Hwang Jung-Min 황정민 [Upcoming Movies: “12.12: The Day”, “Mission Cross”, “Veteran 2”, “Hope”]

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Photos: CJ Entertainment @cjenmmovie

 

The Spy Gone North
 

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May 11, 2018

 

Korean spy thriller 'The Spy Gone North' to premiere in Cannes

SEOUL, May 11 (Yonhap) -- Domestic spy thriller "The Spy Gone North" will premiere at the 71st Cannes Film Festival on Friday night.

 

The film by Yoon Jong-bin, one of the two Korean titles in the 2018 Cannes Official Selection, along with Lee Chang-dong's "Burning," will receive a midnight screening at the Lumiere theater at 11 p.m. (local time).

 

Set in the mid-1990s, "The Spy Gone North" tells the story of a South Korean spy who goes undercover as a businessman in North Korea to infiltrate its nuclear facilities and discovers a secret deal among high-ranking South and North Korean officials. It stars Hwang Jung-min of "The Battleship Island," Lee Sung-min of "A Violent Prosecutor," Cho Jin-woong of "The Handmaiden" and Ju Ji-hoon of "Along With The Gods: The Two Worlds."

   

The director and three of the four main cast members arrived in Cannes the previous day to attend the red carpet event and the film's screening. Cho Jin-woong was absent from the trip due to his busy filming schedule.

 

This will mark Yoon's second time to be in Cannes after his debut feature "The Unforgiven" was invited to the Un Certain Regard section in 2006.

 

Several Korean films have previously received midnight screening at Cannes: "A Bittersweet Life" by Kim Jee-woon in 2005, "The Chaser" by Na Hong-jin in 2008, "Train to Busan" in 2016, "The Merciless" by Byun Sung-hyun and "The Villainess" by Jung Byung-gil in 2017.

 

The 71st Cannes Film Festival runs from this past Wednesday until May 19.

 

An English poster for "The Spy Gone North," released by CJ E&M (Yonhap)

 

sshim@yna.co.kr

[wanda77]

 

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Source: CJ Entertainment @cjenmmovie

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Photos: CJ Entertainment @cjenmmovie

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Photos: CJ Entertainment @cjenmmovie

 

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Source: Pierce Conran @pierceconran

 

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May 14, 2018

 

Korean Thriller Screened at Cannes Film Fest

 

By Song Hye-jin The ChosunIlbo

 

Yoon Jong-bin's latest film, "The Spy Gone North," was premiered at the annual Cannes Film Festival on Friday which runs until this week.

 

The thriller starring Hwang Jung-min, Lee Sung-min and Ju Ji-hoon was invited to the Midnight Screenings section of the festival, which is usually devoted to an action-heavy, emotionally charged genre such as horror or disaster films.

 

Set during a 1997 political scandal in the vortex of turbulent Korean history, the espionage thriller treads a fine line between fact and fiction. 

 

From left, Hwang Jung-min, Yoon Jong-bin, Lee Sung-min and Ju Ji-hoon pose on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival in France on Friday. /AFP-Yonhap

 

The reception of the film was generally mixed, with some viewers finding it interesting, others finding it difficult.

 

Non-Korean viewers in particular may struggle to grasp the early scenes of the film, in which the inner conflicts of the main characters and complicated inter-Korean relations are explained.

 

"I wanted to make a nail-biting thriller that does not necessarily require jam-packed violent fight scenes," Yoon said.

 

The film is set to hit local theaters in Korea this summer.

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May 14, 2018

 

(Yonhap Interview)

'The Spy Gone North' is about a spy undergoing identity change, says director

CANNES, France, May 14 (Yonhap) -- Director Yoon Jong-bin has said his new, Cannes-invited film, "The Spy Gone North," could be misunderstood as a Hollywood-style action film, but it actually focuses on a fraught covert operation with little action.

