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

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December 5, 2014
Review: ODE TO MY FATHER Puts Blockbuster Spin On Melodrama
by Pierce Conran TWITCH
Alluding to the painful history shared by many Koreans, Deok-soo goes through enormous hardships during his life with his dogged resilience and unrelenting cheeriness. Bringing this genial character to the screen is Hwang Jung-min (New World) in an energetic and affable performance that carries the narrative through its decades-long odyssey. Among Korea's A-list stars, few have the versatility of Hwang, who brings the full range of his elastic-faced talents to bear in a multi-faceted role.
Read more: http://twitchfilm.com/2014/12/review-ode-to-my-father-puts-blockbuster-spin-on-melodrama.html#ixzz3LUgxF1N7

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December 8, 2014
ODE TO MY FATHER
by June Kim KOBIZ 
DIRECTOR YOUN Je-kyun  
CAST HWANG Jung-min, KIM Yun-jin, OH Dal-suRELEASE DATE December 17, 2014CONTACT CJ Entertainment Tel. +82 2 371 6278Fax. +82 2 371 6340E-mail justinkim@cj.net(sales) / hawon@cj.net(festivals) During the Korean War in the 1950s, Deok-su’s family gets separated while fleeing from Heungnam Port. Following his father’s last order, Deok-su, his mother and his two younger siblings head to Busan where his aunt runs an imported goods store. Becoming the pillar of the household as the eldest child in the family, Deok-su gives his all to support them from an early age. But never with enough money, Deok-su makes a life-threatening decision to go to a coal mine in Germany to work, where he meets his first love and soon to be wife, Young-ja. After his return, he jumps into the middle of Vietnam War to support his family one more time, all the while waiting for his father and his lost sister to return. This epic drama follows key events in contemporary Korean history, while trailing along Deok-su’s personal story. The infamous Meredith Victory led by Captain Leonard LaRue was a cargo freighter that ended up saving 14,000 refugees in a single mission. This event was the largest evacuation on a single ship from land and was recognized as a Guinness world record. Taking this historical fact as the beginning of the story of Deok-su’s family heightens the realism. It is here that Deok-su accidently loses the grip of his younger sister Mak-soon while boarding, and his father decides to go back in search for her. Because he can’t stop feeling guilty about losing his sister and therefore leading to the loss of his father, Deok-su felt obligated to support his family to a point where he no longer lived for himself. The real melodrama derives from the universal subject of fatherhood, family and sacrifice. Director YOUN Je-kyun stated, “I felt sorry for the fathers that lived for their families instead of themselves during those hard years… It started as a personal story, but it’s everyone’s story. We’re all parents and children to someone.” Although the father is absent for a large portion of the film, the love between Deok-su, his father and the family is sure to move many hearts. It seems especially sincere as the message comes through strongly and personally from the director as we can see with the English title Ode to My Father, while the original title translates to International Market. 
Although there are many moments of grief due to the unfortunate events Deok-su faces, the story doesn’t forget its humor, just like YOUN’s previous box office hit Haeundae (2009). OH Dal-su as ‘Dal-gu’ takes most of the laughs which his comic character, and brings just the right amount of levity in between heartbreaking scenes. While also keeping historical facts intact, one can grasp the director’s sense of humor in the scene where Deok-su and Young-ja are having a heated talk about his move to Vietnam. Young-ja, upset that Deok-su kept sacrificing himself for his siblings, starts to yell but is interrupted by the Korean national anthem and is forced to stop. In an attempt to heighten nationalism, Korea played the national anthem in the evenings every day in the 70s. All Korean citizens were obliged to stand up, and put their right hand to their chest to show respect. As the film’s time spreads over many years, one major element YOUN paid attention to was the visual expression of the changing decades. The mise-en-scene had to represent each decade as realistically as possible, while the actors also needed to dress and look like the age group there were in. For continuity reasons, YOUN preferred to stick to the same actor from their twenties to their seventies. This involved the main protagonist Deok-su, played by HWANG Jung-min, Young-ja played by KIM Yun-jin and OH Dal-su. A CGI team from Japan worked on the age reduction process, which is the first time this technology has been used in a Korean film. Not only that, YOUN hired the special make-up team that worked on Skyfall (2012), led by Love Larson. Instead of the usual single lifecast mold of the face, the team used seven thinner molds. This is why the make-up is much more realistic as it moves with the muscles of the actor for seamless transformation. On top of the make-up, the film was shot in three different countries to boost realism, including of Korea. The coal mine in Germany was shot in a coal mine museum in Czech Republic which has kept its original form, while the Vietnam War scenes were shot in Thailand. YOUN mentioned that different cameras were used to create different atmosphere and colors for each of the locations. As for the set of the international market where Deok-su’s aunt works, the set was built in Gi-jang in Busan so that the timeliness of the buildings could be realistically expressed from the 50s to the 80s by their art team. The changing of the signage of Deok-su’s aunt’s shop aligns with the changes happening to the protagonist. Time passes and seasons change and although the sign has changed physically, the store and Deok-su fundamentally remain the same. Will Deok-su reunite with his father and Mak-soon? As his surroundings change over the years, Deok-su keeps his place at his aunt’s store, just as his dad asked him to. Deok-su’s desire to see his family reunite stirs the hearts of many, especially in a globally widespread time like today. With the increased number of fathers sending away their families internationally for education, it would be a good time to reflect on the role of the father, and the meaning of family.

