Lee Byung Hun 이병헌 Byunghun Lee

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Thanks to the fan highlight at LBH DC Gallery
December 31, 2014
Westcomb website // twitter // facebook

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Source: NOVEL via twitter

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Credit: monster516545 via Instagram

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Credit: honey_lbh0712 via Instagram

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From SSG.com website 



 

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Credit to sohee9397 via Instagram

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Credit: MAG + ART BY EISEN BERNARDO
January 3, 2015
REBELLION AT LE MOULIN DE LA GALETTE

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Lee Byung Hun, ELLE Korea August 2013 + Bal du moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

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January 4, 2015
New year, new movies
By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com) KPOPHERALD
From local star directors to Hollywood sequels, a guide to Korean cinema in 2015 Last year may be remembered as an eventful year for the South Korean silver screen as a number of films rewrote box office history. The periodic action flick “Roaring Currents” drew 17.6 million viewers becoming the most-watched film of all time, while three other films joined the coveted 10 million viewer’s club, including “The Attorney,” “Frozen,” and “Interstellar.”
This year is also marked with a stellar lineup of new films from local heavyweight directors to Hollywood blockbusters -- some starring Korean actors. 
Here’s what we have to look forward to in 2015. 
Return of star directors
“Gangnam 1970” is the final installment of director Yoo Ha’s trilogy of “street series,” dubbed after his first two films that depicted street gangsters -- “Once Upon a time in High School” (2004) and “A Dirty Carnival” (2006). 
The noir action film is set against the backdrop of an exploding real estate market in Seoul’s Gangnam district in the 1970s, a turbulent era under the so-called developmental dictatorship of military strongman Park Chung-hee. Two childhood friends find themselves forced to become enemies, mired with misunderstanding, revenge and conspiracy. The film marks the big-screen debut of heartthrob Lee Min-ho as he joins actor Kim Rae-won. 
The film opens in theaters on Jan. 21. 
Following 2012’s box-office hit “The Thieves”-- which garnered 12.98 million viewers -- director Choi Dong-hoon is back with another star-studded flick “The Assassination.”
Actress Jun Ji-hyun and actor Lee Jung-jae from “The Thieves” star with actors Ha Jung-woo and Cho Jin-woong. The film tells the story of assassins taking out a pro-Japanese group set in Shanghai and Seoul in 1930s. 
The film is slated for release in July. 
Renowned director Im Kwon-taek’s 102nd film “Revivre” will be released here in March, following the critically acclaimed premiere at last year’s Venice Film Festival.
Based on Korean author Kim Hoon’s award-winning novel “Hwajang” (Korean word with two meanings: makeup and cremation), the film centers on a top marketing executive at a major cosmetic company (played by veteran actor Ahn Sung-ki) who falls in love with a young women when his wife is dying of a brain tumor. It is Ahn’s seventh film with the director.
More Hollywood glory days?
Riding on the success of last year’s Hollywood flicks, including “Frozen” and “Interstellar,” this year also brings a lineup of imported blockbusters, peppered with Korean actors, vying to win over the hearts of cinemagoers here. 
“The Avengers: Age of Ultron,” a highly-anticipated superhero sequel to the 2012 box office hit, will arrive in the theaters in April. The viewers will finally be able to see the superheroes fighting their battles in different venues in Seoul, including Mapo Bridge, Saebit Dungdungseom and Gangnam district, as the flick was filmed here last March.
Marvel Comics’ favorite heroes, including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), assemble again to battle their new nemesis Ultron (James Spader). 
Newcomers for this edition feature Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Dr. Cho, a friend of Iron Man played by Korean actress Kim Soo-hyun. 
The Wachowski brothers, credited with the hit movies “The Matrix” and “Cloud Atlas,” are delivering another mind-boggling sci-fi thriller “Jupiter Ascending” in February. 
Korean actress Bae Doo-na will appear in her second Wachowskis’ film since “Cloud Atlas” (2012), alongside Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum and Eddie Redmayne. 
Actor Lee Byung-hun stars in “Terminator Genisys,” the fifth installment in the “Terminator” series which is said to serve as a sequel, prequel and reboot to the series. The former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to his Terminator role after a hiatus from the fourth installment.

