Go Ah Sung 고아성

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July 30, 2013
SNOWPIERCER Official Conference and Red Carpet Premiere HeldChris Evans and Tilda Swinton Present at Events by Tae Sang-joon KOFIC



An official press conference for Snowpiercer, the new multinational project from director BONG Joon-ho and the red carpet for the world premiere of the film were held with the participation of Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton, both of whom flew into Korea for the events on July 29th, two days ahead of its official release. Besides Evans, Swinton, director BONG, SONG Kang-ho and KO Ah-sung also took part in the official press conference held at the Conrad Seoul in Yeoido at 11 am (KST) on July 29th.  “I took part in Snowpiercer because the director is BONG,” said Swinton who visited Korea for the second time since the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in 2009, revealing her strong trust in BONG. When asked about how she felt while working with Korean actors such as SONG and KO, SWINTON added that she was impressed by their films such as The Host (2006) and Memories of Murder (2003) and felt what she expected when she really met them in person. “I don’t want to talk about nationalities any more,” Swinton said as questions about working with the Korean staff continued. “Films give us a chance to become real humans. Evans praised BONG like Swinton. “BONG Joon-ho is the best director in the world. He creates the best environment for actors by leading us very well,” said Evans who has a lot of Korean fans thanks to Hollywood action blockbusters such as Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and The Avengers. In addition, SONG recalled that he had a very good time as he could act with famous world-class actors and actresses. KO also said that working with them was a wonderful experience.    Meanwhile, the red carpet for Snowpiercer in Seoul was successfully held in the Artrium of Time Square in Yeongdeungpo at 7 pm (KST) on July 29th with the participation of those in the film industry and general spectators who came to see the actors and the director. SONG and KO came to the red carpet ahead of others and smiled and shook hands with fans. Evans showed good manners as a Hollywood star. In addition, Swinton entered the venue with director BONG and kissed fans on their cheeks and hugged them. Snowpiercer will premiere nationwide on July 31st, one day ahead of the original scheduled date.  

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August 1, 2013
New film SNOWPIERCER reaches over 400,000 audience on its first release day
BNTNews


[by Cho Suyoun] Mega project 'Snowpiercer' proved to be the most expected film of the year.
The long-waited film Snowpiercer was finally released through theaters in Korea on July 31. The film was supposed to be released on August 1 but since so many requests had come in, CJ E&M decided to open the project to the public one day earlier. 
With an overwhelming rate of ticket reservation, there were 418,469 people who went to theaters and saw the film on just July 31. 'Snowpiercer,' of course, was ranked on the first place of Box Office and it is expected that it will easily surpass one million audience views by this weekend. Director Bong Joon ho worked on this project for seven years and it already became hot issues as the film starred Hollywood's top stars such as Tilda Swinton, Chris Evans, Octavia Spencer and more. 'Snowpiercer' also casts two Korean stars Song Kang ho and Ko Ah sung from Bong Joon ho's previous film 'Monster.'
Meanwhile, 'Snowpiercer' is about survivors of Ice Age living in the last safest place on the Earth and the protest of lower classes in the train to the upper class. The film will be released world-widely in August as well. (photo by Korean Film Council)

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August 2, 2013
Sci-fi film 'Snowpiercer' draws over 1 million viewers in just two days
YonhapNews
SEOUL, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's English cinematic debut "Snowpiercer" has smashed the local box office record, surpassing 1 million in attendance in just two days of opening, a market tracker said Friday.
   According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) that tracks box-office records, the flick attracted 1.03 million viewers as of Thursday, one day after opening at local theaters.


