Actor Jang Dong-yoon steps behind camera with ‘The Yeast’Actor Jang Dong-yoon is making his directorial debut with "The Yeast," a warmhearted coming-of-age story centered on a traditional Korean ingredient to offer audiences courage and comfort. "It did not start from some grand ambition," Jang said after a premiere of the movie, Monday. "As I continued working as an actor, my desire to create grew naturally, and that led me here." "The Yeast" follows Da-seul (Kim Seung-yun), an 18-year-old girl who loves makgeolli, a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage, and is the daughter of a local brewery family. When she notices the taste of the makgeolli has changed one day, she sets out on a journey to find the missing yeast behind it. Jang wrote the screenplay and directed the film, which previously screened at the 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. Jang, who starred as an actor in many series and movies such as Netflix's 2023 series "Daily Dose of Sunshine" previously tried his hand at directing with the 2023 short film "Please Be My Ear," but "The Yeast" marks his first feature. The director said the idea of the movie came to him duApr 6, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'Train to Busan' director returns to zombie genre with star-studded ‘Colony’Director Yeon Sang-ho, best known for the global zombie hit "Train to Busan” (2016), is back with another zombie film, gathering big-name stars in Korean cinema. "Zombie films are a great genre for revealing the latent fears of society," Yeon said during a press conference in Seoul, Monday. "Just as 'Train to Busan' tried to capture the fears of its time, I hope audiences will see 'Colony' as the fear I feel now, 10 years later." "Colony" is set inside a sealed building where survivors trapped by a mysterious infection must fight back against evolving infected beings. The film stars Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-been, Kim Shin-rok and Go Soo. The film marks Jun’s return to the big screen after more than a decade, following "Assassination" in 2015. "I am so excited to be back," she said with a bright smile. "I have always been a fan of Yeon, and I was happy to join knowing I would work alongside such outstanding actors." Yeon said the wide spectrum she showed in films like "My Sassy Girl" (2001) and "Assassination" appears in a more concentrated form in "Colony," dApr 6, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'The King's Warden' surpasses 16 mil. admissionsThe historical film "The King's Warden" topped 16 million admissions at the domestic box office Sunday, the film's distributor said, becoming only the third film to reach the milestone. The film surpassed the milestone two months after its release on Feb. 4, Showbox said, placing it behind the 2014 war epic "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" with 17.6 million admissions, and the 2019 action-comedy "Extreme Job" with 16.2 million. The historical drama currently ranks as the third-most-watched film of all time in South Korea. Directed by Jang Hang-jun, "The King's Warden" reimagines historical events, following the unlikely friendship between village chief Eom Heung-do (Yoo Hai-jin) and the deposed King Danjong (Park Ji-hoon) of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) during the king's exile.Apr 5, 2026By Yonhap
Jeonju film festival to turn lens on martial law crisisThis year’s Jeonju International Film Festival, set to run from April 29 to May 8, will shine a spotlight on films dealing with 2024’s martial law declaration, an event that plunged Korea into its deepest constitutional crisis in decades. The festival named "The Longest Night: Namtaeryeong" as its closing film, a documentary by director Kim Hyun-ji, who previously earned widespread praise for "A Man Who Heals the City” (2023). The festival's program notes introduce the film with a striking line — "A year has passed since a madman's scheme was foiled." The reference is to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s surprise declaration of martial law on the night of Dec. 3, 2024, when armed soldiers entered the National Assembly grounds in an attempted insurrection. The crisis was nullified within around six hours after lawmakers convened an emergency session and voted to lift the decree. "Namtaeryeong" focuses not on that night itself but on events two weeks later, on Dec. 21, when protesters made their stand near Namtaeryeong in southern Seoul. Moon Seok, programmer of the film festival, said aApr 3, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
‘My Name’ confronts trauma of Jeju April 3 UprisingVeteran filmmaker Chung Ji-young, known for his works tackling Korea’s painful historical truths, is back with new film “My Name” to honor those lost in the Jeju April 3 Uprising. The Jeju April 3 Uprising refers to a tragic period from 1947 to 1954 when government forces clashed with armed leftist groups, leading to the deaths of up to 30,000 citizens — more than 10 percent of the island's population. To bring this historical tragedy to life on screen, “My Name” encompasses this massive historical trauma in a personal, two-generation story. Set in 1998, it follows Jeong-sun (Yeom Hye-ran), a mother who suffers from painful memories of the uprising, and her 18-year-old son Yeong-ok (Shin Woo-bin), who struggles with his own identity and the shifting social dynamics of his school. The film uses a frame structure to link the past and present. As Jeong-sun travels back to the sites of her faded memories to find the cause of her trauma, she confronts the brutal loss of her husband and family. Simultaneously, Yeong-ok faces school violence from a cruel transfer student, Gyeong-taeApr 3, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Bong