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December 9, 2014
'Ode to My Father' Hilarious contrary images of Hwang Jeong-min's couple and Oh Dal-soo's couple in released stills
Source: TV Report via Hancinema.net


Movie, "Ode to My Father" directed by Yoon Je-kyoon released its stills that show the hilarious images of Deok-soo (Hwang Jeong-min)'s couple and Dal-goo (Oh Dal-soo)'s couple in comparison.

The stills captured the extreme opposite images of Deok-soo's and Dal-goo's couples. In 1964, Deok-soo and Dal-goo were chosen as miners to work in Germany through government at the competition rate, 100:1. This movie unfolds the love story of these two, who later find their women and take care of each one's love in one's own style.
At the first sight, Deok-soo fell in love with Yeong-ja (Kim Yoon-jin), a hardworking Korean-German nurse dispatched far away from Korea and expressed his feeling to her. One of the stills shows well Deok-soo's rustic love towards her, sharing ice cream on their first date. It reminds of the sweet old-fashioned way couples used to enjoy their date back then.
On the contrary, the still of Dal-goo's couple shows Dal-goo gazing a German superintendent of dormitory seductively after he has fallen in love with her at a dance party. The image of Dal-goo looking at the proud German superintendent is comical while it makes you wonder about their sweet and scary relationship.
Ode to My Father' recounts our life story through our parents' life, who have been living throughout the period from the 1950's until now.
Hwang Jeong-min, Kim Yoon-jin, Oh Dal-soo, Jeong Jin-yeong, Jang Young-nam, Ra Mi-ran, Kim Seul-gi-I starred in the movie and the film was directed by Yoon Je-kyoon of ' Haeundae' and ' Miracle on 1st Street. It will be released on this coming 17th.

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December 11, 2014
Korean Movie Actors' Current Acting Fee
Source: Naver (disclaimer: Google-translate)
700 Million Won - Song Kang Ho, Ha Jung Woo, Lee Byung Hun600 Million Won - Kang Dong Won, Choi Min Sik, Hwang Jung Min, Kim Yoon Seok, Jang Dong Gun, Won Bin, Jo Seung Woo, Ryoo Seung Ryong500 Million Won - Lee Jung Jae, Kim Myung Min, Sol Kyung Gu, Cha Tae Hyun, Baek Yoon Shik400 Million Won - Gong Yoo, Yoo Ah In, Park Hae Il300 Million Won - Lee Min Ki, Kim Soo Hyun, Lee Min Ho200 Million Won - Choi Seung Hyun (TOP), Kim Rae Won, Yeo Jin Goo