 

"The movie ultimately is about the identity change of a spy," Yoon said during an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Saturday at the 71st Cannes Film Festival. "I wanted to tell the kind of a story where a perceived enemy becomes a friend and an ally becomes an enemy."

 

In this photo provided by CJ E&M, director Yoon Jong-in poses for the camera at the 71st Cannes Film Festival. (Yonhap)

 

In the film, South Korean spy Park Seok-yeong, played by Hwang Jung-min, goes undercover as a businessman in North Korea to infiltrate its nuclear facilities using the codename "Black Venus." He approaches Ri Myung-un (Lee Sung-min), a high-ranking North Korean official in charge of earning foreign currency for his country in China, and succeeds in obtaining personal meetings with the North's supreme leader after years of maneuvering.

 

But Park is plagued by an inner conflict after observing the two Koreas' leaders making a secret deal to prevent liberal candidate Kim Dae-jung winning the 1997 presidential election.

 

The film is based on an autobiography of real-life ex-spy Park Chae-seo, who operated as "Black Venus." The director said he decided to fictionalize the story after reading it.

 

Actors Ju Ji-hoon (L), Hwang Jung-min (2nd from R) and Lee Sung-min (R) and director Yoon Jong-bin arrive for the screening of "The Spy Gone North" at the 71st Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, on May 11, 2018. (Yonhap)

 

"The autobiography itself was very dramatic. After reading it, I learned that spies negotiate and act for national interests. So I wanted to focus on what spies do in their real lives, rather than making a Hollywood-style spy action movie."

   

The movie covers more than a decade from the mid-1990s, when the North Korean nuclear crisis was escalating, until the mood for inter-Korean reconciliation began. Its running time is 140 minutes.

 

"It was such a huge story that I pondered a lot about where to start and where to end. Since the movie deals with the political situation between the two Koreas, I had to build it up one step after another to bring about the conclusion."

   

The movie was premiered to a standing ovation in the Midnight Screenings section of the Cannes Film Festival on Friday night.

 

Yoon said he was pleased with the favorable response from both critics and audiences at Cannes, especially from Thierry Fremaux, executive director of the festival.

 

"He said he wants to invite me to a competition section next time and made a complimentary remark that the film is well made," the director said. "I thought he said so just to be polite at first but later learned that he meant it," Yoon said with a big smile.

 

An English poster for "The Spy Gone North," released by CJ E&M (Yonhap)

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May 14, 2018

 

CJ Entertainment Ventures onto the Croisette with THE SPY GONE NORTH
Korean Studio Presents Explosive Lineup in Cannes Marché

 

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

 

 

Korea’s CJ Entertainment returns to the official selection at Cannes for the fourth year on the trot with their upcoming North Korea-themed espionage drama The Spy Gone North (2017). Meanwhile, the company is also busy on the Marché floor with a heavy lineup of major genre titles due for release in the coming months.

 

The Spy Gone North is the latest film from Nameless Gangster : Rules of the Time (2012) director YOON Jong-bin and features HWANG Jung-min (Veteran, 2015) as a South Korean agent who infiltrates the North during the 1990s to gain intel on their nuclear program. The film co-stars CHO Jin-woong (The Handmaiden, 2016), LEE Sung-min (The Sheriff in Town, 2017) and JU Ji-hoon (Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds, 2017) and is screening in the Midnight Screenings section at Cannes, where CJ has had several films in the past, including CHANG’s The Target (2014) and BYUN Sung-hyun’s The Merciless (2017).

 

Prior to YOON’s spy drama, which is scheduled for opening later in the summer at home, CJ will be releasing their buddy investigative comedy-thriller sequel The Accidental Detective 2: In Action in Korea next month. The film reunites KWON Sang-woo’s amateur sleuth with SUNG Dong-il’s weathered detective on a new missing person’s case. Stepping into the director’s chair is E.oni, who last made the women’s kidnap thriller MISSING (2016).

