Special Delivery (Korea) Opened Jan. 12 Action Directed by Park Dae-min Special delivery driver Eun-ha (Park So-dam) mainly works for a criminal group. She delivers anything that cannot be delivered legally. One day, Eun-ha receives a mission to deliver Seo-won (Jung Hyeon-jun), a young boy that a criminal group is chasing after. When she decides to save him, she becomes a target of not only the crime group, but also associated corrupt police officers. The Policeman’s Lineage (Korea) Ope

The Korean film industry as a whole weathered a tough year in 2021, with only a few movies opening in theaters amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Looking at the list of films that did get a cinematic release, once again, it is hard to ignore the conspicuous absence of female actors. On the list of 20 highest grossing films in Korea last year are five Korean films --“Escape from Mogadishu, “Sinkhole,” “Hostage: Missing Celebrity,” “Hard Hit” and &ldq

The upcoming documentary “Sewing Sisters” is a film recommended by the nation’s top filmmakers Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook. “Sewing Sisters,” co-directed by Kim Jung-young and Lee Hyuk-rae centers around three women who used to work for textile companies at Peace Market in the 1970s. “Parasite” director Bong appeared on stage before the film’s pre-screening event held on Jan. 4 and said, “I came here as a supporter and fan of the movie

In a congratulatory message released after actor Oh Young-soo was announced as the winner in the supporting actor in a series, limited series, or television movie category at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, President Moon Jae-in applauded the actor, saying, “His journey of acting for more than half a century eventually overcame borders and cultural differences, creating great emotional and lingering impressions on the world stage. I would like to express my respect and gratitude to actor Oh

The influence of global OTT platforms was once again proven with Netflix original series “Squid Game” supporting actor Oh Young-soo‘s win at the 79th Golden Globes on Monday. International successes like Oh’s are increasingly likely in the near future as more Korean actors have started working on projects targeting global audiences. Many big-name stars are choosing to appear in Netflix’s original series, which are made available in 190 countries. Kim Hye-soo and

Oh Young-soo, who played player No.1 in Netflix’s South Korean megahit “Squid Game,” directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, took home the best performance by a supporting actor in a series, limited series, or television movie trophy at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, becoming the first Korean actor win at the awards organized by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Oh was nominated in the category along with Brett Goldstein of AppleTV+’s “Ted Lasso” and HBO’s K

When actor Cho Jin-woong sets foot on a set, it means he is totally ready to transform himself into his character. “Before we start shooting, I have to figure out everything about my character. Otherwise, I would keep on bugging my directors,” Cho said. “When I am on a set which is fully decorated by the art team with my costume on, I have to be completely ready to be the character I am playing,” Cho said. “Until I reach that point, I race to this goal, just like

A Year-End Medley (Korea) Opened Dec. 29 Romance Directed by Kwak Jae-yong  Emros Hotel manager So-jin (Han Ji-min) secretly loves her best friend Seung-hyo (Kim Young-kwang). However, So-jin dares not tell him about her feelings and Seung-hyo drops the news that he is marrying Young-joo (Go Sung-hee). Meanwhile, Hotel Emros is full of guests who came to stay for diverse reasons. The King’s Man (UK) Opened Dec. 22 Action Directed by Matthew Vaughn In the early years of the 20th cen

Through the story of two very different police officers, the Korean film “The Policeman’s Lineage” by director Lee Kyu-man asks an ethical question: Is it OK to do bad to achieve a greater good? Kang-yoon (Cho Jin-woong) is a cop who is not afraid of conducting illegal investigations or even joining hands with criminals to make an arrest. On the other hand, there is Min-jae (Choi Woo-shik), a cop with strict ethics. Min-jae is sent to Kang-yoon’s team to secretly keep a

Global streaming platform Netflix on Tuesday announced that it will produce director Byun Sung-hyun‘s “Kill Boksoon,” an action thriller with big names Jeon Do-yeon and Seol Kyung-gu. Jeon will play legendary assassin Kill Bok-soon, who is put into a life-threatening situation before renewing her contract with her employer M.K. Enterprise. Kill is also a single mother of a 15-year-old daughter. Seol will play Cha Min-kyu, the CEO of M.K. Enterprise. The two actors are wor

