The Korea Times

Gang Dong-won, Park Jeong-min team up for Joseon-era thriller 'War and Revolt'

Actors Gang Dong-won, right, and Park Jeong-min at the table read for "War and Revolt" / Courtesy of NetflixBy Kwak Yeon-sooActors Gang Dong-won and Park Jeong-min are set to team up in a new period thriller film from Cannes-winning director Park Chan-wook's, Moho Film, in collaboration with Semicolon Studio. The upcoming Netflix film “War and Revolt” will be directed by Kim Sang-man, best known for action-thriller “Midnight F.M.” (2010), from a screenplay co-written by auteur Park and Shin Chul. The project is being produced by Park, an acclaimed director known for “Oldboy” (2003), “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” (2005), “The Handmaiden” (2016) and “Decision to Leave” (2022). This is his first time working with Netflix.Set in Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), the film tells the story of two childhood friends from different social classes who become bitter enemies. Gang will play the role of Cheon-young, a master of martial arts who struggles to overcome his origins as a slave. The actor, who has shown off his martial ar

Jun 9, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo

Gang Dong-won, Park Jeong-min team up for Joseon-era thriller 'War and Revolt'

Books

Bookstore specializing in film is haven for readers and seaside lovers alike

Eastcine Bookshop in Jeongdongjin, Gangneung, Gangwon Province, is a bookstore and cafe that curates books mainly on films, animal rights and veganism. Korea Times photo by Kwak Yeon-sooBy Kwak Yeon-sooJeongdongjin, a small town near Gangneung, Gangwon Province, is known for its immaculate white sand beaches and emerald green waters along the East Sea. About a two-hour KTX train from Seoul, it is one of Korea's most popular sunrise-watching spots. There, a couple runs an independent bookstore and cafe in Jeongdongjin that opens its doors early to match the times of sunrise. In June, when sunrises are earlier, they open around 5 a.m. The bookstore curates books mainly on films, animal rights and veganism. Oh Seung-hee, the owner of Eastcine Bookshop, revealed she and her husband operated an independent bookstore in Seoul for five years before moving to Jeongdongjin in 2020. “Most of all, we wanted to leave Seoul,” she said during an interview with The Korea Times at her bookstore, Monday. “My husband wanted to live near nature and in clean air. I wished to live near

Jun 8, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo

Bookstore specializing in film is haven for readers and seaside lovers alike

Films

'Leaving Las Vegas' director Mike Figgis puts Korea in spotlight in new film

British filmmaker Mike Figgis / Courtesy of Seoul International Eco Film FestivalBy Kwak Yeon-sooBritish filmmaker Mike Figgis, known for “Leaving Las Vegas” (1996) and “Timecode” (2000), recalled how he initially became a fan of Korean dramas that led him to buy his own plane ticket to Korea in 2018.“Normally, in my life, I never buy my own ticket because I go to another country to make a film or somebody invites me. This time I did because I became interested in Korean dramas,” he said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.Several dramas that struck him hard were “Something in the Rain” (2018), “Secret Affair” (2014) and “Sky Castle” (2018-19). After having access to Asian TV content, mainly through Netflix, he realized that there is “a whole alternative drama world which is not American, British or European.”He highlighted major differences between Korean dramas and other Asian dramas, saying that K-dramas absorb a lot of American cinema but, at the same time, retain their unique storyline

Jun 8, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo

'Leaving Las Vegas' director Mike Figgis puts Korea in spotlight in new film

Films

Busan Film Festival accepts director Huh Moon-yung's resignation

A logo of Busan International Film Festival / YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) accepted director Huh Moon-yung's resignation with immediate effect and appointed long-serving program director Nam Dong-chul to serve as its interim director.The BIFF's executive committee held a meeting Friday, announcing Nam will take over the reins of organizing and running this year's event following Huh's unexpected resignation. “Nam will assume all the responsibilities of the festival director and help the festival to continue forward without disruption to this year's event,” the BIFF said in a statement. Huh expressed his intention to step down from the position on May 11. Although he did not provide a specific reason for his departure, sources close to the festival said it comes in response to the festival's decision to create the new post of a joint director.On May 9, Asia's biggest film festival appointed Cho Jong-kook as the managing director of the festival, adding that he will oversee the operation of the organization, such as corporate operation,

Jun 4, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo

Busan Film Festival accepts director Huh Moon-yung's resignation

Trends

Cheong Wa Dae holds exhibition to celebrate 1st anniversary of public opening

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo-gyoon speaks during a press briefing for the special exhibition, “Stories of Our Presidents,” in Main Office Building at Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday. YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooA special exhibition that brings visitors closer to all the presidents of Korea and their eras will be held at Cheong Wa Dae, the former presidential office and residence, to celebrate its first anniversary of being open to the public.Titled “Stories of Our Presidents,” the exhibition features documents, photos and the personal belongings of 12 Presidents that epitomize their time at Cheong Wa Dae. It will be held in Cheong Wa Dae's main office building and Chunchugwan, a building formerly used as a press center for journalists covering the presidential office over many decades. “For 74 years (from Aug. 15, 1948, to May 9, 2022), Cheong Wa Dae stood as a symbol of the Presidency, where the country's top leaders ran state affairs,” Culture Minister Park Bo-gyoon said during a press briefing for the exhibition at Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday.

