Cho Jin-woong says acting alongside Lee Sung-min 'exhilarating experience' Actor Cho Jin-woong / Courtesy of Plus M EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooActor Cho Jin-woong said he initially had no idea what to make of his character when he first read the script for political thriller “The Devil's Deal.” But the more he went over it with director Lee Won-tae and shared the possibilities of what he might do with the character, the more he wanted to step into the role of Hae-woong.“Hae-woong is a regular candidate running for general election in the beginning, but then transforms into a power-hungry politician who is willing to get his hands dirty,” he said during a recent interview with The Korea Times. “Although I had mixed feelings about the character himself, I liked the fact that it's a character-driven story.”Set in Busan in 1992, “The Devil's Deal” follows the story of a morally conflicted, opportunistic politician who embarks on a tumultuous journey as he attempts to regain his political footing following a general election fallout.The 46-year-old actor said he wanted to show the moral decay of Hae-woong and howFeb 26, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
Political thriller 'Devil's Deal' explores themes of power, corruption and betrayal in 1990s A scene from the film, "The Devil's Deal" / Courtesy of Plus M EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooIn the political thriller, “The Devil's Deal,” filmmaker Lee Won-tae explores the themes of power, corruption and betrayal as he traces an aspiring politician's rise to power. The film stars Cho Jin-woong in the title role of Hae-woong, Lee Sung-min as power broker Sun-tae and Kim Moo-yul as gang boss Pil-do. Set in Busan in 1992, the film follows the story of a morally conflicted, opportunistic politician who embarks on a tumultuous journey as he attempts to regain his political footing following a general election fallout.A civilian democratic government with direct election of the president was inaugurated in 1992, marking the beginning of a new chapter in Korea's political history after three decades of military rule.Both the general election of the National Assembly and the presidential election took place the same year.Cho said he was most intrigued by the contradictions of Hae-woong, who he described as “a complex character who would sell his soul to the devil in exchaFeb 22, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
Koo Kyo-hwan to lead sci-fi blockbuster 'In Search of the King' Actors Koo Kyo-hwan, left, and Seohyun have been cast in director Won Shin-yun's sci-fi film, “In Search of the King” (working title) / Courtesy of Wysiwyg StudiosBy Kwak Yeon-sooActor Koo Kyo-hwan has been cast in the lead role of director Won Shin-yun's sci-fi blockbuster tentatively titled “In Search of the King.”Set in the turbulent 1980s, the film follows the story of an army surgeon named Do-jin (Koo) who stumbles across a giant, mysterious object in a town located inside the demilitarized zone.Veteran actor Yoo Jae-myung will play the role of righteous town resident Joo-bok. His other credits include “Itaewon Class” (2020) and “Vincenzo” (2021). Seohyun, an actress and member of the K-pop act Girls' Generation, will appear as the town's only nurse, Jung-ae.Actor Koo Kyo-hwan / Courtesy of NetflixWon, the director, is best known for his previous films such as “Seven Days” (2007), “Memoir of a Murderer” (2017) and “The Battle: Roar to Victory” (2019). The director revealed that the production teaFeb 22, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
Yim Si-wan felt conflicted about psychopath role in 'Unlocked' Actor Yim Si-wan / Courtesy of NetflixBy Kwak Yeon-sooYim Si-wan, who is again playing the role of a villain in the Netflix film “Unlocked” following his role in 2022 disaster thriller “Emergency Declaration,” said he felt conflicted about playing a psychopath in the new movie.“I initially turned down the offer because I was afraid that my role might have a negative influence on society. However, actor Kim Hee-won (who also starred in the film) persuaded me into playing the protagonist, Jun-yeong. It was a tightly-knit script with a cathartic end,” he said during a recent interview with The Korea Times. Inspired by Shiga Akira's Japanese novel of the same name, “Unlocked” follows the story of Na-mi (Chun Woo-hee) whose life is turned upside down when she leaves her smartphone on the bus after a night out with her friends. A murderous stalker named Jun-yeong (Yim) finds the phone and returns it to her after installing spyware to track her every move. He slowly destroys her life, cutting her ties with friends and family.Yim explained thatFeb 21, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Kill Boksoon' explores juggling motherhood in assassin action thriller The poster for the upcoming Netflix movie, “Kill Boksoon” / Courtesy of NetflixThe upcoming Netflix movie "Kill Boksoon" revolves around a legendary female assassin, but the action-packed thriller is a stylish, witty drama of a mother's desperate efforts to find work-life balance between contract killing and parenting. Cannes best actress winner Jeon Do-yeon stars as the titular lead character, Gil Boksoon, a top assassin who leads a double life as a mother to a teenage daughter, Jae-young (Kim Si-a), going through a turbulent adolescence.Boksoon has never missed a target and is the highest-paid contract killer in MK Ent., an assassination company established by Cha Min-kyu (Seol Kyung-gu). She knows how to do an impeccable job: whether it's killing a person, a group of gangs or staging a suicide with whatever is available.At home, she is an ordinary mother who tries but often fails to connect with her daughter, who confessed to being a lesbian and having trouble at her elite private school. For Boksoon, parenting is harder than her highly risky job, saying, "It is simpleFeb 20, 2023
