In memoriam: Kim Ji-mee, prolific icon of Korean cinemaActor Kim Ji-mee, who passed away on Dec. 7 in the United States at the age of 85, was a towering figure who defined the blossoming golden age of Korean cinema. Confirmed by the Federation of Korean Filmmakers on Wednesday, her passing marks a profound loss for the nation's cultural landscape as she was a cinematic pioneer, a producer and a cultural icon whose career spanned over five decades and an estimated 700 films. Born in 1940, she made her debut in 1957 in director Kim Ki-young’s “The Twilight Train” and quickly established herself as the face of modern Korean womanhood on screen. Unlike other actors of her era, Kim brought both style and strong feelings to her roles, often playing characters that required her to be both delicate and tough. Her early filmography, which includes films like “The Star in My Heart” (1958), “Three O’clock P.M. in a Rainy Day” (1959) and “Lady Jang” (1961) defined the style and tone of the 1960s film scene. Kim’s choice to feature in demanding, high-quality films gave her many awards and firmly established her status as a highly resDec 11, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
'No Other Choice,' 'KPop Demon Hunters' earn Golden Globe nominationsPark Chan-wook’s latest film “No Other Choice” and Netflix animated hit “KPop Demon Hunters” landed major nominations at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards, underscoring the widening footprint of Korean storytelling and creators in the global film industry. Among the Korean and Korea-inspired contenders, announced Monday (local time), Park’s satirical black comedy thriller earned nods for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy and Best Non-English Language Motion Picture. The film revolves around Man-soo (Lee Byung-hun), a family man who is suddenly laid off and embarks on a desperate fight to find a new job. Park returns to the Golden Globes just three years after “Decision to Leave” was nominated for Best Non-English Language Film in 2023. With “No Other Choice” picking up three nominations, anticipation is growing for Park to finally take home trophies this year. The film’s international momentum began with its invitation to the main competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, becoming the first Korean film in 13 years to do so and drawing global atDec 9, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
Korea’s blockbuster fatigue: Viewers now want depth, not spectacleKorean audiences are turning away from formulaic genre films and gravitating instead toward more human-centered stories that strip away excess spectacle. In a cultural moment saturated with ever-intensifying stimuli, viewers appear increasingly drawn to films that offer warmth, emotion and everyday experience rather than scale or shock value. In 2025, diversity films — works that break from conventional genre formulas and present unfamiliar perspectives — found notable success in the Korean market. Instead of large-scale conflicts between good and evil or visually elaborate, incident-driven plots, audiences embraced stories rooted in personal emotion and lived experience. The box-office leader among Korean films released this year was “My Daughter Is a Zombie,” which earned praise for blending zombie action with family drama. Unlike typical zombie narratives centered on survival, the film focused on a father’s struggle to protect his daughter, combining genre thrills with human-centered storytelling. Director Yeon Sang-ho’s low-budget film “The Ugly” also became a hit. PDec 6, 2025By Hankookilbo
BLACKPINK’s Lisa to make film debut alongside Ma Dong-seok, says starring in an action movie ‘has long been my dream’Netflix announced on Friday that it will produce “Tygo,” a new action film set in the same universe as the “Extraction” series, the dynamic action films originally starring Chris Hemsworth. The new entry to the series will star Ma Dong-seok, also known as Don Lee, Lee Jin-wook and Lisa of BLACKPINK. “Tygo” follows the titular mercenary, a war orphan who embarks on a life-or-death rescue mission after his closest companion, Lia, is kidnapped by a crime syndicate. The movie will introduce Tygo, his allies and the criminal group that threatens them, expanding the shared universe established by the “Extraction” franchise. Ma will play the lead role, a character shaped by life in conflict zones. Ma has established himself in Korean and Hollywood cinema through roles in the “The Outlaws” action series and his Marvel debut in “Eternals,” as well as through his work as a producer. Lee Jin-wook, known for Netflix’s “Squid Game” and the “Sweet Home” series, will play Armand Choi, the leader of the criminal organization that confronts Tygo. Lisa will play Lia, TygoDec 5, 2025By Hankookilbo
‘Concrete Market' to subvert disaster film clichés"Concrete Market," an upcoming disaster film, is set to subvert established genre clichés, its director Hong Ki-won said Monday. "The film's focus is the fresh idea of people trading to survive after a catastrophe, using the unique setting of the 'Hwanggung Market,” the director explained during a press conference in Seoul. "Concrete Market" depicts events that unfold after a massive earthquake, where the only remaining apartment complex houses the Hwanggung Market, a place where survivors trade goods to survive. Notably, the film shares a similar worldview with the 2023 movie "Concrete Utopia." The film features Jung Man-sik as Park Sang-yong, the highest authority in the market, while Hong Kyung plays Tae-jin, Park's right-hand man. Lee Jae-in stars as Hee-ro, an 18-year-old high school student. Director Hong said that the project was originally made as a drama series before being adapted into a feature film. "When it was a series, we focused heavily on Hee-ro's narrative of seeking revenge for her friend Se-jung. In the film, various supporting characters and spaces blend together,Dec 1, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
