Ha Jung-Woo 하정우 [Drama “Narco-Saints” | Upcoming: Movies “Nocturnal”, “Ransomed” | Travel Reality Show “Bros on Foot”]

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January 26, 2018

 

January Movie Actor Brand Reputation Rankings Revealed

 

Source: Soompi by D. Kim

 

 

The Korean Business Research Institute has published January’s results for brand reputation rankings among movie actors!

 

The institute analyzed 251,355,388 sources of data from December 25 to January 26 in the categories of participation, media coverage, communication, and community awareness.

 

Gong Yoo topped this month’s brand reputation rankings with a total score of 12,920,989. Ha Jung Woo followed up in second place with a total score of 11,707,120, while Kang Dong Won came in third place with a score of 10,147,528.

 

The top 25 rankings are as follows:

 

1. Gong Yoo
2. Ha Jung Woo
3. Kang Dong Won
4. Kim Tae Ri
5. Lee Byung Hun
6. Park Seo Joon
7. Kim Hyang Gi
8. Cha Tae Hyun
9. Son Ye Jin
10. Lee Jong Suk
11. Park Jung Min
12. Song Joong Ki
13. Kim Dong Wook
14. Song Seung Heon
15. Jung Woo Sung
16. Jung Woo
17. Hyun Bin
18. Jang Hyuk
19. Kim Soo Hyun
20. Kim Yoon Seok
21. Yoo Ah In
22. Cha Seung Won
23. Jun Ji Hyun
24. Han Hyo Joo
25. Joo Ji Hoon

 

Source (1)

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January 30, 2018

 

'1987' chosen by film reporters as the best film of 2017

 

SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Yonhap) -- A film about historic nationwide protests against the military-backed government in June 1987 won the top film award at the 9th annual Korea Film Reporters Association (KOFRA) Film Awards on Tuesday.

 

"1987: When the Day Comes" also earned Jang Joon-hwan best director honors at the awards ceremony, hosted by the association of film journalists, at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul.

 

Released on Dec. 27, the historical epic has drawn more than 7 million viewers at local theaters.

 

The best actor and actress awards went to Seol Kyung-gu of "Memoir of a Murderer" and Na Moon-hee of "I Can Speak."

   

Jin Seon-kyu scored best supporting actor for his performance in "The Outlaws" while Kim So-jin won best supporting actress for her role in "The King."

   

Park Seo-jun of "Midnight Runners" and Choi Hee-seo of "Anarchist from Colony" picked up the best rookie actor and actress awards.

 

"Jane" by Cho Hyunhoon was named the best independent film of the year. Christopher Nolan's World War II film "Dunkirk" was chosen the best foreign film.

 

The winners were chosen from among all the domestic and foreign films that opened last year through a vote of 90 members from 59 media companies around the country. Non-Korean films are nominated for the best foreign film category only.

 

A still from "1987: When the Day Comes" (Yonhap)

 

sshim@yna.co.kr

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March 6, 2018

 

Kim Hye-soo, Ha Jung-woo Honored as Faithful Taxpayers

 

Source: The ChosunIlbo

 

Actors Kim Hye-soo and Ha Jung-woo received presidential commendations on Monday for paying their taxes faithfully and serving society through charity work.

 

They will serve as promotional ambassadors for the National Tax Service for a year.

 

Ha Jung-woo (left) and Kim Hye-soo (center) pose with Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon at the annual Taxpayers' Day event in Seoul on Monday. /Newsis

The actors were among some 296 faithful taxpayers rewarded by the NTS at the annual Taxpayers' Day event in Seoul.

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March 19, 2018

 

Florence Korean Film Fest to Stage HA Jung-woo Retrospective and Masterclass
THE FORTRESS and ROOM NO.7 to Bookend Italian Festival

 

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

 

 

The 16th Florence Korean Film Fest will open its doors on March 22 and screen 25 features and several shorts until it concludes on March 30. This year’s edition will also include a retrospective on films featuring popular star HA Jung-woo.

 

HWANG Dong-hyuk will visit Italy with his period film The Fortress (2017), which will be this year’s opening film. LEE Yong-seung’s Room No.7 (2017), the opening film of last year’s Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan), will then serve as the closing film in Florence, also in the presence of the director.

 

HA Jung-woo will visit Florence to take part in a masterclass while the festival will screen six of his films, including KIM Byung-woo’s thriller The Terror, LIVE (2013), NA Hong-jin’s serial killer drama The Chaser (2008), LEE Yoon-ki’s romantic drama My Dear Enemy (2008), KIM Ki-duk’s index drama Time (2006), PARK Chan-wook’s erotic thriller The Handmaiden (2016), KIM Yong-hwa’s epic fantasy Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017), which the director will also be present for, and HA’s own directorial outing Chronicle of a Blood Merchant (2015).

 

The festival will also feature a focus on films that concern North Korean, called ‘K-South & North’. The sidebar includes KIM Sung-hoon’s box office hit Confidential Assignment (2017), IM Heung-soon’s documentary Ryeohaeng (2017), MOON Hyun-sung’s table tennis drama As One (2012), WON Shin-yun’s spy thriller The Suspect (2013) and JUHN Jai-hong’s indie drama Poongsan (2011).