 

Upcoming action extravaganza Take Point will reunite KIM Byung-woo and HA Jung-woo, the director and star of the 2013 chamber thriller The Terror, LIVE. HA stars as an elite mercenary who takes on a covert CIA mission to kidnap a North Korean minister in 2024 on the eve of the presidential election in the United-States. The film co-stars LEE Sun-kyun (A Hard Day, 2014) as well as Tony Award-winning actress Jennifer Ehle (A Quiet Passion) and Hollywood character actor Kevin Durand (X-Men Origins: Wolverine).

 

In LEE Jong-suk’s The Negotiation, a star vehicle for SON Ye-jin of The Last Princess (2016) and Hyun-bin of Confidential Assignment (2017), SON plays a hostage negotiator who goes head-to-head with a criminal played by Hyun-bin, who has kidnapped her supervisor. The film marks the return of hit filmmaker LEE Seok-hoon, who has last helmed The Pirates in 2014 (also with SON in the lead) and is the latest production by JK Film, which produced Confidential Assignment and Ode to My Father (2014), among many other smash hits.

 

Also in CJ’s Cannes market lineup is the upcoming fantasy drama The Soul-Mate. From Enemy at the Dead End (2010) director JO Won-hee, the film is one of many upcoming star vehicles for Don LEE (aka MA Dong-seok), who hit the big time recently with TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016) and last year’s surprise hit THE OUTLAWS. KIM Young-kwang (Hot Young Bloods, 2014) plays a police officer who’s soul separates from his body following an accident. He wants to get back to his case and his girlfriend but the only person who can see him is none other than his archenemy, played by LEE.

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May 12, 2018

 

'The Spy Gone North (Gongjak)': Cannes Review
A South Korean agent must infiltrate 1990s North Korea in Yoon Jong-bin’s spy thriller

 

BY TIM GRIERSON, SENIOR US CRITIC

 

SOURCE: CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

THE SPY GONE NORTH

 

Dir: Yoon Jong-bin. Republic Of Korea. 2017. 140mins

 

A film about stellar spycraft that’s been made with comparable steely intelligence, The Spy Gone North (Gongjak) boasts little action but compensates with director Yoon Jong-bin’s considerable ability to weave suspense while depicting the subtle manoeuvrings of a fraught covert operation. Fictionalizing the real-life exploits of a South Korean agent known as Black Venus, who in the 1990s was tasked with infiltrating North Korea’s government, this thriller rewards patience over its 140-minute running time, giving the viewer a sure sense of the stakes and the individuals at the heart of a high-stakes mission.

 

One of Spy’s unanticipated pleasures is its ability to wring drama out of the minutia involved 

 

Screening out of competition in Cannes, Spy doesn’t have the pyrotechnics of the James Bond or Jason Bourne franchises, but fans of smart, engrossing espionage thrillers will surely come calling.

 

As the film begins, a former military officer named Park (Hwang Jung-Min) is tapped by South Korea’s intelligence agency NIS to go undercover, posing as a businessman to meet with Ri (Lee Sung-min), a North Korean official with connections to the communist government. Park’s mission is to use Ri to determine if Kim Jong-il has developed nuclear weapons and is an imminent threat.

 

Spy features no shootouts or car chases, instead meticulously following Park as he finagles his way into North Korea’s inner circle. The screenplay, which Yoon (Kundo) co-wrote with Kwon Sung-hui, spends considerable time establishing and developing Park’s cover story — he wants to produce South Korean commercials inside North Korea — and one of Spy’s unanticipated pleasures is its ability to wring drama out of the minutia involved in what might seem like an esoteric business deal.

 

But that’s only one element to which Yoon devotes his attention. Spanning roughly a decade, the film examines the two nations’ tense relationship, illustrating how each plot twist could affect both countries. Sometimes, this macro view makes it harder for the filmmaker to invest as deeply in the characters, who are vivid without always being particularly nuanced. Yet this strategy seems to be in keeping with Yoon’s overall thesis, which is that these individuals are enmeshed in something much larger than themselves.

