The continued success of modern historical drama flick “12.12: The Day” has led to improved November ticket sales at local theaters overall, according to the Korean Film Council. According to KOFIC data, November ticket sales at local theaters reached 70.2 percent of pre-pandemic levels at 41.1 billion won – up by 22.5 percent on-year. The average number of November ticket sales at cinemas from 2017 to 2019 stands at 58.6 billion won. The KOFIC said “12.12: The Day”

Chewy rusk? Experimental bakery at Haebangchon Located on the way down the steep Haebangchon hill, O’pato, which has been loved for its homely European brunch and dining menu from soup to sandwiches, has newly opened a bakery offering a variety of experimental but irresistible bread. Although the bakery opened just a month ago, O’pato bakery’s chewing bread -- a chewy rusk made with a whole loaf of bread or salted butter roll -- has gone viral and can be purchased online and d

“12.12: The Day” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 22 Drama/Action Directed by Kim Seong-su Over the course of nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979, Gen. Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jung-min) attempts a coup, while another commander, Lee Tae-shin (Jung Woo-sung), tries to stop the secret plan from unfolding. “Our Season” (South Korea) Opened Dec. 6 Drama Directed by Yuk Sang-hyo Bok-ja (Kim Hae-sook) visits her daughter Jin-joo (Shin Min-a) as part of her “vacation from heaven” af

Director Kim Han-min returned to the silver screen after 1 1/2 years to bring to a close his decadelong project on Admiral Yi Sun-sin, this time with the epic finale “Noryang: Deadly Sea.” A lot larger in scale, “Noryang" features epic characters and more sophisticated computer graphics than its first installment “The Admiral: Roaring Currents,” South Korea’s biggest hit of all time with 17 million admissions, and its prequel “Hansan: Rising Dragon.

Japanese film and TV studio Toho International's $225 million investment in the US studio of South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM is seen by industry experts as CJ ENM's move to strategically assemble a content powerhouse as it readies to battle streaming giants Netflix and Disney+. Toho International is the American branch of the Japanese production firm behind the current box office hit, “Godzilla Minus One.” The Korean release of the film has not yet been confirmed. S

This year saw Korean cinemas slowly coming back to life from the damage of the pandemic, bringing more moviegoers to theaters than last year. However, ticket sales show that it's not blockbusters or sequels that satisfy audiences, but original storytelling and unique foreign animated and budget films. According to Korea Film Council data, a total of 111.6 million moviegoers visited theaters from Jan. 1 to Dec. 7 this year. Considering that a total of 112.8 million people visited theaters fr

Director Noh Young-seok’s “The Nature Man” won the grand prize at the 49th Seoul Independent Film Festival, the organizer announced Monday. “The Nature Man,” starring Shin Un-seop, Byun Jae-sin and Jeong Yong-hoon, tells the story of two ghost-seeking YouTubers who happen to meet a bizarre man who lives in a forest by himself. The director wrote, shot and edited the film. He also did the art and music direction for the film. Judges for the film fest said “The

On a cold winter's day, the aroma of freshly baked goods is hard to resist. As you look around, you will soon spot people clutching bags of hot and humble delicacies, perfect for snacking on as they walk Seoul's icy streets. From hotteok and steamed corn to roasted chestnuts, there are seemingly endless varieties of winter snacks to help you beat the cold. With temperatures below zero on most days and brisk winds, Korean winters are an ideal time to enjoy some of the nation's most

“Single in Seoul” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 29 Romance Directed by Park Bum-soo Young-ho (Lee Dong-wook) -- who dreamt of being single forever and enjoying every moment of his life by himself -- meets Hyun-jin (Im Soo-jung), who gives the men around her a sense of meaning in their actions. “12.12: The Day” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 22 Drama/Action Directed by Kim Seong-su The film covers nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979 during a coup attempt by Gen. Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jun

Hopes are growing that Korean Canadian director and playwright Celine Song’s directorial debut “Past Lives” could repeat the success of Lee Isaac Chung's heartwarming family drama “Minari," nominated in six categories at the 2021 Academy Awards. The 2024 Academy Awards are slated to take place March 10, 2024. "Past Lives," which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in January, quickly garnered international critical attention. The film opened i

