The Korea Times

Byun Yo-han sees his potential as action star in 'On the Line'

Actor Byun Yo-han / Megabox Plus MBy Kwak Yeon-sooByun Yo-han doesn't mind playing brash and hilarious or brooding and charismatic characters on screen. He skillfully steps into the shoes of any character and brings to life the role he plays. Through varied roles in a mixture of genres, he wishes to tell human stories and portray the depth of the characters he plays.The 35-year-old actor said crime action film “On the Line” helped him see his potential as an action star and learn about voice phishing and phone fraud crimes that manipulate people into giving away money or revealing personal information through their phones.In the upcoming film, Byun plays former police officer Han Seo-joon, who falls prey to a voice phishing scam and loses most of his money. He goes to China, the epicenter of cybercrime, to seek revenge against the criminal gang led by Mr. Kwak (Kim Mu-yeol).Byun performed most of his action sequences himself without the use of a stunt double. “Our martial arts director created elaborate fight sequences. All I did was build my stamina to showcase fig

Sep 7, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Byun Yo-han sees his potential as action star in 'On the Line'

Films

'Men appear twice as often as women in Korean films,' data shows

The poster for “Bechdel Day 2021” / Courtesy of the Directors Guild of KoreaBy Kwak Yeon-sooFemale actors had a big year in Korea's top films last year. In the comedy and drama genres, Uhm Jung-hwa, Kim Hye-soo and Ko A-sung headlined films. Yet, it is difficult to conclude that female-led films are increasing as many major big-budget films have delayed their releases due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Men were still seen and heard about twice as much as women in the 20 highest-grossing films that were released between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021. These 20 films are: “Deliver Us From Evil,” “Peninsula,” “Steel Rain 2: Summit,” “Samjin Company English Class,” “Collectors,” “OK! Madam,” “Hard Hit,” “The Golden Holiday,” “Mission Possible,” “Best Friend,” “Voice of Silence,” “Waiting For Rain,” “Oh! My Gran,” “Book of Fish,” “Recalled,” “The Day I Died,” “Josee” and “The

Sep 6, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Less than 30% of women think Korean society is safe: report

Films

'Heaven: To the Land of Happiness' selected as opening film of 26th BIFF

A poster for the film, “Heaven: To the Land of Happiness” / Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Im Sang-soo's “Heaven: To the Land of Happiness” has been named the opening film of this year's Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), the event's organizer announced Thursday. “Heaven,” which was selected for the official selection in the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, revolves around two men ― played by Choi Min-sik and Park Hae-il ― who inadvertently become wealthy and go on a road trip together in pursuit of happiness.Choi, best known for his previous hit films “Old Boy” (2003) and “Roaring Currents” (2014), plays the role of jail-breaker, Inmate 203, while Park of “The Host” stars as penniless patient, Nam-sik, in the film.In addition, Academy Award-winning actress Youn Yuh-jung will appear as the glamorous Madam Youn. “The harmony created from Im Sang-soo's outstanding directorial power and excellent acting by Choi Min-sik and Park Hae-il ultimately turns the film into an inquiry about ha

Sep 3, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

'Heaven: To the Land of Happiness' selected as opening film of 26th BIFF

Shows & Dramas

Jeon Do-yeon says 'Lost' script made her cry

Actors Ryu Jun-yeol, left, and Jeon Do-yeon pose during an online press conference for JTBC's new series, “Lost,” Thursday. Courtesy of JTBCBy Kwak Yeon-sooActress Jeon Do-yeon is returning to the small screen for the first time in five years through JTBC's “Lost.” Her last appearance on television was playing the lead role in the 2016 drama “The Good Wife.”Directed by Hur Jin-ho, “Lost” tells the story of ordinary people who feel adrift in life and try to make their lives better. Jeon plays the role of Bu-jung, a ghostwriter who feels like she hasn't achieved anything at the age of 40, while Ryu Jun-yeol appears as Kang-jae, who runs a company that rents fake family members, friends or romantic partners for money. Hur, best known for directing the films “Christmas in August” and “The Last Princess,” is making his first foray into a TV drama. Kim Ji-hye, the screenwriter for hit romance film “Architecture 101,” penned the script.The star director revealed that he had neither the courage nor the confid

Sep 3, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Jeon Do-yeon says 'Lost' script made her cry

Entertainment

INTERVIEW 'D.P.' actor Koo Kyo-hwan speaks about prolific career

Actor Koo Kyo-hwan / Courtesy of NetflixBy Kwak Yeon-sooActor Koo Kyo-hwan has truly come a long way since his breakthrough performance in the 2018 film “Jane.” His portrayal of a free-spirited transgender woman in the independent drama film earned him the Best New Actor award at the 54th Baeksang Arts Awards, and since then has garnered industry recognition. Aside from acting, he directed short films, including “Love Docu” (2015) and “Flow to the Sky” (2015), and produced the comedy-mystery film “Maggie” (2019).Koo left a lasting impression on audiences with his villainous, yet charming character in the zombie film “Peninsula” (2020). This year, he has already starred in three hit projects ― he appeared as North Korean diplomat Tae Joon-ki in the action blockbuster “Escape from Mogadishu” and the leader of Pajeowi tribe Aidagan in Netflix's drama “Kingdom: Ashin of the North.”In his latest drama “D.P.,” Koo plays Corporal Han Ho-yul, a member of the military police who tracks down deserte

