'Omniscient Reader' sparks hope for struggling Korean cinema with fantasy spectacleWith its lavish visuals and star-studded cast, the new Korean blockbuster “Omniscient Reader” premiered as a beacon of hope for a local film industry struggling to recover from a prolonged slump. The film's director and lead actors expressed confidence Tuesday that its unique blend of reality and fantasy will prove that compelling, entertaining movies can still draw audiences back to theaters. Based on the highly popular web novel of the same name, which has over 200 million cumulative views, “Omniscient Reader” tells the story of Kim Dok-ja (Ahn Hyo-seop), the lone reader of a web novel that concludes after more than a decade. On the day of its finale, the fictional world suddenly becomes reality. Kim Dok-ja, along with the novel’s protagonist Yoo Joong-hyuk (Lee Min-ho) and their companions, must navigate this collapsed world to survive. The film focuses on grounding this surreal narrative with realistic, high-quality graphics and A-list talent. Director Kim Byung-woo, known for thrillers like “The Terror Live” and “Take Point,” stated during a press conference followJul 15, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
BTS member Jung Kook’s emotional livestream sparks global buzz around 'KPop Demon Hunters'BTS member Jungkook has once again captured global attention — this time through his passionate reaction to the animated film “KPop Demon Hunters.” On Monday, Jungkook held a livestream while watching the recently released Netflix animation, “KPop Demon Hunters.” Throughout the session, he was visibly immersed in the storyline, laughing, shouting at dramatic moments and tearing up during emotional scenes — drawing empathy from fans worldwide. Known for his emotionally driven personality, often described as “F-type” in Myers–Briggs personality type terms, Jungkook resonated deeply with the film’s characters and plot. In particular, the ending, in which the protagonist Jinu sacrifices himself to protect Rumi, left Jungkook wiping away tears and exclaiming, “You fool, you could’ve fought together.” For a moment, he fell silent, overwhelmed by emotion. Clips from the livestream quickly spread across online communities, with fans commenting, “Jungkook is Jinu himself,” “His emotional response is amazing,” and “Jungkook is crying!” In another moment that tJul 15, 2025By Xportsnews
BIFF opens public voting for 30th anniversary screeningsThe 30th annual Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is opening up voting for its popular Request Cinema program, a unique event that lets the public curate their own film screenings and related events. For one week starting Wednesday, the public can vote for the programs they want to see, making the festival a collaborative celebration of cinema. The program is a highlight of Community BIFF, the festival's special section that aims to bring audiences and filmmakers closer together. This year's edition of Request Cinema received a record number of applications. A total of 87 proposals were submitted by movie fans eager to plan a film program from selection to event planning, the organizing committee said. After a screening process, 46 programs advanced to the final round and 15 programs will be chosen through a combination of online votes and internal evaluation. In celebration of the festival's 30th anniversary, this year's programs are centered on beloved films from the festival's past. Popular traditional themes such as “Masters,” “Fandom,” “Youth” and “Actors” haveJul 15, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
‘The King of Kings’ director says project was once dismissed as ‘reckless fantasy’Director Jang Seong-ho, a veteran visual effects (VFX) specialist, has made a remarkable directorial debut with “The King of Kings,” an animated feature that has become the highest-grossing Korean film ever released in the U.S. market, surpassing Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite.” “People said it was a reckless fantasy. Some even asked if I was trying to bankrupt my company,” Jang said, recalling the early reactions to the animated feature. “Even with support, this was never going to be an easy journey, and the emotional toll was just as great as the practical challenges.” Jang, who has over 30 years of VFX experience, spoke with Hankook Ilbo ahead of the film’s Korean release on Wednesday. Despite doubts about his transition into directing, Jang completed his long-held dream of making a feature film. Inspired by Charles Dickens’ short story “The Life of Our Lord,” “The King of Kings” is framed as a story-within-a-story, where Dickens narrates the life of Jesus to his son, Walter. The pair travel back in time 2,000 years to witness Jesus’ journey firsthand, accompaJul 15, 2025By Hankookilbo
Song from 'KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack climbs to No. 6 on Billboard singles chartA song from the soundtrack for the animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" has secured a place in the top 10 of Billboard's main singles chart, as the popularity of the U.S.-produced film centered on a fictional K-pop girl group continues to grow. "Golden" sung by Huntr/x, the girl group featured in the film, jumped 17 spots to sixth place on the Hot 100 this week, Billboard said in a chart preview Monday (local time). Also this week, the song topped both the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and the Billboard Global 200. Billboard said it marks the first time that a virtual act has topped either chart since they were created in 2020. An alternate version of "Takedown" sung by Jeongyeon, Jihyo and Chaeyoung of K-pop girl group TWICE also landed on the Hot 100 at No. 86 this week. It marks the trio's first entry on the chart as individual artists, not as a group. Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, a U.S. film studio, the Netflix original film features the popular girl group huntr/x, who protect the human world from evil spirits. The musical animation has garnered global attention since its releJul 15, 2025By Yonhap