 

Hwang brings a stoic resolve to Park, although it’s one of the movie’s funnier running jokes that, in his undercover businessman guise, he comes across as an amiable goofball, presumably to divert suspicion. As the stern Ri, Lee ends up having the more poignant arc. This serenely confident power player slowly reveals a softer side, especially when confronting poverty and starvation in his homeland. And Ju Ji-hoon proves to be a suitably menacing North Korean security officer who doesn’t trust Park, leaving the two men at constant odds.

 

Editors Kim Sang-Bum and Kim Jae-Bum deserve special kudos for maintaining a sober, stately pace throughout the film’s protracted running time. Cho Young-wuk’s suspenseful score underlines but never overshadows the tense proceedings, while cinematographer Choi Chan-Min adds a dynamism to intimate scenes in which two or three characters are simply sitting and talking. In The Spy Gone North, words hit harder than bullets, all leading to an unexpectedly moving finale in which no dialogue is spoken.

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Super thanks to Alexandria for the compilation on IG ~

 

May 8, 2018

 

Top 5 Korean Movie Lead Actors with highest total admission ~

1. Song Kang Ho (109,654,383)

2. Ha Jung Woo (93,223,570)

3. Hwang Jung Min (92,761,555)

4. Lee Byung Hun (70,056,057) 

5. Kang Dong Won (61,788,907)

 

 

Compilation: xandria05

 

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May 28, 2018

 

Summer box-office preview: the 5 most highly anticipated Korean movies

SEOUL, May 28 (Yonhap) -- Summer is typically the peak season for the Korean film industry, the time when roughly one quarter of all moviegoers hit theaters. Major distributors have already competed fiercely to set the best timing for their new release.

 

Last year, "A Taxi Driver" about the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy uprising was the most-viewed movie of the summer, drawing more than 10 million views. At the same time, "The Battleship Island," one of the most anticipated films of the year, was a box-office flop while "Midnight Runners" was a surprise sensation with more than 5 million views.

 

Here is a list of this summer's five most anticipated Korean films.

 

Spoiler

A still from "Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds" (Yonhap)

 

Along With the Gods 2 (Tentative title)

 

"Along With the Gods 2" is a sequel to the successful 2017 fantasy blockbuster "Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds," the second-most-viewed film of all time in South Korea seen by 14.41 million moviegoers.

 

Directed by Kim Yong-hwa, the first installment of the two-part series was about a righteous firefighter (played by Cha Tae-hyun) who is judged in seven hells for 49 days after his death, guided by three grim reapers played by Ha Jung-woo, Ju Ji-hoon and Kim Hyang-gi. Part two, set to open in early August, has actor Ma Dong-seok as Seongju God (House Guardian God) helping people in addition to the three main characters. The film will be released by Lotte Entertainment.

 

Spoiler

A promotional poster for "Inrang" (Tentative title) (Yonhap)

 

Inrang (Tentative title)

 

Warner Bros. Korea recently decided to release "Inrang," (English title pending) the new feature from director Kim Jee-woon of "The Age of Shadows" (2016) and "A Bittersweet Life" (2004), in late July.

 

The sci-fi thriller is a Korean live-action adaptation from the Japanese animated film masterpiece "The Wolf Brigade" by Hiroyuki Okiura.

 

Set in the distant future where South and North Korea agree to launch a unified government, the movie features confrontation between an anti-reunification terrorist group called "Sect" and a special police unit formed to stop them.

 

Gang Dong-won plays Im Joong-kyung, an officer assigned to quell the terrorists and Han Hyo-joo plays Lee Yoon-hee, elder sister of "the girl in red cape" who detonates a suicide bomb right in front of Im's eyes. Jung Woo-sung appears as Jang Jin-tae, chief of the training camp for the police unit.

 

A still from "The Spy Gone North" (Yonhap)

 

 

CJ Entertainment will open spy thriller "The Spy Gone North" on Aug. 9.

