Crime action film 'The Ultimate Duo' finally opens after years of delayThe crime action film "The Ultimate Duo" finally sees the light of day after nearly seven years: It finished production in 2019, only to be derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and a drunk-driving incident involving lead actor Bae Sung-woo in November 2020. At the press event in Seoul on Monday, the actor offered a public apology over the incident. "All the hard work put in by the director and crew should not be overshadowed by my fault," he said. "I will do my best to make it right." The film follows the story of Jae-hyuk (Bae), a once-decorated detective exiled to a backwater post after botching a high-profile investigation. When Jae-hyuk arrests a small-time thief, he quickly realizes the man is a prime suspect in a murder case in Seoul, which is supposedly already closed with an alleged killer in custody. Determined to uncover the truth, he heads to Seoul alongside his partner, rookie detective Jung-ho (Jung Ga-ram). But once there, their investigation hits wall after wall. Inspired by a real crime in Japan, the film is helmed by Park Cheol-hwan who directed Disney+'s 2024 sci-fi series "Mar 9, 2026By Yonhap
'The King's Warden' surpasses 11 mil. admissionsThe Korean historical film "The King's Warden" has attracted more than 11 million viewers as of Sunday, just two days after reaching the 10 million milestone, the film's distributor said. The film drew a cumulative total of 11.17 million viewers as of Sunday, the 33rd day since its release, including about 754,000 moviegoers on Saturday alone, according to Showbox. The pace of reaching the 11 million mark was faster than that of other films that have surpassed the 10 million milestone, including "Exhuma" (2024), "12.12: The Day" (2023), and "Masquerade" (2012). 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) during the latter's exile in the village. The film has drawn praise for its ensemble performances, which allow viewers to deeply connect with the young king's suffering and the villagers who rally wholeheartedly to his side, as well as its stunning depiction of the real-life exile location, among others.Mar 8, 2026By Yonhap
Lee lauds 'The King's Warden' on surpassing 10 mil. admissionsPresident Lee Jae Myung congratulated the South Korean historical film "The King's Warden" for surpassing the 10 million-admission mark, praising the achievement as particularly meaningful as it comes two years after the last film to reach the milestone. Directed by Jang Hang-jun, the period film depicts an unlikely friendship between village chief Eom Heung-do (Yoo Hai-jin) and the deposed King Danjong (Park Ji-hoon) during the latter's exile in the village. It reached 10 million admissions, Friday, becoming the first film at the South Korean box office to do so in two years. "Because this achievement comes two years after the last 10 million audience film, it is even more meaningful," Lee said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. "This is the valuable result created together by the filmmakers' outstanding imagination, power of storytelling and the generous support of the public." Lee watched the film with first lady Kim Hea Kyung at a local cinema during last month's Lunar New Year holiday period. The president said the popularity of the movie has proved the story's sincerity, whMar 7, 2026By Yonhap
Director of Kim Sae-ron's final film pleads for focus on her talentDirector Kim Min-jae, who helmed Kim Sae-ron's posthumous film "Before We Knew," has asked audiences to evaluate her solely on her acting talent while defending her past controversies ahead of the movie's delayed release. On Tuesday, the YouTube channel Human Story released a video of Kim Min-jae's day-to-day life on the promotional tour for the film. The video is titled "A day in the life of a film director who took on the late actor Kim Sae-ron's final work as his first work." The director admitted to experiencing mixed emotions about the premiere, which was pushed back due to the late actor's past incidents. "It is a case where the movie was filmed and released late because there was an incident," Kim said. "Time was needed. To be honest, I am a mix of excitement and anxiety." Kim expressed concern that the discourse surrounding the film might shift away from its cinematic merits due to the actor's history. "I hope people view this work strictly as a movie and focus on the acting, but because of our lead actor, the late Kim Sae-ron, I worry that outside gossip might overshadow the filmMar 7, 2026By Xportsnews
'The King's Warden' offers rare boost to Korean cinemaThe success of "The King's Warden" has come as a breath of fresh air for Korean cinema, which has been struggling to draw audiences to theaters. Korean films last crossed the 10-million admission mark at theaters nationwide in 2024, when Jang Jae-hyun's supernatural thriller "Exhuma" and "The Roundup: Punishment," the fourth installment of the popular action-crime film franchise starring Ma Dong-seok, both achieved the feat. The milestone went unmatched last year, with the biggest domestic hit being "My Daughter is a Zombie," which attracted 5.64 million viewers. Two highly anticipated films from celebrated Korean auteurs fell short of expectations: Bong Joon-ho's "Mickey 17" and Park Chan-wook's "No Other Choice" attracted 3.1 million and 2.94 million viewers, respectively. The numbers paint a stark picture for the domestic film industry. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, annual admissions consistently topped 200 million, peaking at a record 226 million in 2019, according to data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). That figure sharply dropped to 51 million in 2020 and only partially recoveMar 6, 2026By Yonhap
