The Korea Times

Cheong Wa Dae to be transformed into cultural complex: culture minister

Culture Minister Park Bo-gyoon speaks during a press conference at the Government Complex Sejong, Monday. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and TourismBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe government will draw up plans to transform the former presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae into a historical and cultural complex accessible to all citizens, Culture Minister Park Bo-gyoon said Monday.Cheong Wa Dae was opened to the public for the first time in 74 years in May as President Yoon Suk-yeol promised to return the compound to the people and move the presidential office to another location.According to the culture ministry, Cheong Wa Dae is 3.4 times bigger than the White House. Some 600 art pieces and artifacts are stored and displayed inside buildings within the compound and there are around 50,000 trees, alongside a wide variety of wildflowers.While tourists can now visit the compound and buildings, which have remained empty since Yoon's predecessor Moon Jae-in and his staff left, the Yoon government has yet to come up with measures to preserve the site and develop programs to show Cheong Wa Dae'

Jul 4, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Cheong Wa Dae to be transformed into cultural complex: culture minister

Films

Lee Jung-hyun returns to big screen after becoming a mom

By Kwak Yeon-soo Actress Lee Jung-hyun / Courtesy of Pine Tree Entertainment Just four months after giving birth to her first child, actress Lee Jung-hyun will return to the big screen as a police detective in the crime thriller “Limit” (working title).Directed by Lee Seung-jun, the action thriller film revolves around So-eun (played by Lee), a police detective who goes undercover to help two parents locate their abducted child. She then finds herself in a tense psychological battle with the kidnapper.The actress, who welcomed the birth of her daughter in April, recently portrayed a supporting character in “Decision to Leave,” as the wife of male protagonist Hae-jun (played by Park Hae-il). Director Lee, who is well-known for “The Spy: Undercover Operation” (2013), said he found inspiration in true child abduction cases. “I just found it so troubling that many abducted children were unable to return to their parents. I hope So-eun's desperate pursuit of the kidnapped

Jul 3, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Lee Jung-hyun returns to big screen after becoming a mom

Films

Moon Geun-young to make directorial film debut at BIFAN

Actress-director Moon Geun-young / Courtesy of Cree Company By Kwak Yeon-sooActress Moon Geun-young is making her directorial debut this year with three short films that will be showcased at the 26th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN), Korea's largest annual genre film festival.Her creative project consists of three short films ― “Abyss,” “The Stage” and “Be In My Dream” ― that will be screened in the XL section of BIFAN, which will be held July 7-17 in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.“Abyss,” which stars Moon, revolves around a woman who falls deeper into the abyss at the moment she thinks she has broken her limits. “The Stage” follows a woman who keeps finding her way back to the stage again and again despite many obstacles. “Be In My Dream” centers on a man handling grief and loss after saying goodbye to a loved one.Moon previously admitted that she had never expected this transition to happen.“I didn't go into directing with any ideas of where I'd

Jul 3, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Moon Geun-young to make directorial film debut at BIFAN

Films

'Elvis' has a lot in common with K-pop music industry: director Baz Luhrmann

Director Baz Luhrmann, left, and actor Austin Butler of “Elvis” attend an online press conference with Korean media, Tuesday. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Korea By Kwak Yeon-sooBaz Luhrmann, the writer-director of the musical biopic “Elvis,” explained that Elvis Presley's success paved the way for K-pop idols. In a recent online press conference with Korean reporters, Luhrmann talked about how the cultural icon of the 20th century has a lot in common with the K-pop music industry, in terms of being a teen idol who experienced tension with his manager.“K-pop culture began with Elvis in the 1950s. He was the first ever idol. We become conscious that business is important, but an artist's soul is the most important thing,” he said. The director, well known for his previous films like “Romeo + Juliet” (1996), “Moulin Rouge” (2001), and “The Great Gatsby” (2013), said he wanted to “peel back the rusty old curtain that comes over Elvis's white jumpsuit” and introduce Presley

Jul 1, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

'Elvis' has a lot in common with K-pop music industry: director Baz Luhrmann

Films

INTERVIEW Filmmaker points lens at North Korea's political prison camps

A scene from the animated film "True North" (English title), or “Remember Me” (Korean title), which depicts life in a North Korean political prison camp / Courtesy of BoXoo EntertainmentDirector calls for immediate action on human rights abuses in North KoreaBy Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Eiji Han Shimizu has always been interested in compelling human interest stories. Prior to making “True North,” an animated film about a family held captive in a brutal North Korean political prison camp, he has dealt with issues on Tibet, Palestine and other regions infamous for human rights abuses. “True North” follows Yohan, a nine-year-old boy from Pyongyang who is unjustifiably imprisoned after his father is accused of a crime. Yohan's youthful innocence and his belief in the innate goodness of others is gradually washed away from him as he faces the harsh realities of life and death in the camp.“I was purely interested in making a film that can have a positive impact on the world. Prison camps in North Korea are incomparable to any of the other atrocities oc