Jun 1, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo

Cheong Wa Dae holds exhibition to celebrate 1st anniversary of public opening

Films

INTERVIEW Lee Jun-hyuk unrecognizable in 'The Roundup: No Way Out'

Actor Lee Jun-hyuk / Courtesy of Ace FactoryBy Kwak Yeon-sooIn “The Roundup: No Way Out,” Lee Jun-hyuk undergoes one of the most dramatic physical changes of his career. For the villainous role, he gained around 20 kilograms, got a tan and changed his tone of voice.“Since I've taken on characters of all types in roles both good and bad, I wanted to make myself unrecognizable to the audience. So I decided to transform my body and change my voice,” he said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Tuesday.The actor described the process, explaining that he was told by actor, producer and writer Ma Dong-seok to do two things: go to the tanning salon and learn boxing. “Personally, I don't like getting a tan because I burn easily. So spending a lot of time inside a tanning bed was quite uncomfortable,” he said. While the process was a challenge for the star, he was satisfied with the reactions he got after the transformation. “Now I lost all the weight I gained for the film, but when I was bigger, I loved seeing people's reactio

May 31, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo

[INTERVIEW] Lee Jun-hyuk unrecognizable in 'The Roundup: No Way Out'

Films

'Elemental' director on bringing his personal story of immigration to cinema

A scene from the film "Elemental" / Courtesy of Walt Disney Co. KoreaBy Kwak Yeon-soo“Elemental” director Peter Sohn discussed bringing his personal story of immigration to the upcoming Pixar animated film. Born and raised in New York City by Korean immigrant parents, the filmmaker said that the film was inspired by fond memories of his parents.“They both passed away during the making of this film. But it was so much of what they taught me and sacrificed. I'm thankful for my parents who came from Korea to New York in the late 1960s. My father started a grocery store and his customers came from different backgrounds. The compassion my father showed to diverse communities had an impact on me that made me want to showcase it in the film,” he told Korean reporters during a press conference for the film at CGV Yongsan in Seoul, Tuesday. Sohn explained that his use of the four classical elements, fire, earth, air and water, was drawn out of the periodic table of elements. “When I first saw the periodic table at school, it looked like apartment complexes. All t

May 30, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo

'Elemental' director on bringing his personal story of immigration to cinema

Films

'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' raises bar with epic battle scenes

From left, actors Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback and Tobe Nwigwe attend the “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” world premiere event at Marina Sands Bay in Singapore, Friday. Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-soo“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” the seventh installment of the long-running “Transformers” franchise, continues to raise the bar with epic stunts and action sequences. A sequel to the 2018 film “Bumblebee,” the new live-action film is set in the 1990s with two humans ― ex-military electronics expert Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos) and artifact researcher Elena Wallace (Dominique Fishback) ― finding themselves caught up in a war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. “While 'Bumblebee' existed in 1987, this ('Transformers: Rise of the Beasts') is the progression to 1994. What's been exciting is that characters can be different in 1994 than they were in 2007 (the year the first film takes place). We were able to give the universe a new feeling amongst the characters,” the film's producer Lorenzo di Bonaven

May 29, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo

'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' raises bar with epic battle scenes

Books

Korean literature in translation enjoys growing universal appeal

From left, book cover of "Whale," "Violets" and "Love in the Big City" / Courtesy of Literature Translation Institute of KoreaBy Kwak Yeon-sooAs Korean literature in translation continues to reach more international readers, Korean authors are achieving a growing presence in the global publishing market. So far, a total of eight novels have been nominated for prestigious literary awards this year.Although it missed out on the 2023 International Booker Prize, novelist-director Cheon Myeong-kwan's “Whale,” translated by Kim Chi-young, was shortlisted for the British literary award. He is the third Korean writer to be shortlisted for the award following “The Vegetarian” and “The White Book” author Han Kang, who was selected in 2016 and 2018, and “Cursed Bunny” author Bora Chung, who was selected last year.“Whale,” a multi-generational tale that sheds light on growth and modernization in Korea after the 1950-53 Korean War, is set to be translated into several languages. The U.K. edition was released in January while the U.S. ver

May 26, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo

Korean literature in translation enjoys growing universal appeal

Trends

Garden inspired by Mount Jiri wins gold at Chelsea Flower Show

Garden designer and environmental artist Hwang Ji-hae welcomes the U.K.'s King Charles III to her garden “A Letter from a Million Years Past” at the Chelsea Flower Show in London, Monday. Courtesy of Ollie DixonBy Kwak Yeon-sooA garden inspired by the landscape and ecosystem of Mount Jiri, Korea's largest national park, won a gold medal in the Chelsea Flower Show in London.“A Letter from a Million Years Past,” designed by Hwang Ji-hae, won the gold medal along with four other gardens in the main competition's Show Garden category on Tuesday. The Best in Show award went to “Horatio's Garden” by Harris Bugg Studio.This is the third time Hwang has grabbed a prize at Chelsea Flower Show, one of the world's most prestigious horticultural events hosted by Britain's Royal Horticultural Society since 1827.In 2011, Hwang won the Best Artisan Award and the Gold Medal at Chelsea Flower Show with “Hae Woo So: Emptying Your Mind: Traditional Korean Toilet.” The following year, she won the President Award and a Gold Medal for exhibiting “Quiet

May 25, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo

Kwak Yeon-soo

Read more

Gang Dong-won, Park Jeong-min team up for Joseon-era thriller 'War and Revolt'

Bookstore specializing in film is haven for readers and seaside lovers alike

'Leaving Las Vegas' director Mike Figgis puts Korea in spotlight in new film

Busan Film Festival accepts director Huh Moon-yung's resignation

Cheong Wa Dae holds exhibition to celebrate 1st anniversary of public opening

INTERVIEW Lee Jun-hyuk unrecognizable in 'The Roundup: No Way Out'

'Elemental' director on bringing his personal story of immigration to cinema

'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' raises bar with epic battle scenes

Korean literature in translation enjoys growing universal appeal

Garden inspired by Mount Jiri wins gold at Chelsea Flower Show

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