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Kwak Yeon-soo

Korea Times Digital Content Reporter

Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.

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Films

Kim Ki-young's 'An Experience to Die for' stars unconventional Youn Yuh-jung

Actors Youn Yuh-jung, right, and Lee Tam-mi in a scene from "An Experience to Die for: Be a Wicked Woman" / Courtesy of Blue Film WorksBy Kwak Yeon-sooLate legendary filmmaker Kim Ki-young's posthumously released work, “An Experience to Die for: Be a Wicked Woman,” depicts how two women who try to maintain control over their own fates, fail to fulfill a “wicked” mission based on the bond of sisterhood. “An Experience to Die for” was made in 1990 as Kim's last work, but did not get to see the light of day because he chose not to release it.The revenge suspense drama revolves around two women: Yuh-jung (Youn Yuh-jung), who lost her son due to the fault of her husband, and Myung-ja (Lee Tam-mi), who divorced her husband due to his infidelity. Feeling betrayed, the two women plan to take revenge by killing each other's husbands.Unlike auteur Kim's previous works, in which the two female characters usually fight over a man, this film shows how they unite to form a team. The film explores human desire, exploitation and cruelty. Each character brings some

Jun 30, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Kim Ki-young's 'An Experience to Die for' stars unconventional Youn Yuh-jung
Films

Ma Dong-seok, Seohyun to star in thriller 'Holy Night: Demon Hunters'

Actors Ma Dong-seok, left, and Seohyun / Courtesy of Big Punch Entertainment and Namoo Actors, respectivelyBy Kwak Yeon-soo“Train to Busan” actor Ma Dong-seok and Seohyun of Girls' Generation will lead the cast of a new occult thriller called, “Holy Night: Demon Hunters.”The film's distributor, Lotte Entertainment, announced on Tuesday that casting for “Holy Night” is complete and that the filming began on June 28.Written and directed by newcomer Lim Dae-hee, “Holy Night” revolves around a team of demon hunters who fight against a group of people who worship the devil.In the upcoming film, Ma will play the role of Bow, who hunts down demons with fists of steel. He will appear next in Marvel's “Eternals” and is set to star in “The Club,” an American adaption of the Korean TV drama, “Trap.”Seohyun will star as Sharon, who is equipped with the supernatural ability to track down demons and perform exorcisms in order to get rid of evil spirits.Other cast members include Lee Da-wit, who appeared in “S

Jun 29, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Ma Dong-seok, Seohyun to star in thriller 'Holy Night: Demon Hunters'
Films

In 'The 8th Night,' exorcist races against time to defeat demonic spirits

From left, actors Lee Sung-min, Nam Da-reum, Kim Yoo-jung, Park Hae-joon and Kim Dong-young pose during an online press conference for “The 8th Night,” Monday. Courtesy of NetflixBy Kwak Yeon-sooNetflix's new occult thriller “The 8th Night” shows that not only Catholic priests, but Buddhist monks too have the power to exorcise demons, according to the filmmaker.During a press conference for the film on Monday, director Kim Tae-hyung, who is making his feature directorial debut with “The 8th Night,” explained the hidden meaning behind the film's title.“The title carries several meanings. The story unfolds during the space of eight days and implies that something will happen on the eighth night. Moreover, the number 8 becomes an infinity symbol when it's turned sideways. This signifies the concept of eternity, karma and fate,” he said. The upcoming film follows retired exorcist Jin-su (Lee Sung-min) who returns to work alongside a young monk named Chung-seok (Nam Da-reum) and detective Ho-tae (Park Hae-joon) to stop two demonic spirits. T

Jun 28, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
In 'The 8th Night,' exorcist races against time to defeat demonic spirits
Films

INTERVIEW Jin Ki-joo opens up about her cinematic journey, gaining wider support

Actress Jin Ki-joo / Courtesy of Tving & CJ ENM By Kwak Yeon-sooActress Jin Ki-joo had chosen a different path in life before breaking into the entertainment industry. She worked at Samsung SDS, an IT service unit of Samsung Group, for three years before moving on to become a journalist. From the moment she decided to get into acting, she never looked back. Although there were many skeptics, the actress put in a lot of effort to pursue important opportunities.In 2018, she appeared alongside rising actors Kim Tae-ri and Ryu Jun-yeol in director Yim Soon-rye's touching film, “Little Forest,” which gave her a chance to show off her talent to audiences. Later, the 32-year-old actress landed a major role in the TV series “Come and Hug Me” (2018) and “Homemade Love Story” (2020). Her first leading role on the big screen will be the upcoming thriller “Midnight,” which is likely to boost her career even further. In “Midnight” she plays a deaf woman named Kyung-mi who engage

Jun 25, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
[INTERVIEW] Jin Ki-joo opens up about her cinematic journey, gaining wider support
Films

Yoo Ah-in to lead cast of Netflix's car chase film 'Seoul Vibe'

Actor Yoo Ah-in / Courtesy of United Artists AgencyBy Kwak Yeon-sooActor Yoo Ah-in, who won multiple awards for his role in “Voice of Silence,” will lead the cast of the new action blockbuster, “Seoul Vibe.”Netflix announced on Friday that “Seoul Vibe,” which revolves around an investigation into a political slush fund on the day of the opening ceremony of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, will feature a star-studded cast. Packed with spectacular car chase action and old school hip-hop music, the upcoming film is being directed by Moon Hyun-sung, who previously directed the sports drama “As One” and the comedy film “The King's Case Not.”Yoo will play the role of Dong-wook, the leader of the investigative team, while Go Kyung-pyo will co-star as his teammate, DJ Woo-sam. Joining them are Lee Kyu-hyung, Park Ju-hyun and Ong Seong-woo, who will appear as members of the investigative team. Kim Sung-kyun will be featured as Chief Lee, who is behind the money laundering and slush fund, while Moon So-ri will appear as Chairwoman Kang, who w