Joon-ho ventures into animation with debut feature 'Ally'"Parasite" director Bong Joon-ho will debut his first animated feature, "Ally," CJ ENM said Friday. The company said it has invested in and will distribute the film, together with Penture Invest and French film company Pathe Films, though a release date has yet to be announced. The animated film tells the story of deepwater creatures fascinated by humans and their lives above the surface. At the center of the plot is Ally, a deepwater octopus, who embarks on an unexpected journey with its friends after a plane crashes and sinks into the ocean. Jason Yu, director of the 2023 mystery horror "Sleep," participated in the screenwriting. The Oscar-winning director has been working on the animation since 2018, with production expected to wrap in the first half of next year. The film will mark Bong's first since his 2025 sci-fi movie "Mickey 17."Apr 3, 2026By Yonhap
'KPop Demon Hunters 2' will be bigger, more eventful: directorsThe highly anticipated sequel to the Netflix animated hit “KPop Demon Hunters” will expand in scale and deliver a story packed with major events, the film’s creators said Wednesday. Following the massive global success of the first installment, the production team shared its vision for the next chapter of the franchise, saying it aims to surprise fans with rule-breaking new ideas. “We are currently holding onto some big ideas for the sequel,” co-director Maggie Kang said during a press conference in Seoul. “While we cannot reveal specific details yet, we plan to make a film that is even bigger in scale and more eventful than the first one. Just like the first one, we are making a movie that we personally want to see.” “KPop Demon Hunters” follows the journey of Rumi, Mira and Zoey, members of the K-pop girl group Huntrix, as they secretly protect the world from evil spirits. The feature became a major cultural phenomenon, winning awards at the Oscars, Golden Globes and Grammys. The creative team visited Korea this week to celebrate the historic achievement at the 98th AcApr 1, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
ReviewIndian woman finds her true self in 'Made in Korea'For many global fans, Korea is a land defined by the fancy scenes of K-dramas and the flashy performances of K-pop. However, the new Netflix film "Made in Korea," released March 12, presents a different reality from this fantasy, instead focusing on the harsh reality of an outsider struggling to adapt to Seoul. Directed by Ra Karthik, the story follows Shenba (Priyanka Mohan), a young woman from a quiet village in Tamil Nadu, India. Her fascination with Korea began early, sparked by the ancient legend of Heo Hwang-ok, the Indian princess who traveled across the sea to marry King Suro. This childhood curiosity eventually grew into a deep love for K-culture, leading the adult Shenba to travel to Seoul with the hopeful goal of living there for a year. However, Seoul is far from what she imagined. Upon arrival, she goes through the deep loneliness of being a stranger. She faces the coldness of busy people and soon loses her money to a scam, leaving her in a difficult situation. Rather than focusing on iconic landmarks like Gyeongbok Palace or N Seoul Tower, the cinematography lingers on the mMar 31, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'The King's Warden' tops box office for 8th consecutive week"The King's Warden" held on to the top spot at the domestic box office for an eighth consecutive weekend, data showed Monday. The historical film attracted 511,901 moviegoers from Friday to Sunday, taking up 42.2 percent of tickets sold at theaters nationwide, according to the Korean Film Council. It has led the chart since its Feb. 4 release. Having surpassed the 15 million-admission mark on Wednesday, the film has continued its run to become the country's all-time box office hit. Only two Korean films rank ahead of it: the 2014 war epic "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" with 17.6 million and the 2019 action comedy "Extreme Job" with 16.2 million. Directed by Jang Hang-jun, "The King's Warden" reimagines historical events through a fictional lens, following the unlikely friendship between village chief Eom Heung-do (Yoo Hai-jin) and the deposed King Danjong (Park Ji-hoon) of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) during the latter's exile in the village. Meanwhile, Hollywood sci-fi "Project Hail Mary," starring Ryan Gosling, came in at second place, drawing 391,884 viewers over the weekend, bringMar 30, 2026By Yonhap
Documentary to show the night citizens defeated martial law crisisA documentary capturing the urgent and chaotic night of Dec. 3, 2024, when then-President Yoon Suk Yeol abruptly declared martial law, is set to premiere on April 22. Titled "Ran 12.3," (tentatively titled in English), the documentary film focuses on the courageous citizens who rushed to the National Assembly to stand against armed military forces attempting to neutralize the nation's constitutional body. The movie serves as a vivid record of how ordinary people took the lead in halting an illegal attempt to subvert democracy, its distribution company NEW said Friday. The film, directed by Lee Myung-se, famous for his 1999 film, “Nowhere to Hide,” highlights the collective will of the public through an archive. To reconstruct the events of that night, the production team utilized videos and photos provided by over 150 citizens, alongside records from 50 parliamentary offices and on-site reporting from journalists and YouTubers. In "Ran 12.3," the director employs an experimental approach by avoiding traditional narration and interviews. Instead, the narrative is driven entirely by musMar 29, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