Korean cinema turns to AI, low budgets as industry slump continuesFilmmakers are turning to micro-budget production and using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to inject vitality back into the industry, as Korean cinema faces a sharp decline in output, soaring costs and weak box office returns. Director Yeon Sang-ho is among the filmmakers leading this experimental shift. Known for "Train to Busan" (2016) and the Netflix series "Hellbound," Yeon achieved unexpected success this year with "The Ugly," a film made on an exceptionally small budget. He plans to apply the same low-budget strategy to his upcoming project. Produced on a budget of around 200 million won ($136,275), "The Ugly" attracted over 1 million moviegoers and grossed approximately 11 billion won, achieving a return more than 50 times its production cost. Building on that success, CJ ENM and Yeon’s production company, Wowpoint, recently announced that the director will make a new film, "Paradise Lost," with a budget of around 500 million won. The new project will center on a mystery surrounding a boy who returns nine years after his disappearance. It will star veteran actor Kim HyuDec 1, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
Bong Joon-ho expresses AI concerns, championing human creativityDirector Bong Joon-ho shared strong views on artificial intelligence (AI) at the Marrakech International Film Festival in Morocco, joking that he would form an army to destroy AI, while also crediting the technology for making people seriously think about what only humans can do. Serving as the jury president for the 22nd edition of the film festival, the Korean director responded to a question about the rise of AI during a press conference on Saturday (local time). He expressed mixed feelings about the technology as the film production community has increasingly felt the impact of AI. “My official answer is, AI is good because it’s the very beginning of the human race finally seriously thinking about what only humans can do. But my personal answer is, I’m going to organize a military squad, and their mission is to destroy AI,” he said. Aside from this humorous answer, Bong has often spoken about how much AI has affected filmmakers and his own creative process. At a global conference in Seoul last September, Bong said that the technology has been a great shock to the film industrNov 30, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
Ha Jung-woo’s comedy ‘The People Upstairs’ takes candid look at marriageActor-director Ha Jung-woo is known not only for his commanding screen presence but also for his growing confidence behind the camera, solidifying his place as one of the leading figures in Korean cinema. His latest project, "The People Upstairs," showcases both sides of his talent as he directs and stars in a film that offers a surprisingly frank and funny exploration of life together as a married couple. Adapted from the 2020 Spanish film "Sentimental," the 47-year-old takes on the roles of screenwriter, director and actor in this project. Ha reflected on how his previous directorial roles in "Fasten Your Seatbelt" (2013), "Chronicle of a Blood Merchant" (2015) and "Lobby" (2024) shaped his approach to this latest film. "Thanks to the lessons and experiences gained from 'Lobby' as well as 'Chronicle of a Blood Merchant' and 'Fasten Your Seatbelt,' I have the opportunity to meet the audience with this fourth project,” Ha said after the premiere in Seoul, Tuesday. "The entire process, ranging from finishing a film to releasing it, meeting the audience, accepting their feedback and learNov 26, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ earns Oscar eligibility in feature animation raceNetflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” has been named one of the works eligible for nomination at the U.S. Academy Awards, raising expectations about how far the global hit may go in Hollywood’s awards season. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the list of 35 films Friday that qualify for consideration in the feature animation category at the 98th Academy Awards. “KPop Demon Hunters” was included on the list, drawing attention from industry watchers. The list also features Disney titles such as “Elio” and “Zootopia 2,” along with Japanese blockbusters that have sparked major global reactions, including “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Movie: The Infinity Castle” and "Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc" “KPop Demon Hunters” follows Huntrix, a K-pop girl group that protects the world from evil spirits. The film has enjoyed strong global momentum since its release in June. It reached number one worldwide immediately after launch and went on to set Netflix’s all-time viewership record for a film, driven by word of mouth. A sequNov 24, 2025By Hankookilbo
'Demon Slayer' tops Korea’s box office while domestic films stumble“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Movie: The Infinity Castle” claimed the top spot at the Korean box office, highlighting a major shift in the market as viewers turn away from lackluster Korean blockbusters in favor of immersive animated spectacles, according to industry analysts, Sunday. As of Saturday, the animated feature recorded 5,641,537 admissions, officially overtaking "My Daughter is a Zombie," which saw 5,637,455, according to data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). This signals a new reality for the local film industry, showing audience standards for selecting films have fundamentally changed. "The ticket price hike after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the game. Audiences no longer visit theaters for a decent story. Instead, they go for a spectacle they cannot watch on a smartphone," an official from a local film marketing company said. Speaking of the success of “Demon Slayer,” film critics and industry officials have said the animated feature has succeeded in providing audiences with a visual and auditory feast unlike recent domestic filmsNov 23, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
