The Korea Times

'Phantom' is action-packed spy thriller with multi-layered mystery

From left, director Lee Hae-young, actors Seo Hyun-woo, Park Hae-soo, Park So-dam, Lee Ha-nee and Seol Kyung-gu attend a press conference for the film “Phantom” in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap By Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Lee Hae-young, whose stylish crime thriller “Believer” (2018) earned him commercial success and critical acclaim, has returned with the action spy thriller “Phantom” with an ensemble cast.Set in 1933 during the Japanese colonial occupation of Korea, the film follows five people suspected of being a spy for an anti-Japanese resistance group. Trapped inside an isolated hotel, the five characters must use their wits to survive and escape while suspecting one another.Lee explained that the film is a period piece, but its plot and characters are mostly fictional. “The film drew inspiration from a clandestine organization that fought against Japanese colonial rule in the 1930s, but it is very much a fictional story. I wanted to make a film where every character has

Dec 19, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

'Phantom' is action-packed spy thriller with multi-layered mystery

Films

Movies with star-studded casts coming to theaters next month

A poster for the film, “The Point Men” / Courtesy of Plus M Entertainment By Kwak Yeon-sooDecember welcomed some of 2022's biggest releases, such as “Avatar: The Way of Water,” and “Hero” among many others. January won't see as many theatrical releases as in past months, but it will still have some exciting titles on offer for the audience, such as “Switch,” “The Point Men” and “Phantom.”“Switch” is a heartwarming drama about an A-list actor, Park Kang (Kwon Sang-woo), who wakes up one Christmas morning to find himself living an alternate version of his own life in which he had chosen to marry his girlfriend and settled into a quiet family life with two adorable kids. It will hit theaters on Jan. 4. The cast also includes Oh Jung-se, Lee Min-jung, and child actors Park Soi and Kim Jun.The action drama, “The Point Men,” starring actors Hwang Jung-min and Hyun Bin, will hit theaters on Jan. 18. Hyun will be back in his first movie since welcoming a baby boy with actre

Dec 18, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Movies with star-studded casts coming to theaters next month

Films

Comedian Kim Shin-young named Best Supporting Actress at KFPA Awards

Comedian Kim Shin-young in a scene from the film, “Decision to Leave” / Courtesy of CJ ENMBy Kwak Yeon-sooComedian Kim Shin-young has won the Best Supporting Actress Award for her performance in director Park Chan-wook's “Decision to Leave” at the ninth Korean Film Producers Association (KFPA) Awards held in Seoul, Wednesday.Her very first film appearance, playing the role of a detective alongside Park Hae-il in “Decision to Leave,” earned her the trophy, with the film itself also winning Best Picture and Best Screenplay. The film tells the story of a detective (Park) who suspects a mysterious Chinese widow is the culprit of a murder case and later falls in love with her.“Thank you for the honorary award. I also want to thank our wonderful 'Decision to Leave' team and the audience who watched and supported our film,” Kim wrote on Instagram, Wednesday.Earlier in May, director Park praised Kim's acting in an interview, saying that he thinks Kim is a born genius. Kim was also nominated for the Best New Female Actor award at the Blue Dragon

Dec 15, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Comedian Kim Shin-young named Best Supporting Actress at KFPA Awards

Films

Fandom enables some movies to stay longer in theaters

The posters for “The Night Owl,” left, and “Hero” / Courtesy of NEW, CJ ENM'No film is a failure if it has fans'By Kwak Yeon-sooSince the pandemic outbreak, viewers have shifted to streaming services to watch movies and fewer people are going to theaters than before. Against this backdrop, a movie's opening week at the box office has become a stronger predictor of a film's overall commercial success than it used to be, as moviegoers ― both frequent and infrequent ― are influenced by word of mouth generated by social media and reviews when they decide whether to go to a theater or wait until the film becomes available on streaming services. So if word of mouth online and critical ratings during a film's first week are mostly negative, the number of moviegoers tends to decrease thereafter, and the screening period is ultimately shortened.However, movies with a strong fan base are likely to stay longer in theaters thanks to repeated viewings.Despite its wins at major awards including Cannes Film Festival, “Decision to Leave” had lower-than-expected op

Dec 15, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Fandom enables some movies to stay longer in theaters

People & Events

INTERVIEW ‘Single’s Inferno 5’ breakout star Choi Mina Sue talks about true beauty

By Kwak Yeon-soo For the first time, a Korean has won a major international beauty pageant title. Choi Mina Sue, a communications student representing Korea in the Miss Earth pageant, made history by becoming the first Korean to win at one of the Big Four international beauty contests. She beat 85 other contestants from around the world at the pageant's coronation event in Manila, the Philippines, Nov. 29. Rounding out the top three contestants were first runner-up Sheridan Mortlock of Australia, second runner-up Nadeen Ayoub of Palestine and third runner-up Andrea Aguilera of Colombia. The environment-focused pageant is one of the Big Four international beauty contests, with others being Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss International. “It was an absolute honor to represent Korea and be the country's first-ever pageant winner. There has been a negative perception of beauty pageants in Korea. By winning Miss Earth, I hope to bring changes to people's minds. Of course, I need to work harder but I'm proud of what I accomplished,” she said during a recent interview with The Korea T

Dec 15, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

[INTERVIEW] ‘Single’s Inferno 5’ breakout star Choi Mina Sue talks about true beauty

