According to filmmaker Chung Ji-young, “The Boys” was originally titled “Accusation,” a stronger and more straightforward title to level accusations against authority. “Changing the title to ‘The Boys’ had to do with the message I wanted to tell through the film. I wanted to show how those with power and authority approach the isolated, poor young boys, and how ordinary people like us don’t even care about those groups of minorities,” directo

Tea-themed, traditional drink cafes are enjoying a boom in Korea, but it is hard to find one that has become a huge hit. That is probably due to the fact that tea-based lattes made using Korean traditional ingredients like mugwort and black sesame are not an easy sell to Koreans whose coffee consumption is one of the highest in the world. Not only that, pairing of those drinks with Western desserts is difficult.. Sonsudam, a small Asian dessert cafe with unique latte varieties located in Yeongde

“12.12: The Day,” a political drama revisiting a coup led by a Korean military that took place in 1979, is set to be released Nov. 22 in Korean cinemas, its distributor Plus M Entertainment said Friday. The film covers the nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979, during an attempted coup in Seoul. Although the film’s motif is based on a real event, the names of the characters have been altered to allow for a fictionalized plot line, according to the director Kim Seong-su, who has helmed va

The country’s largest queer film festival, Seoul International Pride Film Festival, kicks off on Nov. 2 at CGV Myeongdong Cine Library. The weeklong festival will screen queer movies from 39 countries, including 27 world premiere films, 13 Asia premiere films and three Korea premiere films. The British queer thriller flick “Femme” by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping will open the festival. “Femme” follows a young man called Jules, who becomes the target of a horrifi

“The Boys” (South Korea) Opens on Nov. 1 Drama/Crime Directed by Chung Ji-young Three young men aged 19 to 20 from a small rural town are falsely arrested for involvement in a murder in 1999. Veteran detective Joon-cheol (Sol Kyung-gu) receives information on the real culprit and throws himself in to reinvestigate the case. “Killers of the Flower Moon” (US) Opened Oct. 19 Drama/Crime Directed by Martin Scorsese A series of murders among the Osage Native American tribe

In 1999, a small supermarket in the rural town of Samrye in Wanju, North Jeolla Province, was robbed by three assailants. Three young men aged 19 to 20 were apprehended and wrongfully convicted of robbery and murder after forced confessions. Instantly noticing that something had gone wrong after receiving information on the real culprits, Joon-cheol (Sol Kyung-gu), a veteran detective, throws himself into reinvestigating the case. But his efforts are interrupted by Woo-sung (Yoo Jun-sang), the d

Actor Lee Jun-young, who was recognizable for his villainous roles in “D.P.” and “Mask Girl,” has shown another level of villian in his first film “Brave Citizen” directed by Park Jin-pyo. In "Brave Citizen," Lee stars as a student named Han Soo-gang (Lee Jun-young), dubbed "crazy dog" for his bullying antics, constantly beating up not-so-well-off classmates. His merciless bullying is hard to stomach, such as when Soo-gang puts a plastic ba

Prolific actor Lee Sun-kyun, who has recently come under police investigation for suspected drug use, is dropping out from his latest project, “No Way Out,” a mystery thriller series that began shooting this month. According to the entertainment industry, the production company notified its actors and staff that shooting would be postponed for two weeks to reorganize the cast. Following the police announcement on Friday concerning the investigation into Lee, staff of “No Way Ou

Director Park Jin-pyo, behind the 2005 romance movie “You Are My Sunshine,” has returned with a delightful comic action hero flick that shows a straightforward tale of a high school teacher seeking vengeance on a school bully. In Park's "Brave Citizen," substitute civic education teacher So Si-min (Shin Hae-sun) silently endures exploitation, having to grade test paper of her peers, and sexual harassment by the vice principal, for the sole purpose of making it as a ful

Korean heritage built with Lego A special Lego exhibition titled "HEstorical Lego" is underway on the second floor of Moryham in Myeong-dong, central Seoul. Themed around Korea's traditional cultural heritage, mostly from the Joseon era (1392-1910), the “HEstorical Lego” exhibition comprises a total of 42 Lego works by Colin Jin. The 49-year-old artist introduces himself as a "Lego Maker" on his Instagram profile. The highlight of the exhibition is “Jon