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December 17, 2014
JK YOUN’s ODE TO MY FATHER Invited to 65th BerlinaleKorean “Modern History” and “National Trauma” to Be Introduced in Panorama by June Kim KOBIZ

Announced on December 16th, the Berlin International Film Festival confirmed 19 films for its Panorama section. Eleven features and eight documentaries were invited, and out of the features, JK YOUN’s most recent epic Ode to My Father made the cut. Labeled by Panorama Head Wieland Speck as Korean ‘modern history’ and ‘national trauma’, Ode to My Father takes a journey through the life of a single man who lives through major contemporary Korean history milestones. From the hardships of the Korean War, to working in Germany’s grim coal mines, to the Vietnam War, the man struggles to support his family despite all his hurdles. Relying on the strong attachment of Korean society towards family ties and the unfortunate fate of the breadwinner, YOUN draws out local tastes while focusing on the universal language of love and loyalty. With strong star casting that includes HWANG Jung-min (A Good Lawyer’s Wife [2003], You Are My Sunshine [2005]) and the Lost TV series actress KIM Yun-jin, the film has high expectations in the local market and is hoping to hit 10 million admissions. The film opens today in Korea. Another East Asian title in Panorama announced in the release is none other than Taiwanese film by director Doze Che-Zer Niu, Paradise in Service which had its international premiere at the 2014 Busan International Film Festival as the opening film. Both Ode to My Father and Paradise in Service were influenced by the directors’ personal lives and their fathers. For the moment, Berlin has announced parts of its Perspektive Deutsches Kino, Generation and Competition sections as well. The full list of films should be released in the coming weeks. The Berlin International Film Festival runs from February 5th to the 15th next year.

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December 18, 2014
Hwang Jung-min at film fest

Actor Hwang Jung-min attends the 35th Blue Dragon Film Awards at the Sejong Center for Peforming Arts in Seoul on Dec. 17, 2014. (Yonhap) (END)

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Source: The Chosun Ilbo
Ode to My Father (2014)

Genres: DramaRunning Time: 126 min.Directed by: Yoon Je-kyoonStarring: Hwang Jung-min, Kim Yun-jin, Kim Seul-gi, Jung Jin-young
Synopsis: Amid the chaos of refugees fleeing the Korean War in December 1950, a young boy, Deok-soo, sees his fate change in the blink of an eye when he loses track of his younger sister and he leaves his father behind to find her. Settling in Busan, Deok-soo devotes himself to his remaining family, working all manner of odd jobs to support them in place of his father. His dedication leads him first to the deadly coal mines of Germany, where he meets his first love, Young-ja, and then to war-torn Vietnam in this generational epic about one man’s personal sacrifices.

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Source: 씨네21 FB

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December 20, 2014
'Ode to My Father' to be officially released in North America
Source: STARN News 
Movie 'Ode to My Father' will be officially released in North America.

Movie 'Ode to My Father,' which was officially released in Korea on December 17th, will be officially released in North America on January 9th, 2015.
'Ode to My Father' will be officially released in Los Angeles, California on December 25th first, and it will be released in New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Boston, Seattle, Vancouver and Toronto on January 9th.
'Ode to My Father' will be presented at 40 different movie theaters in the cities listed above. 'Roaring Currents' was only presented in only 30 different theaters, and earned $2,580,000 in North America. 'Ode to My Father' did not make an official in Korea yet, but a great number of movie fans are showing huge anticipation already.
A representative of CJ Entertainment America said, "We expect that 'Ode to My Father' will receive hot reactions from many Korean people in the region and also many local movie fans as well, because the movie is about immigrants."
'Ode to My Father' was officially invited to Berlin International Film Festival, which is one of the largest film festivals in the world, and it is getting a lot of hot reactions from all over the world. The movie reached 180 thousand viewers on its first day, and many officials are now focusing their attention to how it will do in America.
Meanwhile, Hwang Jung Min, Kim Yoon Jin, Oh Dal Soo, Jung Jin Young, and La Mi Ran played in 'Ode to My Father' as title roles.
/Reporting by Lee Mi-Ji en@starnnews.com