It became the fastest film in the country to surpass the 100 million audience mark in terms of weekday sales. In June, the action-comedy "Secretly Greatly" attracted more than 1 million moviegoers in less than two days of release, including a national holiday.
   The pace of growth for "Snowpiercer" is a day faster than the 2012-box office smash "The Thieves" and two days faster than Bong's previous hit "The Host."
   On Thursday, "Snowpiercer," the post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie set on a massive train traveling around a frozen world, stayed at No. 1 on the daily box office for a second day, drawing a record 600,998 viewers. It is expected to top the 2 million mark by this weekend.
   "The movie's box-office success is expected to continue for a while as it accounts for about 60 percent of movie tickets reserved as of now," said the film's local investor-distributor CJ Entertainment.
   The movie stars top Korean actor Song Kang-ho alongside Hollywood players Chris Evans from "The Avengers," Ed Harris, Octavia Spencer from "The Help," and Jamie Bell and Tilda Swinton, both well-known British actors. Bong and the American screenwriter Kelly Masterson wrote the screenplay based on the graphic novel "Le Transperceneige."
   Meanwhile, "The Terror Live," a Korean disaster-crime film starring Ha Jung-woo, was at No. 2 on the daily box office on Thursday, drawing an audience of 641,113 in just two days of opening.

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August 2, 2013
‘Snowpiercer’ on record-breaking pace
By Claire Lee The Korea Herald


A scene from Bong Joon-ho’s “Snowpiercer.” ( CJ Entertainment)
Bong Joon-ho’s latest film “Snowpiercer” drew 1 million viewers in just two days since its release, the state-run Korean Film Council said Friday.
According to the organization, the dystopian sci-fi flick drew 1.03 million viewers as of Thursday, just a day after its Korean release on July 31. This makes the film the fastest movie to smash the 1-million mark in weekday sales. 
The record beats last year’s box office hit “The Thieves,” which hit the 1-million audience mark in three days after its release, and Bong’s 2006 hit monster flick “The Host,” which did the same in four days. 
In June of this year, local heartthrob Kim Soo-hyun’s North Korean spy thriller “Secretly Greatly” drew more than 1 million viewers in less than two days ― one of them a national holiday ― after the release.
Coproduced by Korea’s CJ Entertainment and director Park Chan-wook, among others, “Snowpiercer” tells the story of the remnants of humanity living on a train where each cabin is labeled by social class in the post apocalyptic world. 
The movie, featuring a star-studded international cast including Tilda Swinton, Ed Harris, Chris Evans and Song Kang-ho, is Bong’s first English-language film. Major American film studio The Weinstein Company secured distribution rights for the movie in North America, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand and South Africa last year.
The film is expected to hit the 2 million mark by the end of this weekend. 

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August 4, 2013
Sci-fi film 'Snowpiercer' draws 2.5 million viewers in 4 days
The Korea Herald


South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's box office hit "Snowpiercer" drew more than 2.5 million viewers in the first four days of its opening, a market tracker said Sunday.   The film, starring top Korean actor Song Kang-ho alongside Hollywood thespians Chris Evans, Ed Harris and Tilda Swinton, attracted more than 840,000 viewers on Saturday, bringing the accumulated total to 2,506,969, according to the Korean Film Council.   The number of local cinemas showing the movie also increased from 848 to 1,101 over the same period.   The film is widely expected to break the 3 million audience mark later in the day.   Based on the French graphic novel "Le Transperceneige," the sci-fi action thriller depicts the inter-class struggles among the world's last-remaining inhabitants aboard a perpetually moving train. (Yonhap News)

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August 4, 2013
Big opening for ‘Snowpiercer’
By Moon Gwang-lip Korea JoongAng Daily



Bong Joon-ho’s “Snowpiercer” surpassed 2.5 million admissions in just four days, a fast-paced opening well ahead of Bong’s 2006 hit, “The Host.”
“The Host” holds the record for most admissions ever to a Korean movie with 13.02 million.
“Snowpiercer” picked up steam after its Wednesday opening when it pulled in 418,439 admissions, with 601,038 on Thursday, 628,989 on Friday and 844,597 on Saturday, according to the Korean Film Council.
As strong as that opening was, it appears to be slightly behind June’s “Secretly, Greatly,” which had 3.5 million admissions in its first five days. “Secretly, Greatly” also boasts the best single-day record for a Korean film with 919,035 admissions. “Transformers 3” holds the all-time one-day record in Korea with 956,500 admissions.
Another new film also opened well: the thriller “The Terror Live” had 1.42 million admissions in its first four days. 
As of Saturday, “Snowpiercer” accounted for 1,102 screens in Korea, with 723 for “Terror Live.”