Jun 25, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Yoo Ah-in to lead cast of Netflix's car chase film 'Seoul Vibe'
Films

Scarlett Johansson calls 'Black Widow' action film with lots of heart

Actress Scarlett Johansson, top, and director Cate Shortland attend an online press conference with Korean reporters, Thursday. Courtesy of Walt Disney Co. Korea By Kwak Yeon-sooActress Scarlett Johansson said she is proud of how her character Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, evolved over time since her first appearance in 2010's “Iron Man 2.”“When we see her in Iron Man 2 she's a caricature of the person, reacting to all the male characters. She's a leader and complicated when we see her in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). In Avengers: End Game (2019), she's a fully formed person. It's been progressive and I'm proud of that,” she told Korean reporters during an online press conference, Thursday. Recalling her experience portraying Natasha as “a very unique experience,” the acclaimed actress expressed excitement about presenting the “Black Widow” standalone film after over a decade in the role.On what she looks for when selecting projects she

Jun 24, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Scarlett Johansson calls 'Black Widow' action film with lots of heart
Films

Actor Song Kang-ho joins 2021 Cannes jury

Actor Song Kang-ho / AFP-YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooActor Song Kang-ho, who has appeared in nearly 40 films including the Oscar-winning “Parasite” (2019), has been invited to the jury for of the 2021 Cannes International Film Festival next month, the festival's organizers announced on its website, Thursday.Song will join eight other jurors, including actors Maggie Gyllenhaal, Melanie Laurent, Tahar Rahim, director Mati Diop, Jessical Hausner, Kleber Mendoca Filho, singer-songwriter Mylene Farmer and Cannes Jury President Spike Lee in judging the 2021 Cannes competition.Song is the fifth Korean to make the Cannes jury following the late director Shin Sang-ok in 1994, director Lee Chang-dong in 2009, actress Jeon Do-yeon in 2014 and director Park Chan-wook in 2017.Last year, Song and his castmates won the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for their performances in “Parasite” (2019).The acclaimed actor will next be seen in director Han Jae-rim's “Emergency Declaration,” which is expected to hit theate

Jun 24, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Actor Song Kang-ho joins 2021 Cannes jury
Films

'Bogota,' featuring Song Joong-ki, resumes filming after COVID-19 shutdown

A scene from “Bogota: City of the Lost” / Courtesy of Megabox Plus MBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe crime drama “Bogota: City of the Lost,” featuring Song Joong-ki, has resumed shooting in Korea after it halted filming in Colombia due to the pandemic.“Following a hiatus for COVID-19 quarantine restrictions, filming has resumed on Bogota in Korea. It has about three months of material left to shoot,” the film's distributor Megabox Plus M said in a statement, Wednesday. The filming began in January 2020 in Colombia, but two months later, the “Bogota” team shut down production as the pandemic forced film and TV shoots to pause work.In March last year, Colombia imposed an entry ban on travelers from South Korea as well as those who had visited the country. So the cast and crew returned to Korea and abandoned their original plan to shoot the entire film in the South American country.Directed by Kim Sung-je, who previously helmed “Minority Opinion” (2015), the film tells the story about Koreans who migrated to Colombia in the 1990s in search

Jun 23, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Bogota,' featuring Song Joong-ki, resumes filming after COVID-19 shutdown
Films

'The Bike Thief,' 'Molly's Home' win top Jury Awards at PyeongChang film festival

A scene from “Molly's Home” / Courtesy of PIPFFBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe PyeongChang International Peace Film Festival (PIPFF) wrapped up its six-day run on Tuesday after being held both online and offline amid the ongoing pandemic. Under the slogan “A New Hope,” the event kicked off on June 17 with film auteur Ahn Jae-huun's “The Shaman Sorceress” (2020), which revolves around a female shaman named Mohwa. Apart from screening his earlier films such as “Innocent Joy” (2000) and “The Road Called Life” (2014), the festival's Close-Up section highlighted the work of Ahn, winner of the Contrechamp Jury Distinction Award at the 2020 Annecy International Animation Film Festival. A total of 78 films from 26 countries were shown during the third edition of the film fest.The festival's organizing committee said that roughly 12,000 attended this year's event, including those who joined online. The film fest made 49.1 percent of all theater seats available for the screenings, and the total audience size increased by 22 percent from a year ea

Jun 23, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
'The Bike Thief,' 'Molly's Home' win top Jury Awards at PyeongChang film festival
Entertainment

Han Ye-seul hits back at rumormongers, warns of legal action

Actress Han Ye-seul / Korea Times fileBy Kwak Yeon-sooActress Han Ye-seul announced that she would take legal action against rumormongers, who have been spreading rumors about her “private life” and leaving malicious comments online. Law firm Bae, Kim & Lee, who represent Han, vowed to file a libel suit against the rumormongers.“We will file a complaint against rumormongers, including reporter-turned-YouTuber Kim Yong-ho, who made false accusations and maliciously slandered Han Ye-seul,” a legal representative said in a statement. “We will also sue all YouTubers and online users after securing evidence.”Han said that the groundless rumors and malicious comments have inflicted “unbearable pain” on her.“The more I tell you the truth, the more unspeakable videos spread online. Articles keep coming out with provocative headlines. The false rumors surrounding my private life have inflicted unbearable pain on me, and so I made up my mind to respond to them,” Han said in a statement. “Escort bars, drug use and even tax ev

Jun 22, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Han Ye-seul hits back at rumormongers, warns of legal action
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