'The King's Warden' hits 10 mil. admissions, 1st film in 2 years"The King's Warden" has crossed the 10 million admissions mark Friday, a notable achievement as movie theaters continue to struggle to attract audiences in the face of fierce competition from streaming platforms. The Korean historical film achieved the milestone in just over a month after its Feb. 4 premiere, making it the first film -- domestic or foreign -- in two years to surpass that threshold. The movie achieved the milestone at around 6:30 p.m., according to its distributor, Showbox. The last films to do so were Jang Jae-hyun's supernatural thriller "Exhuma" in February 2024, which drew a cumulative audience of 11.9 million, and "The Roundup: Punishment," the fourth installment of the popular action-crime film franchise starring Ma Dong-seok, which followed two months later with 11.5 million viewers. "The King's Warden" surpassed its break-even point of 2.6 million admissions during the Lunar New Year holiday and has since held onto the top spot at the domestic box office. Directed by Jang Hang-jun, whose previous works include the action comedy "Break Out" (2002) and the sports drMar 6, 2026By Yonhap
InterviewIranian director in Korea calls for peace as war claims innocent livesKomeil Soheili, an Iranian-born filmmaker residing in Korea, said the international community must stand against the justification of war as a basic principle of humanity regardless of political interests or the complex web of international power dynamics. The director emphasized that the lives of civilians should never be sacrificed for political gains and called for a deeper global understanding of the humanitarian crisis currently occurring in his motherland. "Enemy of my enemy won't be my friend necessarily," Soheili told The Korea Times on Wednesday. "We are against dictatorship and we are against war, and for me, there is no boundary where killing innocent children is acceptable for one side while it is not for the other." The filmmaker is currently watching the unfolding tragedy of his homeland from Korea. On Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel launched a wave of airstrikes against Iran. Although the strikes led to the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the military operations have continued, leaving the nation in a state of chaos and communication blackouts. Soheili is a naMar 6, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'King's Warden' mirrors ancient and modern history to find successA historical comedy-drama about a 15th-century coup is defying Korean box office expectations, driven by an audience that has found profound parallels between the film's themes of absolute power and the short-lived declaration of martial law by former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Before "The King's Warden" was released on Feb. 4, director Jang Hang-jun expressed serious doubts about its blockbuster potential. "If I had directed it that well, I would have already done a '10 million' movie," Jang said in late January. "I am not a master director, right?" He joked he would get plastic surgery, change his name and naturalize elsewhere if the film reached 10 million admissions. Now, with the milestone practically guaranteed, Jang declared he is overwhelmed. "It is a number I have never even imagined," he said. "I am spending day by day with a thankful heart." The film saw about 194,000 viewers nationwide on Tuesday, bringing its cumulative audience to roughly 9,407,000, according to Korean Film Council data released Wednesday. Industry forecasts indicate the movie will cross the 10 million admisMar 5, 2026By Hankookilbo
Final film of late actor Kim Sae-ron embroiled in legal battleLate actor Kim Sae-ron’s final film has become entangled in a legal dispute involving contract violations involving financial issues between the production and distribution companies. On Wednesday, Sungwon Pharmaceutical, the production company of the 2025 musical film “Guitar Man,” said it filed a criminal complaint against the movie’s distributor, CMnix Films. The production company submitted the complaint to the Seoul Seocho Police Station on charges of embezzlement and breach of trust. They said the distributor allegedly engaged in unauthorized profit-making activities. The distributor reportedly filed criminal lawsuits against internet users who leaked the film online and collected settlement money without informing the copyright holder, which is the production company. Sungwon Pharmaceutical said these legal actions were taken without their prior consent and the specific details regarding the amount of money collected have not been shared. They added that there are also concerns about the 100 million won ($67,541) marketing budget paid in cash by the production company. WhMar 4, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Review20 years after worker's death shook Korea, 'Oh, Valentine' examines his sacrificeThe life of a subcontracted worker in Korea is often defined by a rigid double structure in the labor market where job security and basic dignity are frequently treated as luxuries. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics, non-regular workers accounted for 38.2 percent of all wage earners as of 2025. These workers — including short-term contract, dispatched and part-time laborers — face structural disadvantages such as low wages and limited opportunities for advancement. These poor conditions do not just hurt the workers, but also cause deeper divisions in society and weaken the country's economy. Against this backdrop of systemic inequality, the documentary "Oh, Valentine" arrives as a stark reminder of the human cost behind these statistics. Directed by Hong Jin-hwon, the film sheds lights on the social and economic problems that subcontracted workers in Korea face. Hong, who has built a unique career as a visual artist, photographer and video creator, traces the roots of this issue back to Feb. 14, 2004. That day, Park Il-soo, a subcontracted worker atMar 3, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
