The Korea Times

Choi Min-sik says his new film 'In Our Prime' parallels 'Good Will Hunting'

Actors Choi Min-sik, right and Kim Dong-hwi in a scene from the film "In Our Prime" / Courtesy of Showbox By Kwak Yeon-sooActor Choi Min-sik, who is returning to the big screen three years after “Forbidden Dream,” described his upcoming film “In Our Prime” as poignant, heartfelt and much like “Good Will Hunting.” Choi plays genius mathematician Lee Hak-sung, who defected from North Korea to the South and chooses to work as a janitor at a high school. There, he meets Han Ji-woo (Kim Dong-hwi), a student who has trouble fitting in due to social hierarchy.When Hak-sung's talents are discovered, Ji-woo asks him to be his mentor. Through math lessons, the two social outcasts form a close bond. The events of the film unfold as Hak-sung becomes more and more involved with Ji-woo.Director Park Dong-hoon explained that his first impression of the script was that it was an intriguing observation on human interaction. “When I first went through the script, a scene came up to m

Feb 15, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Choi Min-sik says his new film 'In Our Prime' parallels 'Good Will Hunting'

Shows & Dramas

Park Min-young, Song Kang unite for romance 'Forecasting Love and Weather'

From left, actors Song Kang, Park Min-young, Yura and Yoon Park pose during an online press conference for JTBC's new series, “Forecasting Love and Weather.” Courtesy of JTBCBy Kwak Yeon-soo“Forecasting Love and Weather,” starring actors Park Min-young and Song Kang, takes a closer look at the ins and outs of working in the business of predicting the weather. The plot follows the story of Jin Ha-kyung (Park), a meteorologist who has decided never to commit to a workplace romance after a brutal break-up, but falls into a relationship with Lee Si-woo (Song), a newcomer in the team.Yoon Park appears as Ha-kyung's ex-fiance, Han Ki-joon, while Yura plays Chae Yu-jin, a weather forecaster for a daily newspaper who is bright on the outside, but has a dark side to her.Director Cha Young-hoon explained that “Forecasting Love and Weather” is about people at the Korea Meteorological Administration who fall and get back on their feet to become a better version of themselves.“There are some striking similarities between weather and life. Like many things

Feb 13, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Park Min-young, Song Kang unite for romance 'Forecasting Love and Weather'

Entertainment

K-pop singers, actors show off hanbok, object to China's cultural appropriation

Suga of BTS wearing a “gonryongpo,” a type of robe worn by royalty during the Joseon era (1392-1910) / Screenshot from InstagramBy Kwak Yeon-sooKorean singers and actors have been creating a buzz online by sharing photos of themselves clad in hanbok and backing its origin as Korean. Their moves come in response to the controversy sparked by China's alleged cultural appropriation of traditional Korean dress.On Tuesday, Hyoyeon of Girls' Generation posted a photo of herself wearing hanbok and dancing with a fan on Instagram. She wrote, “Our (Korean) hanbok is beautiful.” The next day, Suga of BTS posted a picture of himself wearing a “gonryongpo” (a type of dragon-printed robe worn by the king or other members of the royal family during the 1392-1910 Joseon era) with the single letter, “D,” on social media. The post appears to be a throwback to his solo album, “Agust D,” as he wore the robe in his music video at the time, but many raised questions over the post's timing.Although he didn't leave any specific comment surrounding

Feb 11, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

K-pop singers, actors show off hanbok, object to China's cultural appropriation

Films

Director's Cut Awards to be held virtually on Feb. 24

By Kwak Yeon-sooThe poster for the 20th Director's Cut Awards for Film and Series / Courtesy of the Directors Guild of KoreaThe 20th Director's Cut Awards for Film and Series will be held virtually on Feb. 24 after cancelling the 2020 and 2021 events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The nominees include films and series released since 2020.Unlike other film awards, the Director's Cut Awards selects nominees and winners through votes from Korean directors only. The awards ceremony will be held without a red carpet, tuxedos or gowns.The Directors Guild of Korea announced that it has added two new categories to reflect the growing interest in Korean content. The two categories are Drama Series, which became popular on streaming services during the pandemic, and Best International Film Director. “We newly established the Best International Film Director category to find out what kind of international films Korean filmmakers are interested in,” the organizers said. The nominees for the category this year are Ryusuke Hamaguchi for “Drive My Car” (2021), Chloe Zhao for

Feb 10, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Director's Cut Awards to be held virtually on Feb. 24

Films

Netflix rom-com 'Love and Leashes' raises questions about social norms

From left, actor Lee Jun-young, director Park Hyun-jin and actress Seohyun pose at the press conference for Netflix's film “Love and Leashes” in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Netflix By Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Park Hyun-jin of romantic comedy film “Love and Leashes” explained that she decided to adapt a Naver webtoon titled “Moral Sense” (also the Korean title of the film) for the screen because it combines elements of humor, romance and gender issues.In the upcoming Netflix film, Seohyun plays Ji-woo, a young woman who rejects the traditional roles that society imposes on women. One day, she stumbles upon her co-worker Ji-hoo's (Lee Jun-young) secret peculiarities after mistakenly opening a package that belongs to him. The two enter a contractual relationship as partners in consensual play to fulfill each other's sexual fantasies.“The story deals with the subject of sexual preference, but doesn't include suggestive language or reference. To me, Ji-woo sounded like a ch

Feb 8, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Netflix rom-com 'Love and Leashes' raises questions about social norms