 

Directed by Yoon Jong-bin of "Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time" (2012), "The Spy Gone North" premiered to a standing ovation in the Midnight Screenings section of the 71st Cannes Film Festival held earlier this month.

 

Starring Hwang Jung-min, Lee Sung-min, Cho Jin-woong and Ju Ji-hoon, the film tells the story of a South Korean spy who goes undercover as a businessman in North Korea in the 1990s to infiltrate its nuclear facilities using the codename "Black Venus." He is plagued by an inner conflict after observing the two Koreas' leaders making a secret deal to prevent liberal candidate Kim Dae-jung from winning the 1997 South Korean presidential election.

 

Spoiler

A still from "Drug King" (Yonhap) A still from "Drug King" (Yonhap)

 

Spoiler

A still from "Changgwol" (Tentative title) (Yonhap)

 

Drug King and Changgwol (Tentative title)

 

"Drug King," starring Song Kang-ho of "A Taxi Driver," and "Changgwol," starring Hyunbin of "Confidential Assignment" (2016), are also expected to get theatrical releases this summer.

 

"Drug King" is the latest from Woo Min-ho, who directed "Inside Men" (2015), a crime thriller seen by more than 7 million viewers nationwide.

 

Led by Song Kang-ho and Bae Doona, the new film is based on the true story of Lee Doo-sam, a drug dealer in Busan who was infamous in the 1970s.

 

"Changgwol," also known as "Rampant" is a zombie flick set in the Joseon era by director Kim Sung-hoon, who also helmed "Confidential Assignment."

   

The two films' distributors Showbox and the Next Entertainment World say the timing for the release of the new films are still under discussion.

 

sshim@yna.co.kr

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June 5, 2018

 

20th Century Fox withdraws from Korean film production: sources

SEOUL, June 5 (Yonhap) -- 20th Century Fox has recently decided to cease production of Korean films after six years, industry sources said Tuesday.

 

"I understand that Fox's headquarters has decided not to produce Korean films any longer," one of the sources said.

 

The withdrawal may have something to do with the Walt Disney Company's acquisition of 21st Century Fox, the mother company of 20th Century Fox, they said. There is a chance that the Disney-Fox deal will result in the merger of the two companies' Korean units.

 

Some others say the decision could be a consequence of weak box office performance by its Korean films. Of the six films that have been produced by Fox in South Korea, only one -- "The Wailing" -- was commercially successful.

 

A promotional poster for "The Wailing" (Yonhap)

 

The studio began producing Korean movies with "Running Man," a comedy-action starring Shin Ha-gyun that attracted 1.42 million viewers in South Korea in 2012. The company has since made "Slow Video" (2014, 1.17 million), "Intimate Enemies" (2015, 130,000) and "The Wailing," a supernatural thriller directed by Na Hong-Jin that sold 6.8 million tickets. Last year, it produced the historical drama "Warriors of the Dawn" (830,000).

 

The company participated in the production of "The Wailing" when domestic investors turned their back on the project and reaped a big return, also enhancing the diversity of Korean cinema.

 

Fox planned to release a local film set in a prestigious middle school this year, but the film's opening was indefinitely delayed after allegations of rape and sexual assault were made against lead actor Oh Dal-soo.

 

sshim@yna.co.kr

 

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June 5, 2018

 

Despite rumors, 20th Century Fox not ceasing production of Korean films

20th Century Fox Korea on Wednesday denied recent reports that it is withdrawing from producing Korean films, saying that there are no such plans as of now. 

 

“There are several movies currently in production or waiting to be released (by Fox Korea),” an official from the company said. “20th Century Fox is currently undergoing reform at a structural level, so there will be some redistribution of work within the organization. But it is just not true that the company will be moving away from producing Korean films.”

 

20th Century Fox, a US-based film studio owned by the 21st Century Fox, has been undergoing changes since Walt Disney Company acquired its mother company in December of last year. 