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Video post by moviehaven via instagram
Watch clip HERE

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January 4, 2015 

Movie Review: Harmonium in My Memory (1999)
by refresh_daemon | dramabeans.com

I think one of the best topics for nostalgia films is the first crush. The crushes of our youths seem to be the kind of topic that always comes up when we meet with old friends and I think that’s true of cinema as well. Certainly with Korean cinema; nostalgia films are an old enterprise and in 1999, Korea produced Harmonium in My Memory (내 마음의 풍금).
Adapted from a popular novel, this particular reminiscence of youthful infatuation is set in the Korean countryside in the 1960s, just about a decade after the Korean War. Fresh out of teaching school, twenty-one-year-old Kang Su-ha (Lee Byung-heon) arrives in a little village to serve at its school. As he arrives, he catches the attention and, very quickly, the affection of the seventeen-year-old Yoon Hong-yeon (Jeon Do-yeon), one of the eldest youths in the village attending the elementary school. Also arriving the same day to start as a teacher is twenty-five-year-old Yang Eun-hee (Lee Mi-yeon), who shares with Su-ha a love of music. He too is instantly smitten. And we have ourselves a love triangle.
Now the setup has all the trappings of a melodrama, but because of the nostalgic lens through which it’s viewed, Harmonium in My Memory spends plenty of time with the characters, helping us to get acquainted with them. Through the time spent with Hong-yeon, we see that because of her typically younger peers, she acts younger than her age, so her first crush has quite a potent effect on her. She doesn’t really know how to deal with her feelings and ends up pouring them into her class journal. This results in several hilarious written passages—which never fully out her feelings for her teacher—where Hong-yeon bluntly praises Su-ha and also does her best to put down Eun-hee once she realizes that Su-ha and Eun-hee are friendly.
While the story is simple, the study of infatuation is well done, especially with capturing all those awkward moments one might have in front of one’s crush, like Hong-yeon following Su-ha around and ducking out of sight when he turns around. Another wonderful moment is when Hong-yeon is playfully pinched by Su-ha—Su-ha mistaking her arm for Eun-hee’s—and she’s on cloud nine for the rest of the day or perhaps the week, per her journal entries, wondering to herself what such a pinch might mean—knowing full well that Su-ha will be reading it. And then there’s the emotional devastation when rumors of Su-ha and Eun-hee start floating through the school.
Though many of the film’s moments are spent with Hong-yeon and Su-ha dealing with their crushes, I appreciate that Harmonium in My Memory still takes the time to draw them in context. We see Hong-yeon’s bickering relationship with her mother (Song Ok-sook) and many boy siblings (resulting in an amusing rant on hating boys in her journal) and we see Su-ha learning how to be a teacher through trial and error. This helps ground both Hong-yeon and Su-ha so that they have dimensions beyond just being infatuated while also giving their respective infatuations a more specific character.
And I think that character is well delivered by the leads. Lee Byung-heon, having established himself with a number of leading roles by this point, manages to capture Su-ha’s idealism and naivete well, but giving him just enough experience to separate himself from Jeon Do-yeon’s Hong-yeon. And Jeon had her work cut out for her in regressing to a shy teenager after having a huge hit playing a woman her own age in The Contact two years prior.


