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Kwak Yeon-soo

Korea Times Digital Content Reporter

Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.

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Films

Lee Jung-hyun returns with laughter-inducing thriller 'Night of the Undead'

From left, actors Kim Sung-oh, Seo Young-hee, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Mi-do and Yang Dong-geun pose after a press conference for the film “Night of the Undead” held in Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of The Contents OnBy Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Shin Jung-won, a pioneer in mixing genres such as horror and comedy in box-office hits “To Catch a Virgin Ghost,” “Chaw” and “Ghost Sweepers,” has returned to directing in eight years with the comedy thriller “Night of the Undead.” Lee Jung-hyun stars as So-hee who thought she was in a great relationship with her husband Man-gil (Kim Sung-oh) until she discovers that he had been married three times, cheated on her countless times and is “unbreakable,” and is from outer space.Taking on the appearances of humans, the so-called “unbreakables” have arrived on Earth to collect human DNA samples and then manufacture a tailor-made virus that will exterminate the human race.When Man-gil realizes that his identity has been exposed, he tries to kill his wife. So-hee teams up with he

Sep 23, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Lee Jung-hyun returns with laughter-inducing thriller 'Night of the Undead'
Entertainment

Soon-to-debut K-pop group reveals sci-fi action flick 'P1H'

Members of K-pop group P1Harmony pose during an online press event for unveiling its film project “P1H: A New World Begins,” Tuesday. / Courtesy of FNC EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooK-pop group P1Harmony unveiled a feature film titled “P1H: A New World Begins” introducing the members through a sci-fi action film. This is the first time a K-pop group has debuted with a film project, according to its management agency FNC Entertainment.The action in the film revolves around the six-member boy band ― composed of Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul and Jongseob ― who must save the world from a virus that turns people aggressive and violent. The members who are spread out in different periods across time must come together to find a solution. “P1H” features a star-studded cast including actors Jung Jin-young, Jung Hae-in, CNBLUE's Jung Yong-hwa, AOA's Seolhyun and comedian Yoo Jae-suk.Compared to other K-pop groups like as BTS or BLACKPINK whose films are documentaries centered on real behind-the-scenes stories of their world tour or album-making process, P1

Sep 22, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Soon-to-debut K-pop group reveals sci-fi action flick 'P1H'
Films

Crime movie 'Voice of Silence' is about good people doing bad things

From left, actor Yu Jae-myeong, director Hong Eui-jeong and actor Yoo Ah-in pose during an online press event from the film “Voice of Silence.” / Courtesy of Acemaker Movieworks By Kwak Yeon-soo“Voice of Silence” is not a typical crime thriller that is difficult to watch. Instead of blending ferocious, bloody action and dark investigations, the film employs dark humor and mise en scene aplenty in following the story of two peculiar characters.The film centers on two men ― Tae-in (Yoo Ah-in) and Chang-bok (Yu Jae-myeong) ― who make a living cleaning up crime scenes for criminals. One day, they find themselves stuck with a kidnapped girl named Cho-hee (Moon Seung-ah).The duo are dumbfounded by the new task, as they are normally paid for cleaning up crime scenes and burying bodies. They plan to take the girl to their client, but then discover him dead, putting them in a complicated situation.Filmmaker Hong Eui-jeong, who is making her feature directing debut with “Voic

Sep 21, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Crime movie 'Voice of Silence' is about good people doing bad things
Films

Jang Hyuk stars in 'Swordsman,' packed with spirited action scenes

From left, actors Jang Hyuk, Kim Hyeon-soo, Lee Na-kyung and Jeong Man-sik pose during an online press event for the film “The Swordsman” in Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of Opus PicturesBy Kwak Yeon-sooPeriod action film “The Swordsman” boasts stylish action scenes with sword fights, martial arts and horseback riding. Set in the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) after King Gwanghae was dethroned in a coup, the story follows Tae-yeul (Jang Hyuk) ― a former royal guard and swordsman ― who goes in search of his teenage daughter after she gets kidnapped by Qing Dynasty warriors. Jang, who is known to regularly practice jeet kune do (a martial art), boxing and horseback riding, fills the big screen with breathless action sequences. “Handling the sword when filming action scenes was difficult. However, I managed to move the sword with me when I did my flips, turned and jumped and everything,” he said during an online press event for “The Swordsman” in Seoul, Thursday. “Tae-yeul is a character who is slowly losing his eyesight, so I had to portr

Sep 18, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Jang Hyuk stars in 'Swordsman,' packed with spirited action scenes
Films

INTERVIEW Shin Min-ah plays winning-obsessed diver in psychothriller 'Diva'

Actor Shin Min-ah / Courtesy of AM EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooWith an acting career spanning 20 years, Shin Min-ah has proved her versatile talent by effortlessly molding herself into a variety of roles. After debuting as the captain of the school's kendo (Japanese martial art) team in “Volcano High School” (2001), the actor endeared herself with the public in roles in rom-coms such as “My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho” (2010) and “My Love, My Bride” (2014). As a result, she is now regarded as equally capable as both serious and light-hearted characters. Shin has now taken on a new challenge to play a professional diver who strives for perfection in the psychological thriller “Diva.” “It felt important to try something completely new and do something that breaks the barrier. I was drawn to the script's intense and female-centric storyline. The subject of diving was also intriguing,” she said during an online interview with The Korea Times, Thursday. “If there's anything that can be taken away from this film, I'd like the au