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August 9, 2013
Mega project film 'SNOWPIERCER' to draw 5 million audience in just 10 days
BNTNews

[by Cho Suyoun] Korean director Bong Joon ho's first-ever Hollywood project 'Snowpiercer' already attracted 5 million Korean audiences in just 10 days.
This summer's most expected film 'Snowpiercer' is making a history day by day. Since its release on July 31 it has been only 10 days, but the number of audience who watched the film, reached over 5 million. When it drew 4 million people, it was already a record as 'Snowpiercer' took the shortest time period for a film to draw 4 million in Korean film history.  
Since the release, 'Snowpiercer' made two records in reaching the highest number of audience during weekdays. When it passed over 5 million, 'Snowpiercer' took much shorter time than previous record owning films 'Haewoondae,' Gwanghae,' 'The gift from 7th room,' and the latest film 'Covertness.' Each in a row took 13, 18, 17, and 12 days to reach 5 million so it could be said that 'Snowpiercer' changed the record by shortening two days. 
With this rapid speed, film critics expect that 'Snowpiercer' will be the greatest box office hit in Korean film history. The films that has the most audience view so far are 'Thieves' and 'Iron man 3.' People now wonder which movie will beat the other two.
Meanwhile, 'Snowpiercer' is a sci-fi film that covers a story of survived people in Ice Age. The story is led by those survivors living in a special train that has been running around the world for 17 years. The lower class, who were suppressed by upper class and live in the end of train, try to achieve engine of the train and make changes in class system. 
The film made a huge issue even before releasing since Korea's famous director Bong Joon ho selected Tilda Swinton, Chirs Evans, Octavia Spencer, and more Hollywood stars along with Korea's top star Song Kang ho. The mega-hit film will be released throughout the entire world very shortly. (photo by bntnews DB) 

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August 9, 2013
'Snowpiercer' surpasses 5 million viewer mark
YonhapNews
SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's English language debut film, "Snowpiercer," has attracted more than 5 million viewers in 10 days since opening, its local distributor said Friday.
   The film, starring top Korean actor Song Kang-ho alongside Hollywood thespians Chris Evans, Ed Harris and Tilda Swinton, attracted over 5 million viewers as of 2 p.m. on Friday, said CJ Entertainment, citing box-office data.
   The official data provided by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) for Friday will be released to the public the next day.
   Based on the French graphic novel "Le Transperceneige," the sci-fi action thriller depicts inter-class struggles among the world's last-remaining inhabitants aboard a perpetually moving train.
   The film tied with the 2012 box-office hit "The Thieves" and the "Ironman 3" in the pace of growth in the number of audience.
   It took 18 days and 17 days, respectively, for "Gwanghae: the Man Who Became the King" and "Miracle in Cell No. 7" to reach the milestone, both of which drew an audience of over 10 million.
   CJ officials forecast that "Snowpiercer" is expected to pass 7 million by Sunday given the current pace of growth. 

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August 18, 2013
'Snowpiercer' surpasses 8 million viewer mark
Yonhapnews
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's English language debut film, "Snowpiercer," has attracted more than 8 million viewers in 19 days since opening, the national film promotion agency said Sunday.
The film, starring top Korean actor Song Kang-ho alongside Hollywood thespians Chris Evans, Ed Harris and Tilda Swinton, attracted a total of 8,004,089 viewers as of Sunday morning, the 19th day since first playing on local screens, the Korean Film Council said.
The feat marks a faster speed in attracting viewers than those achieved by the local box-office hit "Miracle in Cell No. 7" and "Ironman 3."
Miracle in Cell No. 7, released this year, drew a total of 12.81 million viewers, becoming the third most sold film in South Korea while the Hollywood superhero movie became the most successful foreign film here after drawing about 9 million viewers.
Based on the French graphic novel "Le Transperceneige," the sci-fi action thriller "Snowpiercer" depicts inter-class struggles among the world's last-remaining inhabitants aboard a perpetually moving train.
pbr@yna.co.kr