Thanks to some excellent choices with wardrobe and hair and seemingly connecting with a younger version of herself, Jeon manages to convince as a teenager, only a few times seeming to overplay Hong-yeon’s youthfulness. Lee Mi-yeon, the most veteran of the leads—playing the major part in the previous year’s genre-making Whispering Corridors, also as a teacher—has a smaller role in Harmonium, but plays out her experienced idealism well and carries some subtle untold backstory with her acting.
Less experienced is director Lee Yeong-jae, who is helming his first feature film with Harmonium and it shows, especially in his uneven camera direction. At times he does well, capturing the euphoria of a crush via a tracking shot across a field as Hong-yeon shouts with joy, as well as using a static camera of drunken, crying Su-ha, framed from three-quarters view to emphasize the smallness that he feels.
However, the direction also often falls flat. This is most evident when Su-ha is being introduced to his fellow teachers, each time cutting to an almost 1980s sitcom-intro of each teacher stopping what they are doing to turn to the camera and introduce themselves with a smile and a characterizing comment. It’s highly unrealistic and further muddling the story is the bookend of Hong-yeon playing a record in the present: If the film is about her remembering the past, why do we get so deeply into Su-ha’s perspective as a dual protagonist?
What the record-playing intro does do well is to set the nostalgia film’s use of music to connect to the past, filling the soundtrack with oldies like Connie Francis’ “Don’t Break My Heart” to set the time well. Accordingly the production also uses costumes well too, like Su-ha’s slightly-too-big suit to show that he’s still a very young man and the villagers’ generally modest clothing indicating their status as a poorer rural community. Everything in the film has a bit of a rough quality to it, from the film stock to the materials used for the wardrobe and sets, but it’s fortunate that those qualities actually fit Harmonium‘s humble setting well.
And Harmonium in My Memory‘s goals are fairly humble, aiming to capture these moments of infatuation in the lives of a student and her teacher. It succeeds. Harmonium in My Memory isn’t wrought with powerful drama about teaching or the hardships of life in the impoverished countryside, nor is it loaded with high comedy and candy-coated romantic mischief, but instead it uses its setting, production, and performances to tell the kind of warm recollection your old friends might remind you of when you get together. And though the value of that nostalgia might be limited, when it’s as effectively done as it is with Harmonium in My Memory, it’s certainly appreciable. Just like memories of a first fleeting crush. 7/10.

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January 5, 2015
Lee Byung-hun warns of legal action on unverified reports
Source: KPOPHERALD

Actor Lee Byung-hun warned Monday that he would take legal action against unverified news reports and rumors concerning his blackmail case.
Lee was allegedly blackmailed by model Lee Ji-yeon and 21-year-old girl group GLAM member Kim Dae-hee for 5 billion won ($4.7 million) with video footage that the women secretly took of him. The prosecution has requested three-year jail terms for the defendants. 
On Monday, Lee’s management company stated that they will take legal action against reports based solely on the claims made by the defendants. The statement follows news reports containing messages supposedly exchanged between Lee and the model. 
The report claimed that the actor first approached the model with an offer for financial support. 
In response, Lee’s management company said that the unverified reports were unfortunate and that they will also take action against the source of the information.
“(The company) will seek out the source of the information, (who) intentionally provided false information ahead of the court ruling,” the company said.
“Once the ruling is made in 10 days, the whole truth will be revealed. (The rumors) are not worth responding to individually.” 

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January 4, 2015

Lee Byung Hun Threatens Action in Response to Rumors Regarding Blackmail Casehttp://www.soompi.com/2015/01/04/lee-byung-hun-threatens-action-in-response-to-rumors-regarding-blackmail-case/

Lee Byung Hun has vowed action in response to all rumors and unverified reports relating to his blackmail case. According to a statement issued by the actor’s agency on January 5, “Lee Byung Hun will seek legal action in response to all unilateral claims made without sufficient evidence.”
It continued, “In the period leading up to the verdict, those making false claims pertaining to the trial will face consequences. As the truth will be revealed by the final verdict in ten days, there is no value in propagating such rumors.”
Finally, it stated, “We request that you await the results of the trial. Going forward, we will have no choice but to take strong measures against all false reports and rumors pertaining to this case.”
The verdict hearing for Lee Byung Hun’s case against model Lee Ji Yeon and GLAM’s Dahee, who allegedly attempted to blackmail him for 5 billion won (approximately 4.9 million USD), is set to commence January 15. In the meantime, Lee Byung Hun is spending time with his wife in Los Angeles while attending meetings and taking part in New Year festivities.

