2012 without a s

Feb 21, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

As pandemic drags on, movie ticket sales fall to historic low

Films

'Last Letter' director Iwai Shunji on his obsession with letters

Filmmaker Iwai Shunji / Courtesy of Media Castle By Kwak Yeon-sooJapanese filmmaker Iwai Shunji, who is best known among Korean cineastes for his hit 1995 melodrama “Love Letter,” is returning with another sentimental film that tells a story through letters. Letters have been a fixture in his films, adding an element of narrative and inducing a retro feeling that blends well with his nostalgic plots.“Back in my school days, it was common to exchange letters with friends and express one's feelings through love letters. In my mid-20s, I thought that someday I would tell a tale about the beauty of written words. I wanted to portray letters as something special, not simply an element that brings back old memories,” Iwai said during an online press conference with Korean reporters, Wednesday. “We now live in an era of social media, where we talk to or join conversations with complete strangers. Just like the evolution of social media has been fueled by human will to comm

Feb 18, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

'Last Letter' director Iwai Shunji on his obsession with letters

Films

2 Korean indie films invited to 71st Berlin Film Festival

A poster for the film “Short Vacation” / Courtesy of Film Dabin By Kwak Yeon-sooTwo Korean independent films have been invited to the youth-centered Generation competition of this year's Berlin International Film Festival, distributors said Wednesday. According to the 2021 lineup for the Berlinale, which will be held online from March 1-5, “Short Vacation” and “Fighter” will be presented in the Generation's Kplus and 14plus sections, respectively. Berlin's Generation films target children and youth audiences.“Short Vacation” from directors Kwon Min-pyo and Seo Han-sol, who are making their feature directorial debut, is about four middle school classmates who embark on a journey together to finish their summer assignment, which is to capture “the end of the world” on their cameras. “It is not a film about girls going on a picnic. It explores the unknown in life by following a short journey. It gives insight into trivial and banal things instead of having a dramatized

Feb 17, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Films

Meet the guy playing lead role opposite Red Velvet's Irene in 'Double Patty'

Shin Seung-ho / Courtesy of King Kong by StarshipBy Kwak Yeon-sooActor Shin Seung-ho may not sound familiar to many viewers, but his works are. Since debuting as actor in 2017, he has built up an impressive acting career by appearing mostly in teen romance series, such as web drama, “A-teen,” JTBC's “Moments of 18” and Netflix's “Love Alarm.” The football player-turned-actor has finally landed his first lead movie role opposite Bae Joo-hyun, better known by her stage name, Irene, of girl band Red Velvet, in the coming-of-age drama, “Double Patty.”In the film, Shin stars as Kang Woo-ram, a gifted ssireum (Korean traditional wrestling) athlete who goes through a slump, while Irene plays the role of aspiring anchorwoman Lee Hyun-ji, who juggles multiple part-time jobs to achieve her dream.The two get along when Kang becomes a frequent customer of the burger restaurant where Lee works the night shift. The two share late-night snacks together and support each other in their dreams. “When it came to conditioning my body for the role, I

Feb 17, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Meet the guy playing lead role opposite Red Velvet's Irene in 'Double Patty'

Films

INTERVIEW How Kim Tae-ri became Korea's most-sought-after actor

Kim Tae-ri / Courtesy of Netflix An ascendant actress talks on forging her own pathBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe “Handmaiden” and “Little Forest” star Kim Tae-ri has emerged as one of Korea's most-sought-after young talents through a mix of boldness, curiosity and relentless focus. A mixture of confidence and vulnerability has made Kim a commanding presence since her debut in auteur Park Chan-wook's 2016 erotic thriller “The Handmaiden.” That performance ― she played a pickpocket named Sook-hee who conspires with conman Count Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo) to swindle the wealthy Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee) ― earned her multiple awards for best new actress.Her profile has skyrocketed thanks to a string of projects ― including director Jang Joon-hwan's historical drama “1987” (2017) and Yim Soon-rye's “Little Forest” (2018), a film about finding solace in the beauty of the countryside.“I'm neither meticulous nor calculating. I just followed my heart and I was lucky to be given opportunit

Feb 16, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

[INTERVIEW] How Kim Tae-ri became Korea's most-sought-after actor

Films

Doh Kyung-soo to play lead role in Korean remake of Taiwanese film 'Secret'

Doh Kyung-soo /Courtesy of NEWBy Kwak Yeon-sooDoh Kyung-soo, who is better known by his stage name D.O. of K-pop band EXO, has been cast in two forthcoming films less than a month after being discharged from his mandatory military service in January. The singer-actor will play the lead role in the Korean remake of the Taiwanese fantasy romance film “Secret” (2008).“Doh will be featured as the male lead while the female lead will be decided through open auditions. Shooting will begin in the second half of 2021,” the production company Hive Media Corp said in a statement, Monday.“Secret” is a time-travel romance flick in which a piano prodigy Yie Xianglun (Jay Chou) meets and falls in love with a mysterious girl named Lu Xiaoyu (Gwei Lun-mei), while playing the piano in an old practice room. It drew more than 100,000 moviegoers in Korea, which was a first for a Taiwanese film. Director Seo Yoo-min, who wrote screenplays for films such as “April Snow” (2005), “Happiness” (2007) and “You Call It Passion” (2015) and d

Feb 15, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Films

'The Man Standing Next' wins best picture at Blue Dragon Awards

The winners of the 41st Blue Dragon Awards pose with their trophies during the ceremony held at Paradise City in Incheon, Tuesday. / Yonhap By Kwak Yeon-soo“The Man Standing Next,” a political thriller about the 1979 assassination of President Park Chung-hee, won the Best Picture award at the 41st annual Blue Dragon Awards, Tuesday. Park was assassinated by his right-hand man Kim Jae-gyu, who was the director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA). The film received a total of 10 Blue Dragon nominations, but ended up winning only one award. This is director Woo Min-ho's second Best Picture award following the 2016 political crime-action film “Inside Men.” “The Man Standing Next,” the national contender for the 93rd Academy Awards, failed to make the shortlist of 15 films.Yoo Ah-in won the Best Actor award and the Most Popular Actor award for his role as the mute Tae-in in the crime drama “Voice of Silence.” This is Yoo's second Best Actor award from the Bl

Feb 10, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Kwak Yeon-soo

Read more

INTERVIEW 'Minari' actor Han Ye-ri recalls why the film is special to her

K-pop idols lackluster on big screen

'Train to Busan' getting US remake

As pandemic drags on, movie ticket sales fall to historic low

'Last Letter' director Iwai Shunji on his obsession with letters

2 Korean indie films invited to 71st Berlin Film Festival

Meet the guy playing lead role opposite Red Velvet's Irene in 'Double Patty'

INTERVIEW How Kim Tae-ri became Korea's most-sought-after actor

Doh Kyung-soo to play lead role in Korean remake of Taiwanese film 'Secret'

'The Man Standing Next' wins best picture at Blue Dragon Awards

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