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December 22, 2014
Last Week of 2014, Domestic Film Takes Number One at the Box OfficeODE TO MY FATHER Tops THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES by LEE Ji-hye KOBIZ


After a close game, Ode to My Father took the top spot at the domestic box office. Both released on the 17th, Ode to My Father and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies rivaled on the chart. Prior to their release, they were taking turns in the first and second spot in the reservation sales. On the first day, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies was in the lead with a minor advantage of 4,000 admissions but throughout the weekend, Ode to My Father caught up and secured the top spot. Although Ode to My Father gave number one to The Hobbit on the day of release, it recorded high scores over the weekend. According to the Korean Film Council’s Integrated Ticket Sales Network, the film collected 184,972 admissions on the 17th alone, a satisfying number for a well anticipated film. On Sunday the 21st, the seat share went up to 54.9%, predicting a bright future for the film. The cumulative admissions count is 1,555,380 after the weekend. Ode to My Father was also invited to the Berlin International Film Festival’s Panorama section, which is taking place in February of next year, while it also plans to be released in North America in January. How the film will do in international markets will be something to pay attention to. However, Ode to My Father may not continue on the stride. Indie film My Love, Don’t Cross that River is still doing very well and the upcoming release of The Con Artists will be attracting many young audiences. Ode to My Father will have to wait and see if it can keep its place for their 2nd week.

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December 22, 2014
History Weepie Draws 1.1 Million Viewers
Source: The Chosun Ilbo


The melodrama "Ode to My Father" has drawn 1.1 million viewers in just four days, taking the No. 1 spot at the box office. 
Some 44,000 people went to see the film on Saturday alone.
Distributor CJ Entertainment said the performance matches "Miracle in Cell No. 7," which drew 12.81 million moviegoers last year and soars ahead of "Miss Granny," which attracted 8.65 million earlier this year.
"Ode to My Father" is a melodrama about a man's sacrifices for his family, braving the coal mines of Germany and fighting in the Vietnam War.
It is the latest movie directed by Yoon Je-kyoon, whose "Haeundae" in 2009 was also a box-office smash hit.

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December 23, 2014
Family film hits 'My Love' from top
BY JIN EUN-SOO [jes@joongang.co.kr] INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

Domestic movie “Ode to My Father,” a heart-wrenching story set during the 1950-53 Korean War, opened with an audience of 1.1 million over the weekend, snatching first place at the local box office.

Within five days of its release, the CJ Entertainment film with an 18 billion won budget (about $16 million) had garnered 1.5 million moviegoers, earning 9 billion won. 
This time around, director Youn Je-kyun, who won nationwide acclaim with his disaster film “Haeundae” in 2009, joined forces with guaranteed ticket-sellers Hwang Jung-min and Kim Yoon-jin. 
Youn took a more ambitious bid with “Ode,” depicting the survival of Korea’s refugees in extreme poverty during the Korean War. 
In the movie, Hwang plays the naive and good-natured boy Deok-soo, who becomes the head of his family at a young age when his father dies in the war. 
In second place was Peter Jackson’s ambitious finale to his Hobbit trilogy, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.” The film debuted with an audience of 1.3 million, making 8.4 billion won domestically. 
“My Love, Don’t Cross That River,” which achieved a milestone in the local indie film industry after its unexpected surge, was spotted in third place, dropping down two notches from last week’s first. Showing on 704 screens nationwide, the film picked up 766,413 cinemagoers this weekend, which brought its four-week total audience to 2.4 million. 
The production cost of the documentary directed by Jin Mo-young was 120 million won, but it has made 18.7 billion won so far. The film is about an elderly couple who has been living together in the countryside for 76 years. Critics say it has pulled at the heartstrings of many viewers in their 20s because of its message about the true essence of love.
Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” managed to stay in fourth place, selling 9.9 million tickets.
Younger viewers flocked to theaters this weekend, as shown by the audience figures for the popular animation feature “Pororo, The Snow Fairy Village Adventure,” which was in fifth place with 53,846 viewers. 