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Credit: doohyundesu

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January 5, 2015
Most anticipated films of 2015
By Jason Bechervaise The Korea Times
Last year saw a number of new filmmakers emerge such as July Jung ("A Girl at My Door"), Lee Do-yun ("Confession") and Shim Sung-bo ("Haemoo"), but one of the striking features of 2015 is the number of established filmmakers releasing their latest features such as Ryoo Seung-wan, Na Hong-jin and Im Sang-soo.
‘Gangnam Blues' 
Among these names also includes Yoo Ha whose filmography includes the acclaimed "Marriage is a Crazy Thing" (2002). Yoo's latest "Gangnam Blues" is an eagerly awaited action-noir film that shares much in common with his well-received 2006 feature "A Dirty Carnival" owing to its gangster elements. Hitting local screens on Jan. 21, it features Hallyu star Lee Min-ho in his first leading role in a film alongside Kim Rae-won.
The pair play childhood friends who get separated when they get involved in political clashes after their shanty homes are demolished by local thugs amidst the height of political corruption when the now famous and affluent district of Gangnam was being transformed into a developed area in the 1970s.
‘Gokseong' 
Looking further ahead, Na Hong-jin who found success both home and abroad following his box office hit "The Chaser" (2008) and then further cemented his reputation as one of Korea's talented emerging directors with "The Yellow Sea" (2010) is currently working on the much anticipated "Gokseong" (working title) (W/T).
Planned for a release in the first of this year, it's being backed by Fox International Productions (FIP) and will be distributed by Fox Korea — the third Korean film to be funded by the U.S. studio following "Running Man" (2013) and "Slow Video" (2014).
The film takes place in a village where a detective (Kwak Do-won) and a shaman played by Hwang Jung-min ("Ode to My Father") seek to investigate a mysterious rumor that continues to spread.
‘No Country for Young Men' 
Also being backed by 20th Century Fox is Im Sang-soo's curious new film "No Country for Young Men" (W/T) that is expected to be released in the second half of 2015. Starring Ryoo Seung-bum ("The Berlin File" (2013)) and Go Joon-hee, it follows four characters who find a significant amount of money by accident, but when one of them is later caught by the millionaire and then brutally assaulted, they seek revenge.
Im's films tend to travel widely at festivals such as Cannes where "The Housemaid" (2010) and "The Taste of Money" (2012) both competed for the coveted Palme d'Or reflecting his appeal abroad.
‘Veteran' 
Looking ahead to the summer, Korea's action-maverick auteur Ryoo Seung-wan's ("The Berlin Film") latest "Veteran" (W/T) is scheduled to hit screens providing audiences with a chance to see his latest audacious action set-pieces. Starring Hwang Jung-min who is also playing the renowned mountaineer Um Hong-gil in "The Himalayas" (working title) that's due out later this year in addition to the aforementioned "Gokseong," he's looking to have another busy year.
In "Veteran," Hwang plays a detective who pursues a young millionaire called Tae-oh (Yoo Ah-in) — the third-in-line to a large conglomerate — after he beats up a man who helped him on one of his cases.
‘Assassination' 
Also planned for a summer release is Choi Dong-hoon's "Assassination" featuring a stellar ensemble cast including Ha Jung-woo, Jun Ji-hyeon, Lee Jeong-jae, Oh Dal-soo and Cho Jin-woong. Choi's engaging films consistently attract large numbers as seen with "The Thieves" (2013) that amassed close to 13 million admissions and also starred Jun Ji-hyeon and Lee Jeong-jae.
This film takes place in the Japanese colonial era (1910-1945) where a small band of fighters are ordered by the resistance government to take out a pro-Japanese group in the 1930s.
‘The Throne' 
Period films have become an increasingly prevalent feature of Korean cinema especially during the holiday seasons such as the lunar New Year and Chuseok. As such, this coming lunar new year (Feb. 18-20), the sequel "Detective K: Secret of the Lost Land" is due to hit local screens, but more eagerly awaited, perhaps, is Lee Joon-ik's "The Throne" due for a release in the second half of this year andstarring Song Kang-ho who experienced unprecedented success in 2013 when "Snowpiercer," "The Face Reader" and "The Attorney" all became huge hits.
Lee Joon-ik has established himself as one of the leading figures in the industry following the success of "The King and The Clown" (2005) and has made a number of period films. His latest one also features Yoo Ah-in ("Veteran") and Moon Geun-young — her first film in eight years — and is set during the reign of King Yeongjo (Song Kang-ho) that follows the life of Crown Prince Sado (Yoo Ah-in) who is condemned to death by his own father after deemed unfit to rule.
Other films 
Other significant local releases this year include the Korean war blockbuster "Western Front 1953" starring Sol Kyung-gu as well as the crime drama "The Classified File" directed by Kwak Kyung-taek and political drama "Inside Men" starring Lee Byeong-hun.
In addition to "The Throne" there are a number of period films also hitting screens including "Memories of the Sword" starring Lee Byeong-hun and Jeon Do-yeon initially scheduled for a release last year but pushed back. Jeon also stars in the romantic drama "The Shameless" (W/T) along with Lee Yoon-ki's "A Man and a Woman" (literal title), which are both expected to hit screens this year.
With other films including "The Great Tiger" (literal title) directed by Park Hoon-jung ("New World" (2013)) starring Choi Min-sik playing a hunter searching for the last surviving tiger on the Korean Peninsula during the Japanese occupation also set to attract audiences later this year, 2015 promises to be yet another exciting twelve months for the industry.
The writer is a film columnist for The Korea Times.