 

Other films with directors present will include JUNG Byung-gil’s action drama The Villainess (2017), SHIN Su-won’s fantasy drama Glass Garden (2017) and HUH Jung’s horror The Mimic (2017). The rest of the program features two films by Hong Sangsoo, The Day After (2017) and Claire's Camera, and JANG Hun’s political drama A Taxi Driver (2017), among others.

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March 26, 2018

 

Ha Jung-woo becomes honorary citizen of Florence

Actor Ha Jung-woo, left, poses with Cristina Giachi, center, deputy mayor of Florence, after winning honorary citizenship, at an award ceremony held in the Italian city, Thursday. / Yonhap

 

By Yoon Ja-young The Korea Times

 

Actor and film director Ha Jung-woo has been presented with honorary citizenship of Florence, Italy. 

 

The capital city of Italy's Tuscany, which was the center of the Renaissance, bestowed Ha with the "Chiavi della Citta" award, which is translated as "the keys of the city." Florence has been offering the award to artists with notable achievements. The list of awardees so far includes world-renowned artists such as the late Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti. Ha is the second Korean to win the award, following film director Park Chan-wook. 

 

The city acknowledged his contribution to the film industry as one of Korea's leading actors and film directors.

 

"Through his 15-year career, Ha redefined the concept of talent and versatility, courageously engaging in ever-changing roles and offering leadership in the contemporary Korean cinema," said Cristina Giachi, deputy mayor of Florence. She also noted that Ha has many fans in Italy.

 

"It is my first time in Italy and I am truly honored to receive this award," Ha said at the

ceremony.

 

"As soon as I arrived, I went to the Uffizi Gallery, and I was impressed by all the beauty I found there," he said, adding that he hopes to depict what he has seen in Florence in a film when he returns to Seoul.

 

Ha was born in 1978, the eldest son of veteran actor Kim Yong-gun. He debuted with the stage name Ha Jung-woo, not to rely on his father's fame. His younger brother is also an actor.

 

He majored in theater at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, and spent most of his 20s on stage.

 

He has appeared in around 30 films so far, including "Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds."

Ha is also known for his talent in painting, holding a number of exhibitions.

yjy@ktimes.com 

 

Actor Ha Jung-woo Wins Cultural Award in Italy

 

By Song Hye-jin The ChosunIlbo

 

Ha Jung-woo has received a cultural award from the Italian city of Florence for his contribution to the film industry as an actor and director.

 

He attended the 16th Florence Korea Film Fest there last week.

 

Ha was given the "Key to the City," which shows the city recognizes the winner of the award as an honorary citizen.  

 

Ha Jung-woo (left) poses with Florence Deputy Mayor Cristina Giachi (center) and Riccardo Gelli, the director of the Florence Korea Film Fest, in Florence, Italy last Thursday. /Yonhap

 

He is the second Korean honored by the city after director Park Chan-wook, who received the award last year.

 

Florence Deputy Mayor Cristina Giachi said Ha had enriched the film industry with his distinguished work as both an actor and director over the past 15 years, and his efforts had won him many fans in Italy as well.

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April 27, 2018

 

April Male Advertisement Model Brand Reputation Rankings Revealed

 

Source: Soompi by E. Kang

 

Spoiler

 

The Korean Business Research Institute has released the brand reputation rankings of male advertisement models for April 2018.

 

The rankings for this month were determined by analyzing 11,438,074 pieces of big data for 50 male brand advertisement models. The data was collected from March 26 to April 27 and was analyzed for participation, media coverage, communication, and community awareness. This analysis is conducted in order to study consumer habits.

 

The amount of data analyzed saw a significant decrease of 35.25 percent in comparison to the 17,665,502 pieces of data used for the February 2018 rankings.

 

Gong Yoo rose back to first place for the month of April with a total score of 1,585,421 points. He saw an increase of 87.78 percent in points, as he previously saw a score of 844,296 for February rankings.

 

Wanna One’s Kang Daniel took second place with a total score of 1,438,090, after previous coming in first place in February. This was a 40.28 percent decrease from his February point score of 2,408,201.

 

Daniel Henney was third place with a total score of 603,067, an impressive 500.2 percent increase from his 100,478 point score in February 2018 brand reputation rankings for male advertisement models.

 

Goo Chang Hwan, the chief of the Korean Business Research Institute, explained how based on their analysis, the phrases, “He’s cool,” “He shines,” and “He’s handsome,” as well as Maxim’s Kanu coffee, SK Broadband, and Coway — all which Gong Yoo currently is the advertisement model for — were associated often with the actor.