Even for veteran performer Song Se-byeok, 42, who debuted in 1988 as a stage actor, understanding the reckless character of Kyung-pil in the upcoming film “Special Cargo” by Park Dae-min was not easy. “Special Cargo” is a crime-action film that centers around a professional delivery driver named Eun-ha (Park So-dam). She delivers anything that cannot be delivered legally. One day, Eun-ha receives a mission to deliver a young boy named Seo-won (Jung Hyeon-jun) who is bei

Park So-dam, one of the stars of the Oscar-winning “Parasite,” is returning to the big screen as a driver in the upcoming car chase film “Special Cargo” directed by Park Dae-min. “Special Cargo” is a crime-action film that centers around a special professional delivery driver Eun-ha (Park So-dam). She delivers anything that cannot be delivered legally. One day, Eun-ha receives a mission to deliver a young boy Seo-won (Jung Hyeon-jun) that a criminal group is

After winning the John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished children’s book in 2020 with “When You Trap a Tiger,” author Tae Keller said the book was inspired by a folktale that her Korean grandmother used to tell her. The Korean folktale she was referring to was “The Sun and the Moon” that centers on two siblings and a tiger. Keller’s storybook also includes a tiger from a Korean folklore which appeared at a grandmother’s house to find something t

The King’s Man (UK) Opened Dec. 22 Action Directed by Matthew Vaughn 　 In the early years of the 20th century, the Kingsman agency is formed to stand against the worst tyrants and criminal masterminds that joined hands to start a war and wipe out millions of people. Conrad (Harris Dickinson), who had witnessed World War I, hopes to join the army and fight for the country but his dad, Duke of Oxford, (Ralph Fiennes) is against the idea.  Spider-Man: No Way Home (US) Opened Dec. 15 Act

Despite the toughened social distancing rules, Korean action film “The Policeman’s Lineage,” directed by Lee Kyu-man, is set to be released Wednesday, with hopes of becoming a hit akin to “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” Marvel ‘s latest Spider-Man film, which was released Dec. 15 here, has sold more than 5 million tickets, according to box office figures released by the Korean Film Council, setting a high mark for a film since the pandemic began. The charm of Lee

Religious groups in Korea have sent out their New Year messages this week, calling on people to make changes in 2022. The United Churches of Korea, one of the biggest Protestant church associations in South Korea, said Monday in a statement, “The Korean churches must once again restore the purity of the gospel and be reborn as a community that pursues the value of Jesus’ disciple.” The UCCK’s message said that the world’s view and evaluation of churches have becom

It is not the end of the year without a romance film about multiple couples’ Christmas and New Year holidays. Last year there was “New Year Blues” directed by Hong Ji-young and this year we have romance film master Kwak Jae-yong’s “A Year-End Medley.” “It does not feel like Christmas or New Year holiday anymore due to COVID-19. I want to recreate the holiday vibe that we used to enjoy,” Kwak said during a press conference held on Monday at CGV Yon

“Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Marvel‘s latest Spider-Man film has sold 4,825,696 tickets in South Korea since its release on Dec. 15, becoming the most popular film of the year. During the Christmas holiday (from Dec. 24-26), Jon Watts’ hero film sold 1,299 627 tickets, according to box office figures released by the Korean Film Council. “Spider-Man: No Way Home“ depicts the story of Spider-Man after his identity is revealed. Spider-Man (Tom Holland) asks Doc

Hollywood’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” by Jon Watts is likely to overtake director Ryoo Seung-wan’s “Escape from Mogadishu,” which sold more than 3.61 million tickets this year. Ryoo’s film, which is so far the most-watched film this year, was released with support from the Korean Theater Association. The association’s members include the top three multiplex operators: CGV, Lotte Cinema and Megabox. Earlier in June, the association decided to fo

Daebang Construction on Thursday said it would no longer seek the Cultural Heritage Administration’s approval to build a high-rise apartment complex near the UNESCO-listed royal tomb Jangneung in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. To better protect the scenery of the tomb site, the CHA had ordered a suspension of construction, and asked Daebang Construction to submit new building plans that would lower the height of the new apartments. Daebang Construction is now refusing to submit any modified