Arts & Theater

Long-form plays are the next big thing in theaters

A scene from “Angels in America Part 1: Millennium Approaches” / Courtesy of the National Theater Company of KoreaBy Kwak Yeon-sooWhile scripted short-form TV dramas and shows are gaining popularity, the theater industry is reversing the latest trend and embracing long-form plays to take audiences on an immersive journey inside literary works.“The Brothers Karamazov,” based on Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel of the same name, is a six-hour play. The play, which ran for 20 days from Oct.12 to 31, split into two parts (three hours each) during weekdays and played both parts (six hours) on weekends. Despite concerns about the extremely long play, around 80 percent of the tickets were sold. Stage director Na Jin-hwan, who adapted and dramatized the epic classic novel ― over 1,700 pages ― explained that it was necessary to use the long-form in order to depict the multi-layered characters and the series of events that occurs surrounding them.Actor Jung Dong-hwan, who played five different characters in the play, said that the lengthy narrative is worth watching because t

Feb 7, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Long-form plays are the next big thing in theaters

Shows & Dramas

Kim Hye-soo transforms into stern judge in 'Juvenile Justice'

By Kwak Yeon-sooA teaser poster for Netflix's “Juvenile Justice” / Courtesy of NetflixKim Hye-soo will take the bench in Netflix's upcoming series “Juvenile Justice,” which shines a light on juvenile offenders and criminal justice.“Juvenile Justice” revolves around a newly appointed judge for a juvenile court who despises juvenile offenders. As she handles various criminal cases, however, her perspective starts to change. “Upon reading the script, I was surprised that such a gripping story could be written. I think viewers will be able to ponder what attitudes society holds toward juvenile offenders,” actress Kim said. The stories told in the upcoming drama are unfailingly relevant, according to director Hong Jong-chan, whose works include tvN's “Dear My Friends” (2016) and JTBC's “Life” (2018).Screenwriter Kim Min-seok revealed he interviewed about 50 to 60 related officials who work in district courts, family courts, juvenile detention centers and correctional facilities to write the script. The cast also inclu

Feb 4, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Kim Hye-soo transforms into stern judge in 'Juvenile Justice'

Entertainment

TV shows, musicals canceled as casts, crews test positive for COVID-19

Actor Jung Il-woo, who was planning to host a live episode of “SNL Korea” season 2 on Feb. 5, has tested positive for COVID-19. Courtesy of Coupang PlayBy Kwak Yeon-sooAmid the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, TV shows and musicals have been forced to cancel or be put on hold this week, as a number of cast and crew members have tested positive for COVID-19. Many familiar actors, singers and comedians have openly shared their positive COVID-19 test results to encourage others to stay safe. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Korea's daily COVID-19 cases recorded 27,443 on Thursday.Season 2 of Coupang Play's “SNL Korea” canceled its Feb. 5 show after a crew member tested positive for the virus. Actor Jung Il-woo, who was planning to host the show's live episode on Feb. 5, also revealed that he had contracted the illness despite being fully vaccinated. “We have decided to cancel the upcoming show and conduct additional testing of the actors and crew involved to prevent further harm,” the production team said in sta

Feb 4, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

TV shows, musicals canceled as casts, crews test positive for COVID-19

Films

Director Hong Sang-soo, actress Kim Min-hee to attend Berlin Film Festival

Director Hong Sang-soo, left, and actress Kim Min-hee / Korea Times fileBy Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Hong Sang-soo and actress Kim Min-hee will attend the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival (also known as the Berlinale) to promote their film, which is set to compete in the event this month, industry sources said Wednesday. This visit will mark their first public appearance in two years since they attended the Berlinale in 2020 to promote Hong's “The Woman Who Ran,” which earned the Silver Bear for best director.In January, Hong's 27th feature, “The Novelist's Film,” was invited to vie for the Gold and Silver Bears at the film festival, which is scheduled for Feb. 10-20. It is the third consecutive year that Hong's film has been invited to screen in the competition category of the Berlinale. The director won the Silver Bear for best screenplay for “Introduction” in 2021.“The Novelist's Film” is the ninth movie the filmmaker has worked on alongside Kim. The black-and-white film revolves around a female novelist who takes a long trip to v

Feb 4, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Director Hong Sang-soo, actress Kim Min-hee to attend Berlin Film Festival

Films

Will film NFTs revolutionize movie merchandising?

“The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure” NFTs issued by Lotte Cinema / Courtesy of Lotte CinemaBy Kwak Yeon-sooAs the non-fungible token (NFT) craze is catching on in the art and entertainment industries, a group of film studios and cinema operators are trying to capitalize on the digital asset to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic-driven slump.NFTs are units of data stored on blockchains that verify ownership of unique digital assets. The latest move comes amid growing pressure to make up for lost box office revenue and revive the movie business. Lotte Cinema gifted NFTs to the first 10,000 people who reserved tickets for “The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure.” The winners were given “secret codes” that could be exchanged for the NFTs on the W. Craft website. The cinema chain operator has rolled out various kinds of digital merchandise, such as collectible art cards, AR (augmented reality) action tickets and standing posters. In December, Lotte Cinema joined hands with Warner Bros. to release NFT merchandise to the first 30,000 customers who reserve

Feb 3, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Kwak Yeon-soo

Read more

Choi Min-sik says his new film 'In Our Prime' parallels 'Good Will Hunting'

Park Min-young, Song Kang unite for romance 'Forecasting Love and Weather'

K-pop singers, actors show off hanbok, object to China's cultural appropriation

Director's Cut Awards to be held virtually on Feb. 24

Netflix rom-com 'Love and Leashes' raises questions about social norms

Long-form plays are the next big thing in theaters

Kim Hye-soo transforms into stern judge in 'Juvenile Justice'

TV shows, musicals canceled as casts, crews test positive for COVID-19

Director Hong Sang-soo, actress Kim Min-hee to attend Berlin Film Festival

Will film NFTs revolutionize movie merchandising?

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