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August 18, 2013
'Snowpiercer', gathers over 8 million audience in 19 days
Source: Innolife Korea l  Nate


The movie 'Snowpiercer' gathered over 8 million audiences in 19 days since the premiere.
According to the Integrated Computation of Theater Entrance Tickets on 18th morning, 'Snowpiercer' recorded 8 million and 4 thousand and 89 as the accumulated number of audiences at this dawn. It is the record in 19 days since it was premiered on the night before the last July 31st.
The record that broke through 8 million audiences in 19 days is the record faster than 23 days, the rcord of 'Hae Un Dae' that gathered more than ten million audiences and 'Iron Man 3', the most successful foreign movie in 2013. It is even 6 days faster than 25 days, the record established by 'Gift from Room No.7' that was premiered on last January and gathered more than ten million audiences.
'Snowpiercer' broke through one million audiences in 2 days, three million in 5 days, 4 million in 7 days, the shortest period throughout the generation, 5 million in 10 days, 6 million in 12 days, 7 million in 15 days since the premiere, having proved the intense heat of the success.
It started the competition with new works such as 'The Flu' and 'Hide and Seek', but the heat of success of 'Snowpiercer' is not getting cooler. It gathered more than 340 thousand audiences on last 15th, which was the Liberation Day. The unceasing success of 'Snowpiercer' attracts interest, on whether it would continue to the birth of another piece of 'Ten million movie'. 

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August 20, 2013
“Snowpiercer” Star Ko A-sung Cast in New Film
by Lee Eun Ah TENASIA

Korean actress Ko A-sung poses for a photo shoot with TenAsia in Seoul, Korea on August 9, 2013. [TenAsia/ Gue Hye Jung]
Korean actress Ko A-sung has decided her next step after Korean box office smash “Snowpiercer,” director Bong Joon-ho’s global film project.
Ko A-sung has been cast in a new film along with veteran actress Kim Hee-ae in new film “Graceful Lie” (translated title), her agency 4DOORs Entertainment said through a press release on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old actress will turn from a look-ahead train-born baby Yona in “Snowpiercer” into a willful girl named Manji who tracks down the truth behind her sister’s suicide.
“It wasn’t difficult selecting my next project. I read the script and I was able to relate to Manji ‘s determination to seek the truth behind her sister’s death and her life with her mother (Kim),” Ko was quoted as saying. ”I am happy to work with Kim Hee-ae and I’ll learn a lot from her.”
Kim Hee-ae will play a single mother who works in a super market and continues to stay strong after her daughter’s death for the sake of Manji.
Based on the novel of the same title by writer Kim Ryo Ryeong, the film will be directed by director Lee Han of Yoo A-in’s “Punch,” also based on a novel written by writer Kim.
Ko A-sung, who first came into the limelight through her innocent school girl role in Bong Joon-ho’s “The Host” in 2006, proved her acting skills in KBS’s teen drama “Master of Study” in 2010. 
Korean actress Kim Hee-ae poses on the set of SBS drama “Midas.” [sBS]

Reporter. Eun Ah Lee domino@tenasia.co.krPhotographer. Gue Hye Jung photonine@tenasia.co.krEditor. Lee Hye Ji hjlee@tenasia.co.kr
Courtesy of 4DOORs Entertainment, SBS

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August 22, 2013
SNOWPIERCER to Have International Premiere in FranceBlockbuster Sci-Fi Will Close Deauville American Film Festival by Pierce Conran KOFIC