What happened to all those videotapes? A VHS film plays on an analogue television set which sits among stacks of videotape covers at the Asia Culture Center's special exhibition “To REWIND is Divine!” Feb. 10. Korea Times photo by Saul LathamKorea's fading videotape legacy not forgottenBy Saul LathamNothing lasts forever. The faded cases of old videotapes are a testament to that. Those of us old enough will remember fondly the sound of a videotape popping into a VCR and the distorted lines caused by fast-forwarding through the video. For decades the videotape touched us. But its legacy has faded. The remnants of its cultural boom are scattered. What happened to all those videotapes? For a rare few weeks, visitors to the Asia Culture Center's (ACC) special exhibition “To REWIND is Divine!” experienced a historic collection of videotapes and film memorabilia. They were able to touch and feel decades of videotapes as material and as memory. The exhibit featured some 27,000 Video Home System (VHS) tapes ― a combined volume equivalent to 10 video rental shops ― taken mostly from the remarkable collectioFeb 18, 2023By Kim Rahn
Yoo Yeon-seok reveals why he took pay cut for 'My Heart Puppy' Actor Yoo Yeon-seok / Courtesy of Kidari Studio By Kwak Yeon-sooActor Yoo Yeon-seok has a clear sense of purpose when it comes to the roles he chooses and the directors he works with. Before the pandemic, his goal was to land a huge role in a big-budget blockbuster with an extensive cast. However, the actor decided to take a road less traveled after reading the script for “My Heart Puppy.” A noted dog lover, he even took a pay cut for the canine-based picture.“I decided to take on a low-budget passion project because I couldn't ignore the pet abandonment issue that's becoming a growing problem nowadays. And most of all, I was deeply moved by director Kim Joo-hwan's commitment to animal welfare,” he said during an interview with The Korea Times, Friday. “My Heart Puppy” follows the story of avid dog lover Min-soo (Yoo) who lives with his golden retriever named Rooney and faces an unexpected crisis when his soon-to-be-fiancee says she is allergic to dogs.Min-soo's couFeb 17, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
3 Korean films invited to 73rd Berlin Film Festival A scene from the film “Kill Boksoon” / Courtesy of NetflixBy Kwak Yeon-sooThree Korean films are heading to the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival, which will run until Feb. 26.Director Hong Sang-soo's 29th feature film, “In Water,” will have its world premiere in Berlin as part of the festival's “Encounters” sidebar competitive section. He has been invited to the festival for the fourth consecutive year. Hong was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Director for his 2020 film, “The Woman Who Ran.” He won another Silver Bear for Best Screenplay with 2021 title, “Introduction.” Last year, he won the Grand Jury Prize for “The Novelist's Film.” The director as well as actors Kim Min-hee and Shin Seok-ho will attend the festival to promote their new film.Director Byun Sung-hyun's Netflix film “Kill Boksoon” has been invited to the festival's Berlinale Special program, a non-competitive section that includes “documentary, feature and short films that elevate and explore cinema as an art form.”Feb 16, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
Director Isao Yukisada says Korea-Japan TV and film collaboration 'inevitable' Japanese filmmaker Isao Yukisada / Courtesy of Holy GardenJapanese filmmaker returns with queer film 'The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese'By Kwak Yeon-sooGiven Korea's booming cultural content industry, there is a growing list of creators in Asia and beyond that are eager to collaborate with local production companies and filmmakers. Ties have been getting stronger between the content industries of Korea and Japan in recent years. In addition to Hirokazu Kore-eda, whose first Korean-language film “Broker” helped its male lead Song Kang-ho win the best actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Takashi Miike helmed Korean-language drama series “Connect” for Disney+. Japanese director Isao Yukisada said Japan-Korea TV and film collaborations could be a great way to bring the two cultures together and showcase their strengths. “Korean content is expanding its global reach while Japanese content is in decline. So collaboration is inevitable. I'm eager to find out how K-content has become so powerful. I want to learn more about the secrets to its success,&rdquoFeb 15, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Count' tells scandal-ridden boxer's redemption story with comedy vibe A scene from Korean boxing comedy film "Count" is seen in this photo provided by its distributor CJ ENM. YonhapIn the Olympics, gold medals are made out of athletes' sweat, blood and tears as well as efforts in the gym every day, making their sacrifices worthy of respect.But for Park Si-hun, the gold medal from a historic boxing match with American fighter Roy Jones at the 1988 Seoul Olympics by a 3-2 decision put him in the epicenter of a widespread controversy and accusations of corruption. The middleweight champion quietly retired from boxing and worked as a physical education teacher in his rural hometown for the next 13 years before making a return to competitive boxing as a coach.The upcoming Korean comedy film "Count" gives a personal perspective of Park's real-life story after retirement to look back on his controversial win, presenting a hilarious underdog sports story with high school students with a rebellious spirit.The film provides a familiar and emotionally resonant story for audiences to follow while highlighting the sport of boxing itself. Set in 1998 in the southeasFeb 14, 2023