The plot of director Yuk Sang-hyo’s “Our Season” is quite simple. Bok-ja (Kim Hae-sook) visits her daughter Jin-joo (Shin Min-a) as part of her “vacation from heaven” after suddenly passing away. Despite Bok-ja’s excitement over the prospect of seeing her daughter again, she is startled to find out that Jin-joo has quit her job as a professor at UCLA and settled down in the countryside to open a restaurant. Together with Jin-joo's best friend, Mi-jin (H

Located in the vibrant area near Jongno 5-ga Station on Subway Line No. 1, Gwangjang Market is Seoul’s flagship marketplace, with a history dating back to 1905 and which still thrives as a popular tourist destination. The market began as a small trading center that brought in goods from nearby regions and grew into a large wholesale market offering a wide variety of goods, including groceries, dried fish and imported and traditional goods, to name a few. Because the eateries inside the lab

“12.12: The Day” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 22 Drama/Action Directed by Kim Seong-su The film covers nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979 during a coup attempt by Gen. Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jung-min), an officer in the new military. Another commander, Lee Tae-shin (Jung Woo-sung), tries to stop the secret plan. “Five Nights at Freddy'” (US) Opened Nov. 15 Horror/Mystery Directed by Emma Tammi Mike starts working as a security guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. Spending

Veteran actor Kim Hae-sook, mostly known for her mother role in hit projects “My Brother” (2004), “Sunflower” (2006) and “Mom” (2010), stars once again as a mother in “Our Season.” Kim plays Bok-ja, a deceased woman who has come to visit her daughter Jin-joo (Shin Min-a) in the world of the living as part of her “vacation from heaven” led by a guide (Kang Ki-young). While Bok-ja can see her daughter from a close distance, Jin-joo cannot

Actor Lee Jung-jae has donated 50 million won ($38,000) to the Korean Senior Filmmaker Association to support members of the local film industry, according to Shin Young Kyun Arts and Culture Foundation. The donation included the 20 million won the actor received in prize money for the film artist award at the 13th Beautiful Artist Award organized by the Shin Young Kyun foundation in October. “Whenever I hear of senior members inthe industry who devoted their youth to film but are living a

On Dec. 12, 1979, one of the most significant days in modern Korean history, Gen. Chun Doo-hwan led a military coup, establishing expanded martial law and leading to the shutdown of the National Assembly and universities, as well as the arrests of dissidents and members of the political opposition. The event later led to the Gwangju Democracy Uprising of May 1980. The director of “12.12: The Day”, Kim Seong-su, who has helmed various hit action noirs, including “Beat” (

Im Soo-jung and Lee Dong-wook seem like a good match in Korean romance flicks – as seen in Lee’s special appearance as Im’s ex in “Search WWW” (2019) -- but their reunion in “Single in Seoul is something of a disappointment. Directed by Park Bum-soo and produced by the team behind “Architecture 101,” a 2012 hit film about young love, this romantic comedy film revolves around Young-ho (Lee) and Hyun-jin (Im), who slowly fall in love despite their di

“12.12: The Day,” a political drama revisiting a military-led coup that took place in 1979, has attracted 1.87 million moviegoers in the first week of release, according to Korean Film Council data on Monday. The movie, which was released on Nov. 22, recorded the second-highest number of moviegoers in the opening week this year. “The Roundup: No Way Out” recorded 4.5 million admissions during its opening week in June. On Saturday and Sunday, a total of 1.2 million moviego

“Five Nights at Freddy'” (US) Opened Nov. 15 Horror/Mystery Directed by Emma Tammi Mike starts working as a security guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. Spending his first night shift on the job, he soon notices that his work at Freddy's won't be so easy to endure. “The Boy and the Heron” (Japan) Opened Oct. 25 Animation Directed by Hayao Miyazaki Twelve-year-old Mahito finds a new home following the death of his mom. But after encountering a talking

The 2018 crime action film “Believer” gave Cha Seung-won a new image as the merciless villain Brian Lee recognized by his white suit and signature bob-cut hairstyle. Cha reprises the role as the director of an industrial company that secretly operates an illegal drug testing lab in the second installment of the franchise, “Believer 2,” which was released on Netflix on Nov. 15. “Believer 2” was ranked No. 1 on Netflix’s global top 10 non-English film sect