 

Earlier in the day, local media outlets reported that the Korean branch of the international film maker is pulling away from making Korean films, citing industry sources. The sources were quoted to be saying that the decision could be related to the aforementioned merger, which may lead to a merger of the two companies’ Korean units. 

 

“The Wailing” (20th Century Fox Korea)

There was also the factor that the majority of the Korean films produced by the 20th Century Fox Korea have been commercial flops. Of the five movies released in the past six years, only “The Wailing,” directed by Na Hong-jin and opened in 2016, has been successful with 6.8 million tickets sold.

 

“Running Man (2013, 1.42 million),” “Slow Video (2014, 1.17 million),” “Intimate Enemies (2015, 133,553),” and even period piece “Warriors of the Dawn” starring big names like Lee Jung-jae and Yeo Jin-goo have commercially failed by only selling 836,886 tickets.

 

Fox was planning to release a film starring Sol Kyung-gu and Chun Woo-hee later in the year, but it was indefinitely put on hold after one of its stars Oh Dal-soo was accused of multiple cases of rape and sexual assault of fellow actresses.

 

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)

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June 13, 2018

 

Korean movies may be headed for one of worst slumps since ’90s

 

Between upcoming Hollywood blockbusters and a lack of home-grown megahits, Korean movies look set for one of the worst years in the box office here since the 1990s, when imported films dominated the industry.

 

As of Wednesday, half of the top 10 films in the box office were made outside of Korea. This may not sound bad, considering that the number of foreign films in the top 10 were four in 2014 and 2015, two in 2016 and three in 2017, but the ticket sales by foreign films currently dominate that of local films. 

 

The Korean box office ranks the movies in the order of tickets sold, not total revenue.

 

In May, foreign films accounted for 67.6 percent of tickets sales, marking the lowest figure since May 2014. 

 

“Avengers: Infinity War” remains the No. 1 film of the year at 11.18 million tickets sold, while its MCU little brother “Black Panther” sits at the No. 4 spot with 5.4 million.  “Avengers: Infinity War” remains the only film of 2018 to surpass 10 million ticket sales. (Walt Disney Korea)

“Along with the Gods: the Two Worlds” and “1987: When the Day Comes” sit at the second and third spot at 5.8 million and 5.29 million tickets sold, although technically they were released last year.

 

The highest grossing 2018-released Korean film is “Believer,” which sold 4.6 million tickets, at No. 5. However, it may not be for much longer as “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” -- with ticket sales of 3.55 million -- is rising fast by topping the daily tickets sales for two straight weeks.

“Believer” is so far one of the most popular Korean films of 2018. (Cineguru / Kidari ENT)

With “Believer” notably slowing down in terms of ticket sales, it is possible that this year may be the first since 2011 that no Korean film has surpassed the 10 million mark -- the number of tickets needed to be sold to be considered a megahit here. Just three years ago, both “Veteran” and “Assassination” broke the mark, and “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” in 2014 became the biggest hit in the country’s history with a whopping 17.6 million tickets sold.

 

What happened? The simple explanation is that most Korean films have been commercial flops this year. 

 

“Golden Slumber” starring Gang Dong-won and Han Hyo-ju, was a critical and commercial disappointment with just over 1 million tickets sold. “Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead” became the only one in the comical “Detective K” series to lose money with just 2.44 million.

 

“The Princess and the Matchmaker” also ended up losing money after attracting less than 1.4 million viewers to theaters. “Seven Years of Night” had accomplished actors like Jang Dong-gun and Ryu Seung-ryong but ended up a box office tragedy with less than 600,000 tickets sold.

 

After a series of flops, it was reported earlier that 20th Century Fox is pulling away of movie-making business in Korea, although the company swiftly denied that such move was in place.

 

While Lee Chang-dong’s “Burning” received praise from the critics, it completely failed commercially. 

 

With many of the big films underperforming, small-budget films like “Little Forest” -- 1.5 million tickets sold -- and “Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum” -- 2.6 million tickets sold -- were relative jackpots.