'Wall to Wall' to tackle horrors of inter-floor noiseDirector Kim Tae-joon, who made his debut with the Netflix movie "Unlocked" (2023), is back with his second feature film, "Wall to Wall,” a horror-thriller that sheds light on a relatable conflict in Korean society — inter-floor noise. The film's Korean title, “84 Square Meters,” directly references the most popular apartment size in Korea. Director Kim chose this setting to ground the story in a reality many Koreans experience. "Many people are suffering from inter-floor noise," Kim said during a press conference at a hotel in Seoul, Monday. "Eighty percent of Korea's housing is multi-family housing and more than 80 percent of that is apartments. In a way, we can say around 80 percent of our population is in an environment where they could experience this issue." Kim felt that the topic of inter-floor noise was both relevant and highly relatable. "I thought it would be interesting to seriously explore the various perspectives and underlying stories of inter-floor noise," he said. The film features a stellar cast, with lead actor Kang Ha-neul taking on the role of Woo-seong, a younJul 14, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
'KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack surges to No. 2 on Billboard 200, tops Melon chartThe soundtrack for the animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in its third week, propelled by the global popularity of the U.S.-produced film centered on a fictional K-pop girl group. Billboard reported Sunday (local time) that the album rose one spot from No. 3 the previous week, marking its highest position on the chart to date. After debuting at No. 8 following its release June 20, the soundtrack jumped five spots to No. 3 last week. "KPop Demon Hunters" is a Netflix original musical animation that features the popular girl group HUNTR/X, who protect the human world from evil spirits. Including the film's soundtrack, only five movie soundtrack albums have reached the top two of the Billboard 200 in the 2020s alongside those for "Wicked," "Barbie" and "Encanto." The Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week in the United States, measured by equivalent album units, comprising physical sales, track-equivalent units and streaming-equivalent units. During the latest tracking week, the "KPop Demon Hunters" soundtrack earned 75,000 eJul 14, 2025By Yonhap
Taiwanese film ‘The Uniform’ brings back memories of youthA new Taiwanese film, “The Uniform,” is set to capture the hearts of Korean audiences with its poignant story of friendship and identity, evoking shared memories of academic pressure and competition that transcend time and borders. Set in 1997, the teen romance film follows Ai (Buffy Chen), a student in a top-tier girl’s high school night class, which makes her feel like a “fake elite.” Her life changes when she befriends Min (Chloe Xiang), a seemingly perfect student in the day class who shares her desk. Through a secret exchange of uniforms, Ai begins to experience a different world, blurring the lines between who she is and who she wants to be. Director Chuang Ching-shen, who cowrote the screenplay with his wife, said he was drawn to the project because it mirrored his own experiences. “The time period and the social atmosphere, entrance exams, academic stress and subtle family dynamics portrayed in the film are all things we actually felt as students,” he told Korean reporters after a press preview in Seoul on Thursday. Producer David Tang noted that the film’s depictiJul 11, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
Shim Eun-kyung’s Japanese film ‘Two Seasons, Two Strangers’ invited to Locarno Film FestivalKorean actor Shim Eun-kyung’s latest film, the Japanese production "Two Seasons, Two Strangers," has been officially invited to the International Competition section of the 78th Locarno Film Festival. "Two Seasons, Two Strangers" was selected for the prestigious Swiss festival, which kicks off Aug. 6, the film’s Korean distributor Atnine Film said Thursday. The film is the latest work from Sho Miyake, a director currently drawing significant attention not only in Japan but also globally, having received three consecutive invitations to the Berlin International Film Festival for his previous works, "And Your Bird Can Sing” (2018), "Small, Slow But Steady” (2022) and "All the Flowers Tell” (2024). "Two Seasons, Two Strangers" is based on Yoshiharu Tsuge's acclaimed comic books. The film version follows Lee (Shim), a scriptwriter, who meets an innkeeper named Benzo (Tsutsumi Shinichi) during her travels. Shim, widely known in Korea for her role in the 2011 hit movie "Sunny," has actively pursued a career in both Korea and Japan. Her notable Japanese work includes the 2019 film "ThJul 10, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
Will Ahn Hyo-seop’s dubbing in ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ score Oscar nod?Netflix’s animated musical “KPop Demon Hunters,” featuring actor Ahn Hyo-seop, is emerging as a dark-horse contender in next year’s Academy Awards race, foreign outlets say. In a recent roundup of animated contenders that could take up a slot in the 2025 Oscar lineup, U.S. film trade magazine Variety praised the movie as “a dynamic, color-saturated musical journey that fuses animation aesthetics with K-pop energy,” celebrating girlhood and cultural pride in a joyous festival. Co-directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and produced by Sony Pictures Animation, the film follows a chart-topping K-pop girl group that moonlights as demon hunters. Since its release, it has entered Netflix’s Top 10 in more than 90 countries and reached No. 1 in over forty, demonstrating the global appetite for Korean pop culture. Critics have responded just as warmly. On film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 97 percent approval rating, with reviews lauding its visual flair, lively characters and inventive action sequences. The original soundtrack is also a hit. The album debutJul 10, 2025By Hankookilbo