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January 7, 2015
Korean Air Purser's Fate Puts Focus on Panic Disorder
Source: The Chosun Ilbo
Park Chang-jin, the purser on the Korean Air flight in the notorious "nut rage" incident, has extended his sick leave for another month citing extreme stress and panic disorder. 
Korean Air on Sunday said Park submitted a doctor's note attesting to his need for psychological treatment.
Many people in the public eye have confessed that they suffer from panic disorder. Comedian Kim Gu-ra abruptly canceled all of his engagements because of panic disorder recently. 
This has become a catch-all description of extreme stress, and more and more people are complaining of it.
Symptoms include intense anxiety at unexpected moments, which can lead to rapid heartbeat, fear, and difficulty breathing. 
But the symptoms need recur for at least a month for a diagnosis of panic disorder to be made. 
There is as yet no clear medical explanation, but it has been linked to acute stressors such as divorce and unemployment, and genetic factors. This happens mostly among people in their 40s but can happen as early as the late teens.
Interpersonal conflicts are a big source of stress. Top stars like Cha Tae-hyun, Kim Ha-neul, Kim Jang-hoon, Lee Byung-hun, Lee Kyung-kyu and Yang Hyun-suk have said that they experienced panic attacks. 
Experts believe the reason the symptoms are more frequently found amongst celebrities is that they tend to be more sensitive to, and dependent on, other people's reactions, and often go through intense ups and downs in their careers. 
An estimated 1.5 to 2.5 percent of the population are said to suffer panic disorder, and the number keeps growing rapidly, reflecting the stresses of the contemporary world. 
The number of panic disorder patients jumped by 82 percent in four years from 48,151 in 2009 to 87,833 in 2013. People who tend to be dependent on others, and those who try hard to maintain harmonious relationship while withstanding all the stress seem especially prone.
There is no perfect cure and attacks tend to recur. But medication takes immediate effect, and proper treatment can help 70 to 80 percent of patients to bring symptoms under control. Counseling is necessary to explore the root cause.

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January 8, 2015
Four stars to watch in 2015Kim Soo-hyun, EXO lead the pack of the most anticipated celebrities
By Rumy Doo (bigbird@heraldcorp.com) The Korea Herald

With his squealing fans and devilish good looks, Kim Soo-hyun was the hottest star in Korea’s entertainment scene in 2014. 
As he mulls a comeback after last year’s insanely popular TV series “My Love from the Star,” the actor lands on top of The Korea Herald’s list of stars to watch in 2015. 