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December 26, 2014
Domestic Films Attract More Than 100 Million Viewers for Third Straight Year
Source: The Chosun Ilbo
Korean films sold more than 100 million tickets at cinemas for the third straight year.
After a relatively slow start this year, the tide started to turn with the opening of the period action film "Roaring Currents," which sold more than 17 million tickets over the summer, a record for a Korean film.
Another action comedy "The Pirates" was also an overwhelming success, selling more than eight million tickets.
The popularity of Korean films is continuing into December as well, with the heart-wrenching melodrama "Ode to My Father," and the documentary film "My Love, Don't Cross That River."

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December 26, 2014
‘Ode to My Father’ portrays Korea's recent past
Source: Korea.net
The film “Ode to My Father” is warming hearts across society these days, especially as we approach the year end.
The movie takes place in Korea from the 1950s to the 1980s. As of December 24, eight days after its first screening, it has recorded more than 2.3 million ticket sales, becoming the most-seen movie in Korea this week. The realistic portrayal of life and society during those times is considered to be its key to success. 
Though fiction, it wins sympathy from all viewers, as it is based on fact. The movie begins with the Hungnam Evacuation in December 1950 during the Korean War (1950-1953). U.N. forces had to make a large-scale withdrawal from Hamheung, Hamgyeongnam-do (South Hamgyeong Province), because of a massive attack from North Korea and China. The family members of the hero, Deoksu, escape from Heungnam Port barely escaping the Communist regime and head to the South. 
Thousands of Koreans were separated when they got onboard the U.S. naval ships there for evacuation. Deoksu was no exception. He lost his youngest sister and father when boarding the ship. 
After arriving in Busan with no money, his family does any chore to survive and lives close to the Gukje Market. In order to support his mother and siblings in the 1960s, Deoksu leaves for Germany to work as a miner. During the three-year contract term, he works diligently and comes back home with the large amount of money he saved. During his stay in Germany, he met a Korean woman who was working there as a nurse. The two get married. Thanks to the money he saved, he was able to buy a house and set up the economic foundation for his family as a breadwinner. 

Deoksu, who decides to work as a miner in Germany to support the tuition fees of his sibling, meets Yeongja, who also works as a nurse in the country. The two eventually get married.

Both Korean miners and nurses comfort their loneliness by getting together. Many of them became couples.

While working as a miner in Germany, Deoksu faces a moment of danger due to a mining accident.
In fact, Germany was regarded as an object of envy for Korean youth at that time. Many Korean men and women in their 20s left for Germany to work as miners, nurses and nurse’s aides. From December 21, 1963, to the late 1970s, a total of 7,936 Korean miners and 11,057 nurses and nurses’ aides worked in mines and hospitals in Germany, according to the association of Korean workers dispatched to Germany as miners and nurses. 
In the early 1970s, Deoksu again leaves, this time for Vietnam, in order to make money for the wedding of his sister. He works in logistics with the Korean soldiers fighting there. In Vietnam, he is shot in the leg and becomes disabled for the rest of his life. After coming home, he maintains his family while running a shop that sells imported goods in the Gukje Market. 
Though it’s not based on a single true story, the experiences of the Korean War, and working in Germany and the Vietnam War draw the sympathy of many people, especially those in their late 60s and 70s. They all lived through the same historic events. 
The reunion of separated family members in the 1980s marks the end of the film, as Deoksu finds his youngest sister who was separated during the evacuation of Heungnam Port during a live broadcast on KBS. The live broadcast of the reunion of separated family members was actually a real event at the time. The scene perfectly recreates the air of the times. 
Director Yoon Je-kyoon explained the purpose of making this film by saying, "This movie is dedicated to the generation of our fathers who devoted their lives to the fullest during times of hardness, exhaustion and intensity. Though based on the story of a family, this movie is expected to attract more movie lovers, as it displays Korea’s modern history such as the war, working overseas and the reunion of separated families." 
Local media covers news about the movie 'Ode to My Father.'
By Wi Tack-whan, Yoon SojungKorea.net Staff Writerswhan23@korea.krPhotos: Ode to My Father Facebook, Naver Movie 