Following a long wait and plenty of speculation, BONG Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer is finally set to receive its international festival premiere. The lucky event which has scooped up the highly-anticipated film for its debut screening outside of Korea is the Deauville American Film Festival. Snowpiercer will serve as the closing film for the event on Saturday, September 7th. Since the spring, many have been wondering where the film would screen on the festival circuit. The Cannes Film Festival was seen as the ideal starting point for the film’s journey but it was said not to be finished on time. Following its debut in Korea on July 31st, speculation shifted to either Venice or Toronto as likely contenders for the film’s international launch. The Deauville selection, given the modest size of the festival, comes as something of a surprise in a period littered with high profile events, all eager to program BONG’s new work. Snowpiercer takes place during an ice age when the remnants of the human race have been contained to a perpetually moving train, subdivided by class. The inhabitants of the poor tail section stage a revolt in a bid to take over the train. BONG’s film, which has received many positive notices from foreign critics, has already amassed over eight million admissions in Korea, with revenue of KRW 60.3 billion (USD 53.6 million) to date. The Deauville American Film Festival will take place from August 30th to September 8th.

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August 26, 2013
August 2013 Marks Best Month for Korean Cinema
by Lee Hye Ji TENASIA

The monthly number of audiences for Korean films has surpassed the 20 million mark for the first time in 10 years.
According to KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) on Monday, the total number of audiences who watched Korean movies from August 1 to 25 was around 20.44 million, which is the biggest number the database has seen since starting its count in 2004.
The overwhelming figure is higher than that of February, which hit over 18 million powered by “Miracle in Cell No. 7” and “Berlin,” and last August’s figure of some 17 million spearheaded by “The Thieves.”
The strong performance of Korean movies this month can be attributed mainly to four Korean movies which smashed the box office in succession, including “Snowpiercer” (scoring 8.8 million audiences as of August 25), “THE TERROR LIVE” (5.4 million) “Hide and Seek” (4.7 million) and “THE FLU” (2.7 million).
Although the market share of Korean films (78.9%) was still 6.4% smaller than that of October 2006, they also saw an all-time peak in terms of total sales- a whopping 145 billion Korean won (approximately 131 million U.S. dollars).
Analysts say that since there is a week left until the end of August and the four Korean films are still performing well, there is still a chance that the figure for market share could broken.
Reporter. Lee Hye-ji hjlee@tenasia.co.krEditor. Jessica Kim
Courtesy of CJ Entertainment, Lotte Entertainment

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September 10, 2013
Praise for Bong Joon-ho’s Latest Following French PremieresSNOWPIERCER Screens at Deauville and L’Etrange by Pierce Conran KOFIC

A fresh wave of international responses have emerged for BONG Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer, following its screenings for the press and at the Deauville and L’Etrange Film Festivals in France. Much as previous critics for Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Screen Daily did when Snowpiercer was screened for the press in mid-July in Korea, these new reviews are praising the film for its bold ambition and dark subject matter. The film features an international cast and crew and is financed by a Korean studio (CJ Entertainment), however it is also based on the French graphic novel Transperceneige by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette. Unlike their foreign counterparts, French critics have also commented on the source’s transfer to the big screen. Nicolas Gilli of Filmosphere felt that ‘Not only is the adaptation a complete success but the film proves to be a dizzying ride that carries all of its auteur’s trademarks.’ Calling BONG’s latest ‘very ambitious’, Christophe Lemonnier, writing for DVD review site DeVilDead, goes on to say that it ‘tackles dark and serious subjects, leaving us face to face with our own contradictions and some thorny questions.’ He was not the only critic taken in by Snowpiercer’s dark, dystopian vision. Romain Le Vern, writing for TF1, called it a ‘spectacular and introspective odyssey.’ Twitchfilm’s Shelagh M. Rowan-Legg tweeted after the L’Etrange screening that it was ‘Absolutely phenomenal. Exceeded my wildest expectations. Bold, dark, disturbing, with pitch perfect performances.' The film will be released in France on October 30th by Wild Side. Snowpiercer’s first international poster (for the French market) was also revealed.