“Hopeless” (South Korea) Opened Oct. 11 Drama/Thriller Directed by Kim Chang-hoon Eighteen-year-old Yeon-kyu (Hong Xa-bin), who lives with his abusive stepfather and exhausted mother, meets Chi-gun (Song Joong-ki), the right-hand man of a gang boss, who takes him in. “30 Days” (South Korea) Opened Oct. 3 Comedy Directed by Nam Dae-joong The idyllic newlywed life of Jung-yeol (Kang Ha-neul), an intelligent lawyer, and his wife Nara (Jung So-min), a passionate film produc

Park Youn-hee, the founder and head of fashion brand Greedilous, took the steps that most fashion designers take. She majored in fashion design at a university in Busan and entered the fashion industry as a designer at local women’s clothing brands Obzee and Handsome, which is now run by the Korean fashion conglomerate Hyundai Department Store Group. After 15 years working at the company, she is now in her 12th year of running her own fashion brand. “I was a bit tired of company poli

Well-known musicians are joining hands with renowned and rookie filmmakers who want to create a unique atmosphere and maximize the dramatic elements in their films through sound. Rapper-composer Gray recently took part in the production of "Ballerina" as the Netflix original film's music director. It was Gray's first time composing music for a film. Soon after the movie’s release on Oct. 6, the film garnered global attention for protagonist Ok-joo's (Jun Jong-seo)

Director Lee Chung-hyeon, who rapidly rose to stardom when his feature film debut “The Call” was released on Netflix in 2020, returned with “Ballerina” on the same platform on Oct. 5. With another female-led story starring his girlfriend and actor Jun Jong-seo, Lee said that women have always been at the center of his storytelling. “I made short films since I was in high school and women have always been at the core, leading the storyline. For me, when I think of a

“Devil’s Plan,” a Netflix Korea survival game show that premiered on Sept. 26, became a global hit soon after its release. The 12-episode show became the most-watched show in Korea as well as ranked third in the global top 10 non-English TV show list on Netflix. Twelve contestants with different occupations, including a lawyer, actor, doctor, YouTube creators, Go player and university student, face off in games of intelligence, wit and strategy. “It was kind of stressful

In rookie director Kim Chang-hoon’s feature debut film “Hopeless” which opened in theaters last week, Hong Xa-bin plays Yeon-kyu, an 18-year-old high school student who lives with an abusive stepfather and an enervated mother. He is even asked to leave the Chinese restaurant where he works part time. Then, he meets Chi-gun (Song Joong-ki), the right-hand man of a gang boss, who seems to be a haven for Yeon-kyu. Before "Hopeless," which was invited to the Cannes Film F

For those of you who are tired of Americanos and sweetened lattes, Turkish coffee might just be what you needed. If you’re a coffee purist, why not try Turkish coffee, known as one of the strongest coffee with high level of caffeine? Turkey, a country with over 1,000 years of coffee history, makes coffee in the most traditional way. Also known as sand coffee here, you need sand that’s heated in a pan over a stove before preparing to make a coffee. Finely ground coffee and water are b

The 28th Busan International Film Festival came to an end Friday, completing its 10 day-run. The event saw some 140,000 moviegoers visit the port city to watch 209 films from 70 countries. The closing ceremony for this year’s BIFF, hosted by actors Go Min-si and Hong Kyung, was held at the Busan Cinema Center. As part of the ceremony, the festival bestowed "The Wrestler” by Iqbal H. Chowdhury and “September 1923” by Mori Tatsuya with the New Currents award -- an awar

“30 Days” (South Korea) Opened Oct. 3 Comedy Directed by Nam Dae-joong Jung-yeol (Kang Ha-neul), an intelligent lawyer, and his wife Nara (Jung So-min), a passionate film producer, see their idyllic newlywed life eventually drive nerdy Jung-yeol and quick-tempered Nara apart. “Dr. Cheon and The Lost Talisman” (South Korea) Opened Sept. 27 Fantasy/Mystery Directed by Kim Seong-sik Fraudulent exorcist Dr. Cheon (Gang Dong-won) meets a new client, You-kyung (Lee Som), who

Marvel Studio’s much-anticipated superhero flick “The Marvels” confirmed its release in Korea on Nov. 8, according to Walt Disney Korea. South Korean heartthrob Park Seo-joon, who has starred in numerous hit films such as “Parasite,” “Midnight Runners” and most recently the Oscar-submitted “Concrete Utopia,” has been cast to play Prince Yan in “The Marvels.” Prince Yan is the husband of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) – also kno