Sep 2, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

[INTERVIEW] 'D.P.' actor Koo Kyo-hwan speaks about prolific career

Films

'Miracle' director reminds us not to fear failure

From left, actors Park Jeong-min, Lim Yoon-a, director Lee Jang-won, actors Lee Soo-kyung and Lee Sung-min pose after the online press conference for the film “Miracle,” Wednesday. Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooPark Jeong-min, an award-winning actor known for taking on many diverse roles in his career, described his new film, “Miracle,” as one of the most touching dramas of the year, that's genuine and witty to the core. Set in 1986, “Miracle” tells the story of math prodigy Joon-kyung (Park), who lives in a remote town in North Gyeongsang Province. His five-hour commute to school weighs on him, and that encourages him to come up with a plan to build a train station in his hometown.Joon-kyung joins hands with other townspeople to obtain approval for the project to create a train station. The film is based on a true story. Yangwon Station, located in Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang Province, which was built by the townspeople in 1988, is recorded as Korea's first private train station.Director Lee Jang-hoon, who previously directed

Sep 1, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

'Miracle' director reminds us not to fear failure

Films

From Park Jeong-min to Lee Je-hoon, young actors to make directorial debuts

Actors Park Jeong-min, left, and Lee Je-hoon / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment, Company ONBy Kwak Yeon-sooFour young actors are expanding their expertise behind the camera for their directorial debuts. Actors Park Jeong-min, Lee Je-hoon, Son Suk-ku and Choi Hee-seo will create short films as part of the “Unframed Project,” which will be released exclusively on local streaming platform, Watcha. The project allows each actor to write his or her script and direct the creation of their movie. “Through the 'Unframed Project,' the actors will be able to go beyond acting and expand their artistic world to the new field of directing. They will highlight relationships and emotions we've been missing out on,” Watcha said in a statement. Park has had a tight work schedule since playing a groundbreaking role on “Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet” in 2015, but kept his writing jobs on the sideline. After years of writing columns for a magazine and a film blog, Park published his own book of essays, titled “Usable Human,” in 2018. The 34-year-old actor'

Aug 31, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

From Park Jeong-min to Lee Je-hoon, young actors to make directorial debuts

Films

Jeong Jin-woon to return to big screen as rookie cop in crime action film

Jeong Jin-woon in a scene from the film, “Brother” / Courtesy of The Great CompanyBy Kwak Yeon-sooSinger-actor Jeong Jin-woon will return to the big screen as a rookie cop in the crime action film, “Brother,” three months after starring in his first full-length horror film, “Only I Can See.”In the upcoming film, Jeong will play the role of Kang-soo, a righteous cop who unexpectedly joins hands with gang boss Yong-sik (Jo Jae-yun). Director Shin Keun-ho, well-known for his previous film, “Romantic Debtors,” (2010) directed the flick.“The two characters engage in a mind game as well as show off their fast-moving fight scenes and chase scenes to compel audiences to see through the eyes of Kang-soo or Yong-sik,” the production team said.Jeong debuted as a member of the four-member group, 2AM, in 2008 with the ballad, “This Song,” which led the group to stardom. The group has released a string of hits, including, “I Was Wrong” and “Like Crazy” (2010).He started acting in 2012 through a lead rol

Aug 30, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Jeong Jin-woon to return to big screen as rookie cop in crime action film

Trends

Korea, China and Japan agree to make joint efforts to protect copyrights of cultural content

Culture Minister Hwang Hee speaks to his Japanese counterpart Hagiuda Koichi during a meeting held via video conference, Monday. Courtesy of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and TourismBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe culture ministers of Korea, China and Japan adopted a declaration calling for the promotion of cultural exchanges among the three countries, despite the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a blow to the cultural and creative sectors.The three-way meeting between Korea's culture minister Hwang Hee, China's culture minister Hu Heping and Japan's culture minister Hagiuda Koichi, has been held annually since 2007. Last year's event was cancelled due to the pandemic. This year, the three ministers met via video conferencing on Monday.The Kitakyushu Declaration, endorsed at the ministerial meeting held online, calls for jointly holding arts and cultural events during the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, to be held in Beijing. The declaration also stated that the three Asian countries will strengthen their partnership among state-funded cultural institutions and museums. The mini

Aug 30, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Korea, China and Japan agree to make joint efforts to protect copyrights of cultural content

Films

'Escape from Mogadishu' becomes Korea's No. 1 hit movie this year

Director Ryu Seung-wan, top left, and the cast of the film, “Escape from Mogadishu,” pose with handwritten thank you notes to fans, after the film surpassed the three-million ticket sales mark on Sunday. Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-soo“Escape from Mogadishu,” an action blockbuster by director Ryu Seung-wan, has become the most-viewed film this year to date, its distributor said Sunday.The film posted over three million ticket purchases as of Sunday, on the 33rd day of its release, according to Lotte Entertainment. It outnumbered the previous No. 1, “Black Widow,” released in July, which garnered around 2.95 million ticket sales. To celebrate this record, Ryu and the cast, including Kim Yoon-seok, Zo In-sung, Huh Joon-ho, Koo Kyo-hwan, Kim So-jin and Jeong Man-sik, thanked fans for their support in photos of each actor holding a “thank you” note.Based on a true story, “Escape from Mogadishu” follows stranded South Korean and North Korea embassy workers who join forces to escape Somalia during the civil war in

Aug 29, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Kwak Yeon-soo

Read more

Byun Yo-han sees his potential as action star in 'On the Line'

'Men appear twice as often as women in Korean films,' data shows

'Heaven: To the Land of Happiness' selected as opening film of 26th BIFF

Jeon Do-yeon says 'Lost' script made her cry

INTERVIEW 'D.P.' actor Koo Kyo-hwan speaks about prolific career

'Miracle' director reminds us not to fear failure

From Park Jeong-min to Lee Je-hoon, young actors to make directorial debuts

Jeong Jin-woon to return to big screen as rookie cop in crime action film

Korea, China and Japan agree to make joint efforts to protect copyrights of cultural content

'Escape from Mogadishu' becomes Korea's No. 1 hit movie this year

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