Jun 30, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

[INTERVIEW] Filmmaker points lens at North Korea's political prison camps

Films

INTERVIEW Park Chan-wook says 'Decision to Leave' is sexy without sex scenes

Filmmaker Park Chan-wook / Courtesy of CJ ENMCannes-winning director defies cliches, stereotypes in new film By Kwak Yeon-sooSince his breakout with “Oldboy,” (2003) which won the Grand Pix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, director Park Chan-wook rose quickly to become the face of Korean cinema on the international scene. From “Joint Security Area” (2000) to “The Handmaiden” (2017), Park's work has encompassed dark humor and heart through insightful storytelling. Known for his distinct visual style and extreme violence, Park has developed a personal signature across his filmography. Due to his unique cinematic vision, Park has been nominated many times for and swept awards at various international film festivals, and his recognition at Cannes earned him the nickname “Cannes Park” in Korea. At Cannes, Park also won the Jury Prize with his vampire horror drama film “Thirst” in 2009 and took home the Best Director award this year for his latest film “Decision to Leave,” totaling three awards.“Decision to Leav

Jun 29, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

[INTERVIEW] Park Chan-wook says 'Decision to Leave' is sexy without sex scenes

Films

Park Hae-il 'honored' to play war hero Admiral Yi Sun-sin in 'Hansan'

Actor Park Hae-il in a scene from the film, “Hansan: Rising Dragon” / Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Kim Han-min said the life of Yi Sun-sin (1545-1598), a legendary Korean admiral whose name has gone down in history for his immense courage in naval battles against Japan in the 16th century, was so inspiring that he had to make a film trilogy on the historic figure.“Hansan: Rising Dragon,” which centers on the historic Battle of Hansan Island (1592), is the follow-up to “Roaring Current,” the most-watched film in Korean cinema history with more than 17 million tickets sold. The 2014 war film focused on the Battle of Myeongnyang (1597).“Although 'Hansan' is a sequel, it is set five years before the previous film. The upcoming movie focuses on Yi in his 40s ― his spirit of being a 'seonbi' (which refers to a virtuous scholar who pursued a simple, principled and righteous life during the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom), his wisdom and character,” Kim said during a press conference held at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University i

Jun 28, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Park Hae-il 'honored' to play war hero Admiral Yi Sun-sin in 'Hansan'

Shows & Dramas

'Ultimate Weapon Alice' presents thrilling action, teen romance

Actors Song Geon-hee, left, and Park Se-wan pose during an online press conference for Watcha's original series “Ultimate Weapon Alice” in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Watcha By Kwak Yeon-sooWatcha's new original series “Ultimate Weapon Alice” features a rather unusual mix of action, humor and teen romance.It follows the story of Gyeo-wool, who hides her identity as a trained assassin when she enters high school. There, she befriends a traumatized student named Yeo-reum, who gets beaten up often by school bullies. The pair grow emotionally closer as they get chased down by a mysterious criminal organization. The original script was co-written by Lee Byoung-heon of the 2019 hit comedy film “Extreme Job” and director Seo Sung-won of the short film “I Go through The Summer.”Seo said he wanted to depict the dark side of teens to subvert traditional high school drama cliches. “The drama showcases action, but at the same time, has a romantic arc in it and vice versa,” he sa

Jun 24, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

'Ultimate Weapon Alice' presents thrilling action, teen romance

Films

Sci-fi fantasy film 'Alienoid' brings director's childhood imagination to screen

Actor Kim Woo-bin, center, speaks during a press conference for the film “Alienoid” at Conrad Seoul Hotel, Thursday. On the left is actress Kim Tae-ri and on the right is actor Ryu Jun-yeol. Yonhap By Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Choi Dong-hoon, who is returning to movie theaters this summer with the release of “Alienoid,” explained that his latest project is about bringing his childhood imagination into reality. “As a child, I was always fascinated by aliens. I thought it would be interesting to infuse cultural elements of Korean folklore with sci-fi and fantasy stories about aliens. Overall, it's an action-adventure film,” he said during a press conference for the film at the Conrad Seoul Hotel, Thursday.Choi, whose previous films “The Thieves” (2012) and “Assassination” (2015) each attracted over 10 million domestic viewers, recalled that it took him two and a half years to finish the script for “Alienoid” and its sequel, which were created together. The pre-production

Jun 23, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Sci-fi fantasy film 'Alienoid' brings director's childhood imagination to screen

Trends

Early Joseon-era painting of government officials' gathering unveiled

Choi Eung-chon, head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, speaks during a press briefing announcing the acquisition of “Gathering of Officials at Dokseodang Study,” a rare painting from the 16th century, at the National Palace Museum of Korea, central Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapRare painting returns to KoreaBy Kwak Yeon-sooA painting from the 16th-century Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), titled “Gathering of Officials at Dokseodang Study,” has been unveiled for the first time after it was made approximately 490 years ago. The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) on Wednesday unveiled the painting, which had been owned by Japanese collectors since early 1900s, although how and when it had been initially taken away from Korea is unknown. It was put up for auction in the U.S. in March, which was when the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation acquired it.The painting was created to commemorate a gathering of government officials participating in the “sagadokseo,” a sabbatical leave program allowing young, talented civil servants to do full-time in

Jun 22, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Kwak Yeon-soo

Read more

Cheong Wa Dae to be transformed into cultural complex: culture minister

Lee Jung-hyun returns to big screen after becoming a mom

Moon Geun-young to make directorial film debut at BIFAN

'Elvis' has a lot in common with K-pop music industry: director Baz Luhrmann

INTERVIEW Filmmaker points lens at North Korea's political prison camps

INTERVIEW Park Chan-wook says 'Decision to Leave' is sexy without sex scenes

Park Hae-il 'honored' to play war hero Admiral Yi Sun-sin in 'Hansan'

'Ultimate Weapon Alice' presents thrilling action, teen romance

Sci-fi fantasy film 'Alienoid' brings director's childhood imagination to screen

Early Joseon-era painting of government officials' gathering unveiled

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