'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
Japanese animation 'Demon Slayer' becomes No. 1 movie in Korea in 2025"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Movie: Infinity Castle," the latest feature in the hit Japanese animation franchise, has become the top-grossing film in South Korea so far this year, according to its distributor Saturday. According to Animax Broadcasting Korea, the film has drawn a cumulative 5.638 million moviegoers as of Friday, topping the country's previous No. 1 film, "Zombie Daughter," which recorded 5.637 million admissions. It marked the first time an animated title has topped South Korea's annual box-office rankings. While foreign animations have set major box-office records, such as "Frozen 2," which sold 13.36 million tickets in 2019, none has reached No. 1 for the year. Based on the comic and TV animation of the same name, the latest "Demon Slayer" movie is the first installment of a planned three-part finale to the series. Since opening in South Korea on Aug. 22, the film reached 1 million viewers within two days and surpassed the 3 million mark on its 10th day of screening, the fastest pace among all movies released this year.Nov 22, 2025By Yonhap
Documentary revives legacy of ‘Pig Father’ who helped lift Jeju from povertyThe selfless and dedicated life of Irish Catholic missionary Patrick James McGlinchey (1928-2018), who devoted himself to helping Jeju residents, is well remembered on the island — but little known in the rest of Korea. That may soon change with the release of a new documentary highlighting the priest and his legacy. The 30-minute film "Do You Know the Pig Priest of Jeju?" was among 22 winners of a video content award organized by Arts Council Korea (ARKO). ARKO funded the project and screened it Thursday at the Korean Film Archive, along with other award-winning works. “When I visited Jeju for work last year, I learned about him for the first time. I was shocked that I had never heard of him and wanted to tell his story,” said Kwag Tae-gwan, a media artist who directed the documentary. “St. Isidore Farm is a popular place in Jeju and attracts many tourists. I hope more people will watch the film and learn about the priest and the great things he did for the island.” Father McGlinchey, known in Korea as Im P.J. arrived on Jeju in 1954 as a member of the Missionary Society of StNov 21, 2025By Kim Se-jeong
Song Hye-kyo skips Blue Dragon Film Awards red carpet due to filming scheduleActor Song Hye-kyo’s absence from the Blue Dragon Film Awards red carpet has been explained belatedly. Song shared clips and photos Thursday on her social media from the 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards held the previous day at KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul. Along with the footage, she posted a photo taken by her staff with the caption, “It’s a shame I couldn’t stand on the red carpet because I rushed over in the middle of filming.” Song attended the ceremony but did not appear on the red carpet. She was only briefly seen smiling in the audience when cameras swept the hall. She also remained offstage throughout the night after failing to win an award. She warmly applauded fellow actors Jung Sung-il, Jeon Yeo-been and Shin Ye-eun when they went onstage, adding to the friendly atmosphere of the event. Song was nominated for best actress for her role in the film “Dark Nuns,” competing against Son Ye-jin of “No Other Choice,” Lee Jae-in of “High-Five,” Lee Hye-young of “The Old Woman with the Knife,” and Lim Yoon-a of “Pretty Crazy.” The award ultimately went to Son YeNov 21, 2025By Hankookilbo
Heo Sung-tae sheds villain image in action-comedy ‘The Informant’Actor Heo Sung-tae, renowned for his chilling villainous roles, particularly in "Squid Game" Season 1, makes a dramatic and hilarious shift in his first leading film, "The Informant." The action-comedy centers on Oh Nam-hyuk (Heo), a burned-out cop dreaming of retirement. He seeks to pull off a final operation by utilizing Jo Tae-bong (Jo Bok-rae), his informant within a smuggling ring. When Tae-bong betrays Nam-hyuk and steals the cash, Nam-hyuk gets kidnapped. This forces both of them to work together on a dangerous case to survive. Heo’s performance is a major highlight of this film as he broke away from his signature heavy roles. The actor said he felt a natural connection to the character. "I didn't prepare much for the role of Oh Nam-hyuk," Heo said after the premiere at a theater in Seoul on Thursday. "I felt many similarities to the character and just thought about what I would do." "The Informant" successfully capitalizes on Heo’s transformation from a chilling villain to a comedic actor, proving his versatility. “I channeled Won Bin from 'The Man from Nowhere’ during actNov 20, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