[Guest maea18]

Go Ah Sung in Cosmopolitan (July Issue)

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October 17, 2013
‘50th Grand Bell Awards’ List of Nominees by DramaBucks


The list of candidates to enter the ‘50th Grand Bell Awards’ was announced, which will be held in November 11th at KBS Hall at Seoul’s Yeouido  from 7PM (KST) and the awards ceremony will be broadcast live through KBS2 TV.
The final competitors for Best Film are: “Cold Eyes”, “The Flu”, “Boomerang Family”, “Azooma”, “The Face Reader”, “My PS Partner”, “Confession of Murder”, “Norigae”, “Montage”, “Wolf Boy”, “The Gangster Shaman”, “Berlin File”, “Snowpiercer”, “Hide and Seek”, “New World”, “Secretly, Greatly”, “Fist of Legend”, “Act”, “Cheer Up Mr. Lee”, “The Tower”, “Miracle in Cell No. 7″.
Nominees:
Best DirectorLee Hwan Kyung (Miracle in Cell No.7)Song Hae Sung (Boomerang Family)Han Jae Rim (The Face Reader)Bong Joon Ho (Snowpiercer)Park Hoon Jung (New World)
Best ActorRyu Seong Ryong (Miracle in Cell No.7)Song Kang Ho (The Face Reader)Lee Jung Jae (New World)Hwang Jung Min (Fist of Legend)
Best Actress
Yoon Yeo Jung (Boomerang Family)Kal So Won (Miracle in Cell No.7)Jang Young Nam (Azooma)Uhm Jung Hwa (Montage)Moon Jung Hee (Hide and Seek)
Best Supporting ActorOh Dal Su (Miracle in Cell No. 7)Baek Yoon Shik (The Face Reader)
Park Sung Woong (New World)
Yoo Jun Sang (Fist of Legend)
Best Supporting ActressPark Min Ha (The Flu)
Jin Ji Hee (Boomerang Family)Jang Young Nam (Wolf Boy)
Uhm Ji Won (The Gangster Shaman)
Go Ah Sung (Snowpiercer)

Best New ActorPark Shi Hoo (Confession of Murder)Kim Soo Hyun (Secretly, Greatly)Park Doo Shik (Fist of Legend)
Park Jung Min (Fist of Legend)
Hong Ahn Pyo (Cheer Up Mr. Lee)

Best New ActressKal So Won (Miracle in Cell No.7)
Shin So Yul (My PS Partner)
Min Ji Hyun (Norigae)
Cheon Min Hee (Gangster Shaman)
Seo Eun Ah (Act)

Best New DirectorJung Byeong Gil (Confession of Murder)
Jo Sung Hee (Wolf Boy)
Huh Jung (Hide & Seek)
Lee Byung Hun (Cheer Up Mr. Lee)

Best CinematographyMiracle in Cell No. 7
Confession of Murder
Snowpiercer
Berlin File
The Face Reader

Best Art DirectionMiracle in Cell No. 7
The Face Reader
Berlin File
Snowpiercer
New World

Best ScreenplayLee Hwan Kyeong (Miracle in Cell No. 7)
Kim Dong Hyuk (The Face Reader)
Jung Geun Sub (Montage)
Bong Joon Ho (Snowpiercer)
Park Hoon Jung (New World)

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October 30, 2013
‘Snowpiercer’ opens in 300 theaters in France
By Claire Lee The Korea Herald