Sep 18, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
[INTERVIEW] Shin Min-ah plays winning-obsessed diver in psychothriller 'Diva'
K-pop

English lyrics bolster K-pop's global appeal

By Kwak Yeon-sooIn recent years, K-pop has become increasingly visible globally. Foreign-language music has never had an easy time climbing the charts in the U.S., but K-pop was able to have a stronger presence, thanks to its devoted fandom. Now, K-pop has found a better strategy to break through and sustain success in the West: composing songs with English lyrics.BTS wrote history again this month by becoming the first K-pop act to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart with its first English language song “Dynamite.” The group's four albums have topped the Billboard 200 Albums chart and the group has achieved top 10 successes on the Hot 100 with “Fake Love,” “On” and “Boy With Luv”; but the group had faced the final hurdle of the radio component on the charts as U.S. radio generally doesn't play much non-English language pop. In addition to BTS, Monsta X, BLACKPINK and Super M have taken measures to find success in the U.S. market with “English-heavy” songs. This year, BLACKPINK collaborated with Lady Gaga on the latter's “

Sep 17, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
English lyrics bolster K-pop's global appeal
Entertainment

DMZ film festival to be held in hybrid format amid COVID-19

A scene from the film “A Long Way to School” This film has been selected as the opening film of the 12th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival. / Courtesy of DMZ International Documentary Film FestivalBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe 12th DMZ International Documentary Festival will be held from Sept. 17 to 24 in a hybrid of online and in-person activities due to COVID-19. Organizers said this year's event will only be attended by filmmakers and industry personnel to minimize human interaction.A selection of screenings will take place at the Megabox Baekseok branch in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, and other events, including the opening and closing ceremonies, will be held in virtual format and livestreamed on the festival's YouTube channel. The opening ceremony, which is scheduled to take place Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Megabox Paju Book City branch, will also be livestreamed on Naver TV.Physical screenings will be attended by jurors and festival-related officials only and be limited to a maximum of 30 people in consideration of public health and safety.The festival organizers said

Sep 16, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
DMZ film festival to be held in hybrid format amid COVID-19
Films

BIFF reveals changes to slimmed-down event

From left, BIFF programmer Nam Dong-chul, BIFF Chairman Lee Yong-kwan and BIFF Executive Director Jay Jeon speak during an online press conference, Monday. / Courtesy of BIFFBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe 25th edition of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) will be held two weeks later than initially planned. Due to COVID-19, the festival will be scaled back and the number of films to be screened in the main competition will inevitably be reduced.Organizers said Monday the festival will run Oct. 21-30, and they added that they would push for the show to go on despite the virus. Due to infection worries, there will be no opening and closing ceremonies, red carpet, receptions or parties. On-stage greetings and other guest meetings will either be canceled or held online.The judging of all films and Q&A sessions will also take place online. The Asian Contents & Film Market, Asian Project Market, Forum BIFF and Asian Film Awards will be held entirely online. According to the organizing committee, the Asian Contents & Film Market will involve 110 film screenings.The film selection

Sep 15, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
BIFF reveals changes to slimmed-down event
Films

'The Woman Who Ran' centers on interactions between women

Actors Kim Min-hee, left, and Kim Sae-byuk in a scene from the film “The Woman Who Ran” / Courtesy of Jeonwonsa FilmBy Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Hong Sang-soo's “The Woman Who Ran” is a situational tale of a bored married woman named Gam-hee (Kim Min-hee) who meets her three old friends over the course of three days while her husband is away on a business trip. As she travels alone for the first time in the five years since her marriage, Gam-hee explores new ways of seeing the world. She first visits Young-soon (Seo Young-hwa), who moved to a quiet town outside Seoul recently after a divorce. Over grilled meat and makgeolli, they catch up along with Young-soon's housemate Young-ji (Lee Eun-mi) until they are interrupted by a neighbor who wants Young-ji to stop feeding a stray cat on account of his wife's fear of the animal.Next, Gam-hee visits Su-young (Song Seon-mi), a pilates instructor who has a crush on her neighbor. This time, their conversation is interrupted by a stalker-like poet, who keeps returning to Su-young's flat after a one-night stand. And finally,

Sep 13, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
'The Woman Who Ran' centers on interactions between women
Films

Zombie thriller '#Alive' becomes Netflix's most popular film

A poster for the film “#Alive” / Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Cho Il-hyung's zombie thriller “#Alive” has become the most popular film in the world on Netflix, the first Korean title to achieve the feat.Just two days after premiering on Netflix on Sept. 8, “#Alive” topped the global chart of Top Movies on Netflix, according to FlixPatrol, which records daily updated video-on-demand charts for 211 streaming platforms in 83 countries.The zombie film ranked No.1 in 35 countries, including the U.S., France, Spain, Sweden, Russia and Australia.“#Alive,” starring Yoo Ah-in and Park Shin-hye, follows two protagonists isolated in their apartments as a zombie apocalypse erupts outside. Yoo plays Joon-woo, a game streamer and electronics geek, while Park plays Yu-bin, an individualist who likes hiking. The two very different characters employ their own methods and team up for survival when all contact with the outside world is cut off.The zombie thriller opened in local cinemas on June 24, and attracted 1.9 million movi

Sep 11, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Zombie thriller '#Alive' becomes Netflix's most popular film
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