EXO-K (SM Entertainment)
In the K-pop scene, the formidable popularity of EXO, the brainchild of K-pop mogul and SM Entertainment chairman Lee Soo-man, is expected to grow, earning the boys another spot on the list. 
Based on a survey of 80 experts, observers and entertainment industry insiders, conducted by The Herald Business, the sister paper of The Korea Herald, here are the four stars whose name you will be hearing a lot throughout the year. 
What’s next for Kim Soo-hyun? 
After a flurry of leading roles in hit TV dramas “Dream High,” “Moon Embracing the Sun,” and the wildly successful “My Love from the Star,” Kim has established himself as arguably the most sought-after actor under 30 in South Korea. 

Lim Si-wan (tvN), Lee Byung-hun (Yonhap), Kim Soo-hyun (Keyeast Co.)
His most recent role as the charmingly cynical undercover alien Do Min-joon alongside Jun Ji-hyun, who plays the bewitching actress Chun Song-yi, cemented his celebrity status not only nationwide but also overseas. 
Following the show’s explosive success abroad, Kim spent a large part of 2014 touring Asia to meet fans. 
The actor wrapped up his lucrative year by winning Best Actor at the SBS Drama Awards. 
Ten months after his last role, however, Kim is yet to announce his next big project. 
Though considered for upcoming TV shows “A Scholar Walks the Night” and “Doctor Frankenstein,” he ended up declining both parts. 
Observers say that 2015 will be a pivotal year in shaping the remainder of the actor’s career. 
Kim’s next move will be to follow up on his meteoric rise and carefully select what may be his last work before his mandatory military service. 
Yim Si-wan: from K-pop idol to actor 
Originally a member of 9-member boy band Z:EA, Yim Si-wan first demonstrated his flair for acting in a supporting role in “Moon Embracing the Sun.” 
In 2014, however, Yim fully came into his own and enjoyed massive popularity when he took up the lead in the critically and publically acclaimed tvN drama “Misaeng (Incomplete Life).” 
Portraying the struggles of Jang Geu-rae, a meek but hardworking employee in a fiercely competitive work environment, Yim won over the sympathies of the typical office worker in modern Korea. 
Amid a flood of offers, Yim, too, is said to be reviewing his options before deciding on his next role. 
EXO readies for comeback 
Setting themselves apart in the thick of idol bands that flood the K-pop scene in ever greater numbers, group EXO enjoyed outstanding popularity both in Korea and overseas. 
According to German music ranking company Media Traffic, EXO’s single “Overdose” sold more than 447,000 copies across the globe, a significant achievement in today’s grim record market. 
While EXO did go through a rough patch last year with two Chinese members, Kris and Luhan, leaving the group, the remaining 10 were able to dispel fans’ worries by delivering an immaculate performance and announcing their comeback for 2015 in December. No further details of the comeback have been released. 
Lee Byung-hun’s Hollywood foray 
Mired in a scandal involving an extra-marital fling and an alleged blackmailing attempt, Lee Byung-hun had a difficult 2014. 
Even amid such domestic entanglement, experts anticipate Lee’s further rise abroad. 
Lee is among the few Korean stars to have reaped some success in Hollywood, starring in the “G.I. Joe” films as ninja assassin Storm Shadow. 
Coming up this year is “Terminator: Genisys” where Lee plays the shape-shifting robot assassin T-1000 alongside worldwide celebrities including Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