Films

Chung Sung-hwa proud to be part of Korea's 1st film based on stage musical

Actor Chung Sung-hwa / Courtesy of CJ ENMMusical star takes same role in film adaptationBy Kwak Yeon-sooIn 2009, actor Chung Sung-hwa started playing the role of independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun in the homegrown musical, “Hero.” Since then, the celebrated actor has reprised the lead role in numerous iterations of the famous story. He is now playing it again in the musical's film adaptation under the same name, which will hit theaters on Christmas week.“Reprising an iconic role for over a decade is never an easy task. I think it has to do with a certain gravity about him. He is our national hero, so taking on the role of Ahn comes with a lot of pressure and responsibility,” he said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Monday. Chung initially didn't have high hopes when he heard about the film adaptation. When he was cast as the lead role, he was essentially dumbfounded. “Until recently, I have had a small handful of roles in films, so getting the lead role in a film was a big deal for me. To be honest, it was a bit intimidating,&

Dec 13, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Chung Sung-hwa proud to be part of Korea's 1st film based on stage musical

Films

James Cameron talks about universal theme of nature in 'Avatar' sequel

Director James Cameron speaks during a press conference for the film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” at Conrad Seoul, Friday. YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooAfter a 13-year wait, director James Cameron has returned with a sequel to “Avatar,” containing a strong environmental message.The sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water” centers on Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), now parents to five children, who try to protect their family from a new threat to Pandora. They seek refuge with the oceanic Metkayina clan and learn the way of water to survive. The cast also includes Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Kate Winslet. Compared to the first film, which questions human greed in mining or extraction projects, the second film talks about the exploitation of the ocean. “I think the film is an adventure first and foremost. It's a family story and an emotional story ― a love letter to family and how family makes you stronger. It is not a film that beats you over the head with its message, but it asks you to feel for the ocean and then maybe a few

Dec 9, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Books

LTI Korea's translation award shows global boom in Korean literature

From left, Sasaki Sizuyo, an official from Japanese publisher CUON, and Marci Calabretta Cancio-Bello and Yu Hsin Hsin, winners of the 2022 LTI Korea Translation Award, pose during the award ceremony in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Literature Translation Institute of KoreaBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) announced the winners of its annual translation awards on Monday, recognizing their excellence in translation and contribution to promoting Korean literature worldwide.The 20th LTI Korean Translation Award went to E.J. Koh and Marci Calabretta Cancio-Bello who translated “The World's Lightest Motorcycle” by Lee Won into English; Yu Hsin Hsin who translated “An Anthology of Korean Literature 2” by Yi Tae-jun and seven other modern Korean novelists into Chinese and Ingliana Tan who translated “Seven Years of Darkness” by Jeong You-jeong into Indonesian. The recipients each received 20 million won ($15,462) in prize money.Kim Seung-bok, the director of CUON, a leading publisher of Korean books in Japan, won the l

Dec 6, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

LTI Korea's translation award shows global boom in Korean literature

Films

INTERVIEW GOT7's Jinyoung on playing twins in 'Christmas Carol'

Singer and actor Park Jin-young / Courtesy of NK ContentsBy Kwak Yeon-sooSinger and actor Park Jin-young has had a busy year of music, TV and film in 2022. Beyond filming “Christmas Carol,” he has been booked with a multitude of projects, including making new music with his band, GOT7, and starring in the second season of Tving's “Yumi's Cells.”In “Christmas Carol,” Park takes on an intense dual role as a rebellious teen who is placed in a juvenile detention center as well as his twin brother, who has a mental disability.Adapted from the novel of the same title, the film revolves around Il-woo (Park) who deliberately gets himself sent to a juvenile detention center as part of a plan to avenge his brother's death. Il-woo suspects his twin brother, Wol-woo (also Park), was murdered by youth gang members on Christmas Eve. Park revealed that he read the original book written by Ju Won-kyu first and then read the script. “The novel was repulsive and deeply disturbing. The script, on the other hand, was a more refined version of it. It's good that

Dec 4, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

[INTERVIEW] GOT7's Jinyoung on playing twins in 'Christmas Carol'

Shows & Dramas

Netflix's 'The Glory,' starring Song Hye-kyo, to be released in December

The poster for "The Glory" / Courtesy of NetflixBy Kwak Yeon-soo“The Glory,” a series about a woman who experiences severe bullying in high school and seeks revenge against her tormentors after graduating, will premiere on Netflix on Dec. 30.The streaming giant said, Thursday, it will unveil all eight episodes of the Korean original series, starring Song Hye-kyo in over 190 countries.Directed by Ahn Gil-ho, whose other works include “Stranger” (2017) and “Memories of the Alhambra” (2018), the series follows the story of Moon Dong-eun, who plans an elaborate revenge scheme against the perpetrators and bystanders after surviving horrific abuse in high school. This marks Song's return to the small screen after “Now, We Are Breaking Up” (2021) and star scriptwriter Kim Eun-sook's new project after the fantasy romance “The King: Eternal Monarch” (2020). Song and Kim previously collaborated on the hit drama, “Descendants of the Sun” (2016).Lee Do-hyun, who appeared in “Hotel Del Luna” (2019) and “Swee

Dec 2, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Kwak Yeon-soo

Read more

'Phantom' is action-packed spy thriller with multi-layered mystery

Movies with star-studded casts coming to theaters next month

Comedian Kim Shin-young named Best Supporting Actress at KFPA Awards

Fandom enables some movies to stay longer in theaters

INTERVIEW ‘Single’s Inferno 5’ breakout star Choi Mina Sue talks about true beauty

Chung Sung-hwa proud to be part of Korea's 1st film based on stage musical

James Cameron talks about universal theme of nature in 'Avatar' sequel

LTI Korea's translation award shows global boom in Korean literature

INTERVIEW GOT7's Jinyoung on playing twins in 'Christmas Carol'

Netflix's 'The Glory,' starring Song Hye-kyo, to be released in December

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