Blue Dragon Film Awards highlight glimmers of hope amid industry slumpDespite Korea's ongoing box office slump, the 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards offered a blueprint for survival, proving that a mix of fresh webtoon adaptations and top-tier artistic talent can still captivate audiences. Held on Wednesday night, the Blue Dragon Film Awards are widely regarded as being among Korea’s most prestigious film honors. The clearest sign of a breakthrough came from Naver Webtoon's video subsidiary Studio N as the studio’s film "My Daughter is a Zombie" secured the Audience Choice Award for Most Popular Film, proving that powerful original content is showing a new direction for the industry's future. Based on the popular 2018 webtoon by Lee Yun-chang, the film has drawn 5.63 million viewers, becoming the most-watched film in 2025. The film was lauded as a well-balanced family movie that effectively used the original work's blend of dark comedy, family love and humanity. Studio N CEO Kwon Mi-kyung emphasized the forward-looking strategy behind the hit. "This award shows the power of our original stories. It proves we found the right balance between the webtoon's imaNov 20, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin make history as 1st couple to win top acting prizes at Blue DragonsActors Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin shared the spotlight at the 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards on Wednesday, becoming the first married couple in the ceremony’s history to win the top acting prizes in the same year. The pair, who arrived together and sat side by side, drew the biggest attention of the night as they took home the best actor and best actress awards. The ceremony took place at KBS Hall in the financial district of Yeouido, Seoul, with actors Han Ji-min and Lee Je-hoon returning as co-hosts. This year’s awards underscored the challenges facing the Korean film industry, which has seen a decline in new releases, but the show still delivered memorable moments and a strong slate of honorees. The film “No Other Choice,” which led the way with nominations in 12 categories, emerged as the night’s biggest winner with seven awards, including best film, best director, best actress, best supporting actor, best music and the popular star awards. The movie follows Man-soo (Lee Byung-hun), a paper factory manager whose comfortable life collapses when he is suddenly fired. Forced to prNov 20, 2025By Hankookilbo
'No Other Choice' wins Best Film at Blue Dragon Film AwardsThe dark thriller "No Other Choice" won Best Film at the 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards on Wednesday, with director Park Chan-wook taking Best Director and lead actress Son Ye-jin earning Best Actress. Based on the 1997 satirical thriller novel "The Ax" by American novelist Donald E. Westlake, the film follows the story of a desperate father of two who wages his own personal war for survival after losing his long-time job. It was director Park's fourth win in the same category of the festival. Lee Sung-min won Best Supporting Actor for his performance as a rival to the protagonist. The Best Actor award went to Hyun Bin for his portrayal of independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910) in the period drama "Harbin." Park Ji-hyeon took home Best Supporting Actress for playing Mi-joo, a mysterious cellist caught in a complex relationship with her friend's fiance, in the erotic thriller "Hidden Face." The Best New Actor award went to Ahn Bo-hyun for his role in the romantic comedy "Pretty Crazy," as a man who gets involved with a woman in the neighborhood who turns into a completely different pNov 20, 2025By Yonhap
InterviewKim Hyang-gi embraces motherhood in ‘Hallan’Kim Hyang-gi, a seasoned actor with 20 years of experience, said that when she took on her first role as a mother in the upcoming movie "Hallan," she focused mostly on the strong story of survival, rather than worrying about being cast as a maternal character. “I didn't think much about playing a mother, from the moment I read the screenplay until we wrapped up filming,” the 25-year-old actor told The Korea Times during an interview in Seoul, Tuesday. “In that era, it was natural for someone my age to be a mother. More importantly, I felt the mission was to showcase the story of the mother and daughter.” “Hallan,” which is the name of an orchid from the province, is inspired by the tragic Jeju Uprising in 1948, where the government forces killed tens of thousands of islanders during an anti-communist campaign. The movie follows the arduous journey of a mother, Ah-jin (Kim), and her daughter (Kim Min-chae) as they seek refuge in the mountains and travel across the sea to survive. “Hallan” ensures history is not forgotten, presenting the stories of the people caught withinNov 19, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
'Zootopia 2' to explore diversity, growth through new worlds, charactersThe beloved animal-centric world of "Zootopia" (2016) is returning to the big screen after nine years, with its creators and actors promising an even more timely and resonant adventure. Compared to the original, "Zootopia 2" will challenge the beloved duo of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde by taking them to new and unfamiliar environments, while maintaining their strong partnership, according to director Jared Bush. “When we're stepping into a new story, we knew this really had to center around Judy and Nick and their partnership, and the whole point of this movie is to really start to push them out of their comfort zones,” Bush said during an online press conference with Korean reporters Tuesday. The sequel picks up only a week after the end of the first film, with newly established partners Judy (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick (Jason Bateman) tackling a new case involving the sudden and mysterious appearance of reptiles in Zootopia’s otherwise mammal‑dominated world. Reprising her role as the energetic bunny cop, Goodwin said this tight timeline between the films allows the audNov 18, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