A scene from “Snowpiercer.” (CJ Entertainment)
Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s sci-fi thriller “Snowpiercer” opened in 300 theaters nationwide in France on Wednesday, about three months after its Korean release.
No other Korean film has ever secured such a large number of theaters in France, according to the movie’s producer CJ Entertainment. 
The dystopian sci-fi, which features an international cast that includes Tilda Swinton, Song Kang-ho and Ed Harris, tells the story of a post-apocalyptic future in which the surviving humanity lives on a train divided by social class after the arrival of a new ice age. 
The film, which is based on 1984 French graphic novel “La Transperceneige,” was both a critical and commercial success in Korea, garnering 9.3 million viewers. 
Director Bong’s 2006 monster flick “The Host” was released in France in the same year in 223 theaters, while Park Chan-wook’s “The Thirst” opened in 78 theaters in France in 2007. In 2002, veteran filmmaker Im Kwon-taek’s drama “Painted Fire” was released in France in 60 theaters. 
“Snowpiercer” will also be released in Japan and Taiwan in February next year. Its North American release date has not been announced yet. 

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October 31, 2013
'Snowpiercer' on Le Monde front page



The French daily Le Monde extensively covers South Korean director Bong Jun-ho's "Snowpiercer" on its front page on Oct. 30, 2013 to coincide with the showing of the film in France. The film depicts a stratified society in which the underprivileged live in the tail compartment of a train that is perpetually traveling through a frozen, post-apocalyptic world. (Yonhap) (END)

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November 12, 2013
'Snowpiercer' Charts New Terrain for Korean Movie in France
The ChosunIlbo


Bong Joon-ho's "Snowpiercer" has become the best-selling Korean movie ever released in France. According to Rentrak, which tracks global box office results, it attracted 331,542 viewers in the country as of Sunday. The movie first hit French theaters on Oct. 30. 
The previous record was set by Im Kwon-taek's "Chihwaseon" (Painted Fire), which attracted 315,378 people after it was released in over 60 cinemas across France in 2002. 
"Bong already had a high level of recognition in France, where the movie generated much critical acclaim. Its success was also partly due to the favorable review from the French author of the original comics [on which the movie was based]," according to CJ E&M, the film's overseas distributor.
"As it is off to a good start at the box office in France, the first country outside of Korea where it was released, we believe the movie will also fare well in other countries this winter."
The movie focuses on a de facto class struggle inside an armor-plated train among a group of survivors after the world has experienced a new Ice Age. It was seen by over 9.3 million people in Korea this summer and is scheduled to hit theaters in Hong Kong this month and Japan in February.

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November 18, 2013
'Snowpiercer' picks up three Korean film critics' awards
YonhapNews
SEOUL, Nov. 18 (Yonhap) - The South Korean film "Snowpiecer" has won three awards, including best film, given by the local film critics association, the organization said Monday.
The English language debut by director Bong Joon-ho also won best director and best cinematography at the 33rd Korean Film Critics Association Awards.

This image is a capture from "Snowpiercer" by South Korean director Bong Joon-ho. (Yonhap)
Based on the French graphic novel "Le Transperceneige," the sci-fi action thriller "Snowpiercer" depicts inter-class struggles among the world's last-remaining inhabitants aboard a perpetually moving train.
The film, starring top Korean actor Song Kang-ho alongside Hollywood thespians Chris Evans, Ed Harris and Tilda Swinton, became the eighth-most popular film of all time in local theaters, attracting more than 9.3 million viewers.
It has already outdone every previous shown Korean film in France, drawing close to 330,000 viewers since its opening on Oct. 30, according to the movie distributor CJ E&M.
The film beat out "Chihwaseon" by master Korean director Im Kwon-taek that became the top-selling Korean film in France by attracting an audience of 315,000 in 2002, the company said.
Director Han Jae-rim's "The Face Reader" also picked up three trophies -- best actor, best supporting actor and best music.
Actress Uhm Ji-won received the best actress award and actress Park Shin-hye of "Miracle in Cell No. 7" won the best supporting actress.
Eleven movies were chosen as the films of the year. They are "Snowpiercer," "The Berlin File," "The Face Reader," "New World," "The Terror Live," "Jiseul," "Cold Eyes," "Miracle in Cell No. 7," "Hwayi: A Monster Boy," "Our Sunhi" and "Hide and Seek."
   The awards ceremony will take place on Nov. 29.