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December 29, 2014
'Ode to My Father' crew to help homeless
Source: The Korea Times 
Poster of "Ode to My Father" / Yonhap
The crew of the hit film "Ode to My Father" will take to the streets this week to offer free meals to those in need. 
Director Yoon Jae-gyun and the rest of the film crew will head to Cheongnyangni, in the Dongdaemun district, on Wednesday and offer 1,000 free meals, multiple reports said. It was not immediately known whether any of the film's stars would participate. 

People lined up to receive free meals in Cheongnyangni, northern Seoul. / Korea Times file
The crew will prepare the food, serve it, and wash dishes. The film will be screened at a nearby theater free of charge. 
The film, which currently sits atop the Korean box office, depicts Korean history from the 1950s to the present day through the life of an ordinary family man. 

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December 30, 2014
Domestic Films Dominate Year-End Box Office
Source: The Chosun Ilbo


Three domestic films are leading at the box office here as the year draws to a close.
"Ode to My Father" has drawn 4.28 million viewers as of Sunday, just 12 days after its release, as favorable reviews spread by word of mouth and the controversy over its political disposition increases interest in the film. 
It is a melodrama about a man's sacrifices for his family as he braves the coalmines of Germany and fights in the Vietnam War.
Some 1.43 million people watched the movie from Friday to Sunday, about 290,000 more than during the previous weekend. The film is expected to attract even more spectators during the New Year's holiday and winter vacation. 
"My Love, Don't Cross That River" has drawn 3.55 million viewers as of Sunday, making it the most successful indie film in Korea ahead of "Begin Again," which attracted 3.43 million moviegoers. 
"The film may hit the 4 million mark if it keeps drawing viewers during the New Year's holiday," CGV Art House said. 
"The Con Artist," starring heartthrob Kim Woo-bin, has brought in 1.42 million viewers as of Sunday, six days after its release, to rank second at the box office. 

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December 30, 2014
Nostalgic viewers are drawn to ‘Ode’Struggles of a man after Korean War strike chord with people in their 40s
BY LIM JU-RI, JIN EUN-SOO [jes@joongang.co.kr] INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily


In his 10s - Hungnam Ev. In history: Deok-soo is separated from his his younger sister and father when he boards a ship heading to the south. In movie:During the 1950-53 Korean War, the allied forces evacuated about 90,000 refugees in 193 ships after deciding to retreat due to the human-wave strategy of the Chinese Communist army.
In a week where Korean films have sold well at the local box office, the success of “Ode to My Father” certainly stands out.

In his 20s - Dispatch to Germany: In movie:In order to earn money for his younger brother’s tuition fees, Deok-soo applies to go to Germany as a miner and works there for three years. In history:Due to financial difficulties from 1963-77, the Korean government sent 20,000 miners and nurses to Germany to earn foreign currency.
Three domestic movies dominated the top three box-office slots this weekend, including documentary “My Love, Don’t Cross That River,” which pulled at the heartstrings of audiences by showing the endearing love of an elderly couple. 