 

If the box office scores stay on course, it will mark the first time since 1998 that a Korean film has failed to take the No. 1 spot in the yearly box office. Prior to 2000, foreign films always dominated the theaters. 

 

In order to protect the local film industry, it was decreed in 1967 that theaters are legally mandated to play a Korean film for least 146 days per year. But with a surge of Korean films after the 1999 hit “Shiri,” and master auteurs like Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho becoming hit directors, the screen quota was reduced in 2006 to 73 days.

 

Local filmmakers face further challenges down the road with Hollywood blockbusters “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” “Mission: Impossible -- Fallout,” and “Venom,” set to be released between July and October.

 

The good news for avid fans of Korean films is that movies like “The Spy Gone North” -- directed by Yoon Jong-bin who is behind hits like “The Berlin File” and “Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time” -- is on the way. Its main attraction Hwang Jung-min definitely sells tickets here, and Cho Jin-woong and Ju Ji-hoon are solid actors.

 

“Drug King,” starring the biggest ticket-seller in the country Song Kang-ho, is also slated for this year, but it may not make much impact on this year’s box office as its release date was pushed back to winter.

 

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)

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June 20, 2018

 

Source: Pierce Conran

 

Yoon Jong-bin's Cannes-invited THE SPY GONE NORTH releases new posters along with its confirmed August 8 release date. 90s-set espionage drama stars Hwang Jung-min as 'Black Venus', a real South Korean spy who posed as a businessman looking to deal with North Korea. #공작

 

 

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June 22, 2018

 

Inter-Korean tensions still fertile territory for films:

Despite improved relations, the conflict remains a popular plotline
 

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

 

The division of Korea is seen by many as a tragic part of the history of the peninsula. But putting the tragedy aside, many filmmakers over the past few decades have used the unique geopolitical situation to create distinct stories about the tensions between the two Koreas. This year is no exception, as a slate of films depicting different elements of the relationship between the North and the South are set to hit theaters in upcoming months. 

 

With the political relationship between South and North Korea undergoing major changes following the historic summits between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in April and May, films with North Korean plot elements are receiving more attention than ever. While some filmmakers have mixed feelings about how the rapidly changing politics of the region may affect the performance of their movies, others are expecting to see a positive boost at the box office. 

 

Films that tell stories about the tense relationship between the two countries have spanned genres ranging from heartwarming comedy (“Joint Security Area”), to action-packed blockbuster (“The Berlin File”), to merciless crime thriller (“V.I.P.”) and sports drama (“Korea”). Though not all of them succeeded in the box office, these movies usually catch the interest of those who are curious about the mysteries involving North Korea. The fact that these films frequently have large budgets and are able to cast high-profile actors prove their box office viability. 

 

Thanks to their popularity, at least two to three features involving North Korean elements arrive in theaters each year. In 2017, major distributors like Next Entertainment World, CJ Entertainment and Warner Bros. Korea released “Steel Rain,” a film about a former North Korean intelligence agent and a senior member of the South Korean security service conducting a secret mission to prevent the breakout of a nuclear war on the peninsula; “Confidential Assignment,” an action flick about the friendship that blooms between South Korean and North Korean detectives while working together; and “V.I.P.,” about a South Korean intelligence agent, police detective and a North Korean officer colliding in their efforts to catch a North Korean serial killer who crossed the border. 

 

This year, at least four movies based on the tensions on the Korean Peninsula are set for release. 

 

On July 25, “Inrang” (working title) is an adaptation of the Japanese animated movie, “The Wolf Brigade” (1999). Starring Kang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo and Jung Woo-sung, the Korean adaptation is set in 2029, a period after the two Koreas have declared preparation for unification. But problems arise as an anti-reunification terrorist group emerges, and South Korean police launch a special unit to stop them.

 

“While writing the script, unification seemed something [unbelievable] to the point of being something like sci-fi,” said director Kim Jee-woon during a press event on Monday. “I didn’t expect [the relationship between South Korea and North Korea] would progress so fast.”