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January 9, 2015
REEL Talk: Korean film in 2015 
Source: Arirang
Last week we took a brief look at how Korean cinema fared in 2014 but now it's time to look ahead to what this year has in store. Joining us for a preview of what to look forward to in 2015 is our film critic Pierce Conran.
So Pierce, what are the first big titles we can look forward to this year?
We've already got two major films lined up or this month. Next week, we will get CHRONICLE OF A BLOOD MERCHANT. 
Based on a Chinese novel, it is set in the 1950s in a village where men must sell their blood, to prove their good health, before being allowed to marry. The film features two major stars, Ha Jung-woo and Ha Ji-won and it is actually the second film directed by Ha Jung-woo.
A week later we will get the 1970s crime saga GANGNAM BLUES. It takes place during the redevelopment of Gangnam, and focuses on all the gangs circling around it. Yu Ha returns to the jopok genre after 2006's modern classic A DIRTY CARNIVAL and the film features Korean idol Lee Min-ho from THE HEIRS.
Sounds like an exciting start to the year And I suppose that will bring us into Lunar New Year. Any major releases lined up?
There are two confirmed for the moment, including the first of seven Joseon era period films this year. That one is the detective action comedy sequel DETECTIVE K: SECRET OF THE LOST ISLAND. Kim Myung-min returns as the bumbling private eye in another mysterious case along with his sidekick played by Oh Dal-su.
The other film is the biopic C'EST SI BON which is the story of popular folk band Twin Folio as a young band in the 1960s. As a nostalgia-infused and romantic youth comedy drama the film could be just the right thing for the holiday. It stars Jung Woo and Han Hyo-joo as well as Kim Yun-seok and Kim Hee-ae as the same characters in the 1980s.
Now last year was already a big year for period films but you're saying we have SEVEN on the way in 2015?
It seems that way for the moment, and I know it's a huge number but the trend still seems to be going strong, judging by the enormous successes of ROARING CURRENTS, THE PIRATES, THE FATAL ENCOUNTER and KUNDO: AGE OF THE RAMPANT. Only time will tell if audiences have grown tired of the genre. One imagines that interest will eventually have to wane.
What can you tell us about the other big period films lined up for the year?
It's hard to say when they will be released exactly but among them are MEMORIES OF THE SWORD, an action film starring Lee Byung-hun and Jeon Do-yeon that was expected late last year. Beyond that are the Pansori drama THE HYMN with Ryoo Seung-ryong and Bae Suzy, the king's court drama THE THRONE with Song Kang-ho and YOO Ah-in, the steamy drama EMPIRE OF LUST with Shin Ha-gyun and Jang Hyuk, the hunter action-drama THE GREAT TIGER with Choi Min-sik and the period thriller TREACHEROUS RETAINER with Kim Kang-woo and Ju Ji-hoon.
Sounds like a lot to take in Are there any other major films to look out for?
Seung-wan, Im Sang-soo, Na Hong-jin and Choi Dong-hoon. Action expert Ryoo will be back with VETERAN, a gritty action thriller starring Hwang Jung-min, who is currently featuring in ODE TO MY FATHER. Choi has the glitzy 1930s action thriller ASSASSINATION with Ha Jung-woo, Jeon Ji-hyun and Lee Jung-jae. Na is back with GOKSEONG, which has yet to settle on an English title, another thriller starring Hwang Jung-min. Last we have Im's action film MY FRIENDLY VILLAINS with Ryoo Seung-bum.
So much to look forward to Is there anything that you're particularly excited about?
I really like Na Hong-jin, so I'm definitely eager for GOKSEONG and I think VETERAN and ASSASSINATION could be a lot of fun. In the immediate future, I'm quite excited for GANGNAM BLUES since Yu's A DIRTY CARNIVAL is one of my favorites. We won't see it until very late in the year but THE GREAT TIGER could be very interesting, it comes from the director of NEW WORLD, one of last year's best Korean films.
Definitely a lot of movies there. Thank you for the outlook, Pierce. 
Reporter : ssung86@arirang.co.kr

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Thanks to @pradzw for the highlight at the Insiders movie thread
A snapshot of this filmfrom Instagram posted by soso24sweet

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January 10, 2015
Lee Byung Hun and Lee Min Jung Spotted in a Clothing Shop in LAhttp://www.soompi.com/2015/01/10/lee-byung-hun-and-lee-min-jung-spotted-in-a-clothing-shop-in-la/
Pictures of married couple Lee Byung Hun and Lee Min Jung enjoying a date were recently revealed on Weibo.
A Chinese netizen posted pictures of the two, saying, “Lee Byung Hun and Lee Min Jung in LA.”
In the pictures, the couple is enjoying a private date in a clothing store. Lee Byung Hun can be seen watching his wife trying on a coat, while Lee Min Jung’s affectionate smile towards him is noticeable as well.
It has been assumed that these pictures were taken last December, when the married couple enjoyed a trip to LA.

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Thanks to the fan-sharing by //꿀// at LBH DC Gallery