In his 30s - Vietnam War: In movie: Now, Deok-soo has to earn a marriage fund for his younger sister. Entering his 30s, Deok-soo goes over to Vietnam, which is still involved in war, as a laborer to make money. In history: During the Vietnam War (1960-75), the Korean government sent more than 300,000 soldiers.
But the baton has been handed over to a story about the patriarchal figures in our nation.

In his 40s - Separated families: In movie: Deok-soo sees faint hope when state-run broadcaster KBS announces it will air the reunions of separated families in 1983. Over 138 days, KBS made 10,189 requests for reunions by separated families possible. In history:The special program was initially planned for a day, but due to a sensational response, the broadcaster extended the dates.“Ode to My Father,” which opened in local theaters on Dec. 17, has firmly grabbed the No. 1 spot for two consecutive weeks, pulling in 4.2 million viewers and making 11.3 billion won ($10.3 million) as of Monday.
Yoon Je-kyun
A day after opening, the film had already outperformed the much-anticipated Hollywood blockbuster “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.” 
The finale of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy landed in fourth place over the weekend. 
Considering the speed at which “Ode” is sucking in the audience, industry insiders are saying that it may go shoulder to shoulder with “The Masquerade” (2012), which scored an audience of 10 million. 
With the movie’s success, a new light is being shed on Korea’s modern history, which the movie is set in. Deok-soo, played by Hwang Jung-min, is central to the plot, which addresses pivotal historical events such as the Hungnam evacuation during the 1950-53 Korean War, the dispatch of miners and nurses to Germany in the 1960s, the Vietnam War, and also the reunions of separated families of North and South Korea in the 1980s. 
In the movie, Deok-soo becomes the head of the family at a young age because his father disappears during the Korean War. Struggling through deep poverty, Deok-soo makes sacrifices to earn food for his family throughout his teens to his 40s. 
He is a representative figure of Korea’s fathers from this generation. 
Generally, a movie first becomes a hit among moviegoers in their 20s and starts to slowly gain support from the middle-aged demographic. 
However, the biggest contributor to the popularity of “Ode” was people in their 40s, who took up 34.5 percent of ticket sales, according to statistics collected by CGV as of Wednesday. 
Those in their 20s recorded 33.9 percent while people in their 30s accounted for 26.9 percent. 
In contrast, the majority of viewers who flocked to “My Love” were in their 20s. 
“People who are currently in their middle ages have always been depicted as sacrificial figures,” said movie critic Kang Yoo-jung. 
“From seeing the story of their parents who have become the elders now, they must have felt some kind of condolences from acknowledging the fact that they were also once the children of someone and that they, too, have devoted fathers.”
Koreans who have had similar experiences to Deok-soo empathized with the character. 
“Audiences who lived around the era in which Deok-soo lived will feel like that the movie is an ode to themselves and feel nostalgic and comfort,” said film critic Kim Hyung-seok. 
“Ode” takes on several important historical issues that have happened in Korea, but it does not include specific perspectives that could end up creating political divides. 
Considering the success of “The Attorney” and “Roaring Currents,” which scored huge box-office numbers by reflecting on certain political and social ideologies, it is clear that “Ode to My Father” is taking a different path. 
“As a countereffect of feeling uncomfortable with overly social movies, people were looking for a human drama at which they could just simply cry and laugh,” said Kang. 
Director Yoon Je-kyun, who was also behind the movie “Haeundae” (2009), which had more than 10 million viewers, said that he intentionally excluded any political point of views. 
“I could have melded my own political opinion in the movie, but I completely eliminated it,” he said. 
“I just wanted to tell the story of our parents who endured hardships in severe poverty. 
“I hope people in the younger generation will watch this movie with their parents and talk about it afterwards.”
Crime movie “The Con Artists,” starring up-and-coming Hallyu star Kim Woo-bin and Lee Hyun-woo, was in second place with an audience of 662,686, followed by “My Love.”
“The Royal Tailor,” which opened on Christmas Eve, ranked in fifth with 244,878 viewers, followed by Russian animation “The Snow Queen 2,” which lured in 202,369.