 

“The movie is about the uncertainties happening on Korean peninsula,” said Jung, but he assured audiences not to worry about the chance of the plot turning into a reality.

 

Amongst these concerns regarding the widening gap between reality and the movie, “The Spy Gone North” is looking to get a boost thanks to improving relations between the countries.

 

Set in the mid-1990s, the movie follows a South Korean spy who infiltrates the North to get intelligence on the country’s nuclear weapons plans. The film stars Hwang Jung-min, Lee Sung-min and Cho Jin-woong. 

 

“Though the movie is set in a period [when tensions are high], the film in general stresses the relationship [between South and North Korean agents],” said a representative from distributor CJ Entertainment. “So we expect the progressing relationship of South and North Korea to be in line with the direction our film is heading for.”

 

Another CJ feature, “PMC,” scheduled for release this winter, centers on a private military company that needs to rescue someone held in an underground bunker during times of highly charged tensions between South and North Korea. Actors Ha Jung-woo and Lee Sun-kyun will appear in the movie.

 

Another film taking place during times of a tense relationship between the South and the North is “Swing Kids.” The movie is a light drama about a North Korean soldier captured in the South who overcomes ideological conflicts through tap dancing and it is set in 1951, during the Korean War (1950-53). 

 

“The movies based on the relationship between South and North Korea that are set for release this year were made before the drastic progress in the relationship between South and North Korea,” said culture critic Ha Jae-geun. “These movies are indeed quite unrealistic, which is likely to make it challenging for audiences to accept the stories. Even if audiences embrace the movies, it is crucial that they separate the films from reality to not harm the progressing relationship between South and North Korea.” 

 

BY JIN MIN-JI [jin.minji@joongang.co.kr]

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Source: Pierce Conran

 

 

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June 28, 2018

 

Korean spy thriller 'The Spy Gone North' sold to 111 countries

SEOUL, June 28 (Yonhap) -- Domestic spy thriller "The Spy Gone North" has been sold to 111 countries around the world, the film's local distributor said Thursday.

 

Directed by Yoon Jong-bin of "Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time" (2012), "The Spy Gone North" premiered to a standing ovation in the Midnight Screenings section of the 71st Cannes Film Festival in May.

 

Based on favorable reviews, the rights to the forthcoming film have been sold to distributors in Americas and Asian and European countries like Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, France, Poland, Britain and Spain, according to CJ E&M.

 

Dates for theatrical release are under discussion in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan, it added.

 

Starring Hwang Jung-min, Lee Sung-min, Cho Jin-woong and Ju Ji-hoon, the film tells the story of a South Korean spy who goes undercover as a businessman in North Korea in the 1990s to infiltrate its nuclear facilities using the codename "Black Venus." He is plagued by an inner conflict after observing the two Koreas' leaders making a secret deal to prevent liberal candidate Kim Dae-jung from winning the 1997 South Korean presidential election.

 

An English poster for "The Spy Gone North," released by CJ E&M (Yonhap)

 

Meanwhile, "Herstory" starring Kim Hee-ae has been exported to eight regions -- Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Australia and New Zealand -- its local distributor said.

 

The film is already scheduled to open on July 26 or 27 in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan, Next Entertainment World said.

 

Directed by Min Kyu-dong, best known for "All About My Wife" (2012) and "All for Love" (2005), the courtroom drama is based on a real-life reparation trial filed in the 1990s in Shimonoseki, Japan, by a group of 10 Korean women forced into sex slavery or labor for World War II Japanese soldiers.

 

The court trial that lasted six years produced a meaningful ruling that ordered the Japanese government to compensate the victims for the first time in history.

 

"Herstory" debuted at No. 3 in the local box office, drawing an audience of 44,000 on the opening day.

 

Spoiler

An English poster for "Herstory" provided by Next Entertainment World (Yonhap)

 

sshim@yna.co.kr