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December 31, 2014
Commercial Success of Indie Films Points to More Growth Potential
Source: The Chosun Ilbo
Korean films have fared well this year in terms of cinema attendance.
"The Attorney," loosely based on former President Roh Moo-hyun, started the year by attracting 11.3 million viewers, and period action film "Roaring Currents" dominated the summer with 17.6 million spectators. And the recently released melodrama "Ode to My Father" is sweeping the box office, attracting more than 4 million viewers in just 12 days from its release.
However, there were several star-studded films -- No Tears for the Dead," starring Jang Dong-gun, "Haemoo," produced by Bong Joon-ho, and "My Dictator," starring Sol Kyung-gu and Park Hae-il -- that failed to meet expectations.
The market share for domestic films remains at 49.9 percent as of Monday, but is expected to exceed 50 percent by the end of the year as a couple of Korean films released around Christmas including "Ode to My Father" continue to attract viewers.
However, this figure is still well behind 2012 and 2013, when the market share was around 60 percent. Consolation comes from the fact that the number of cinemagoers surpassed more than100 million for three years in a row.
Foreign films were very successful this year in Korea. Two films -- "Frozen" and "Interstellar" attracted over 10 million spectators, while "Transformers: Age of Extinction" and "X-Men: Days of Future Past" also garnered a favorable reception.
Although many speculate that the film market in Korea has reached a saturation point, the number of cinemagoers increased and ticket sales went up by a small margin. 
Last year's cinema attendance was 213.35 million, while this year's was 212.38 million as of Sunday. The industry needs to find new markets such as China for more growth and expansion.
Most noticeably, cinemagoers flocked to independent films. "Grand Budapest Hotel" and "Her" were surprisingly successful, attracting 770,000 and 350,000 viewers, respectively. Musical comedy "Begin Again" drew 3.43 million spectators. 
Korean Documentary "My Love, Don't Cross That River" drew more than 3 million viewers, breaking the record for an Indie film set by "Old Partner" in 2009, which drew 29.3 million viewers.

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December 30, 2014
'Ode to My Father' will reach five million viewers today
Source: TV Report via Hancinema.net
"Ode to My Father" with its lead actor Hwang Jeong-min will reach 5 million viewers on December 31st. According to the box office records by Korean Film Council, "Ode to My Father" brought 305,464 viewers to the theater on the 30th, which placed the film at the top of the box office. The accumulated number of viewers is 4,869,340.
"Ode to My Father" is a film that sheds light on our lives nowadays by recounting our parents' lives since 1950's until now.
The film scored the highest number among all of the human drama films released so far. During the third week since its premiere, it ranked first place at the box office as well as for the reservation rate and reached over one million viewers in four days, two millions in 8 days and three millions in 10 days and 4 million in 12 days.
The lead actor, Hwang Jeong-min broke his own records over 4.68 million from his previous movie, "The New World", which was his best box office figure. While it is becoming clear "Ode to My Father" will reach over five million viewers today, it will be a meaningful way for him to wrap up this year.

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December 30, 2014 
"Ode To My Father" Surpasses 4.5 Million Views
Source: KBS Global

Before 2014 ends, one Korean film in particular is giving all-out efforts to draw in as many last minute movie-goers as possible. "Ode To My Father", starring Hwang Jung-min, has already reached the 4.5 million view-mark.
According to the Korean Film Council, "Ode To My Father" attracted 282,174 viewers on December 29th alone. That brings up the total count to about 4.5 million in a mere 12 days. That means the movie hit the four million view-mark four days faster than the hit movie "Masquerade", which eventually went on to attract 12,323,408 movie goers. 
The movie has already broken the record for the highest opening score for a movie in the drama category. It is currently number one at the box office. 
"Ode To My Father" is about this generation's fathers who sacrificed everything to offer their families the best lives possible. It stars Hwang Jung-min, Kim Yun-jin, and Oh Dal-su.