 

The top 30 for April are as follows:

 

1. Gong Yoo
2. Wanna One’s Kang Daniel
3. Daniel Henney
4. Jo Jung Suk
5. Park Seo Joon
6. Park Bo Gum
7. Baek Jong Won
8. Lee Sang Min
9. Yoo Jae Suk
10. Shinhwa’s Eric
11. Kim Jong Kook
12. Jung Woo Sung
13. So Ji Sub
14. Jun Hyun Moo
15. Kim Soo Hyun
16. Song Joong Ki
17. Lee Byung Hun
18. Shin Dong Yup
19. Lee Jung Jae
20. Ryu Jun Yeol
21. Kim Young Chul
22. Ma Dong Seok
23. Jo In Sung
24. Jo Jin Woong
25. Lee Sun Gyun
26. Ha Jung Woo
27. Lee Seo Jin
28. Hwang Chi Yeol
29. Yoo Hae Jin
30. Lee Min Ho

 

Source (1)

[sugantae]

Hello!

Am new here. Been searching for an international site for Ha Jung Woo but it's hard to find one. Anyone of you know where to get his translated magazine interviews or videos apart from youtube?

 

 

 

 

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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 25, 2018

 

May Male Advertisement Model Brand Reputation Rankings Announced

 

Source: Soompi by E. Cha

The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this month’s brand reputation rankings for male advertisement models!

 

The rankings were determined through an analysis of consumer behavior using big data collected from April 23 to May 24. The Korean Business Research Institute evaluated the participation, communication, media, and social values of 50 male advertisement models in order to calculate each star’s total brand reputation index for May.

 

In his first-ever appearance in the rankings, actor Jung Hae In shot to the top of this month’s list with a brand reputation index of 2,113,677. The rising star recently enjoyed a surge in popularity after starring in the JTBC drama “Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food.”

 

Jung Hae In’s highest-ranking related terms for May included “I like him,” “pretty,” and “handsome.” The actor’s positivity-negativity analysis also revealed a score of 81.87 percent positive reactions.

 

Gong Yoo took No. 2 on the list this month, with his brand reputation index rising 28.77 percent since April to a score of 1,586,732.

 

Wanna One’s Kang Daniel also saw a 6.15 percent increase in his score since April, claiming No. 3 in the rankings with a brand reputation index of 1,526,591.

 

Check out the top 30 below!

 

1. Jung Hae In
2. Gong Yoo
3. Wanna One’s Kang Daniel
4. Park Seo Joon
5. Baek Jong Won
6. Park Bo Gum
7. Jo Se Ho
8. Yoo Jae Suk
9. Ryu Jun Yeol
10. Kim Min Jae
11. Hwang Chi Yeol
12. Yoo Hae Jin
13. Ma Dong Seok
14. Jun Hyun Moo
15. Jung Woo Sung
16. Lee Sang Min
17. Sung Dong Il
18. Song Joong Ki
19. Kim Jong Kook
20. Kim Young Chul
21. Jo Jin Woong
22. Park Hyung Sik
23. Kim Soo Hyun
24. Ha Jung Woo
25. Kang Dong Won
26. Eric Nam
27. Cha Seung Won
28. Jung Sung Ho
29. Jo In Sung
30. Shin Dong Yup

Source (1)

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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.

 

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.

 

Spoiler

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 27, 2018

 

Korean movie stars invited to the Academy

 

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

 

Actors Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, Kim Min-hee and Bae Doo-na have been invited to become members of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences on Tuesday.

 

The Hollywood organization is the most exclusive club in the film industry. Its members organize and vote for the annual Academy Awards. 

 

This year, 928 film professionals from 59 countries were offered membership.

 

Many renowned local film industry professionals have joined the Academy over the past four years, including actor Lee Byung-hun, director Lee Chang-dong and more.

 

This year’s membership class marks the academy’s largest and most diverse list in its history. On the 2018 list, 49 percent are female, 38 percent are people of color and the ages range from as young as 14 years old to 86 years old. The class is also the academy’s largest yet, exceeding last year’s list of 774 members.

 

New members will get a chance to celebrate together at private receptions to be held in the fall.

By Sung Ji-eun

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July 31, 2018

 

[INTERVIEW] How 'Along with the Gods' captivated Asian fans
 

Actor Ha Jung-woo poses prior to an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

 

By Park Jin-hai The Korea Times

 

Ha Jung-woo, one of the country's most prolific and versatile actors, who starred in the pan Asian hit "Along with the Gods," says the film's popularity in Asian countries was unexpected and that shared Buddhist world views contributed to its success.

 

"I think the first part of the fantasy series was able to have so much success in the region because of the shared interest in the Asian Buddhism the film is based on," said the 40-year-old "The Handmaiden" star and eldest son of veteran actor Kim Yong-gun, during a recent interview with The Korea Times. 

 

The first part "Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds," released in December 2017, became the second most-viewed film of all time in Korea, attracting an audience of over 14 million. The 40 billion won budget fantasy film, telling the story of the afterlife, also topped box offices in Asian countries including Taiwan and Hong Kong. The film became the highest-grossing Korean film in Taiwan, and the second-highest-grossing Korean film in Hong Kong following "The Battleship Island."

 

In the sequel, "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days," which premieres Wednesday, Ha plays Gangrim, head of the reaper trio who guide the dead in their 49-day post mortal journey. It features the back stories of the three reapers and how their paths crossed a millennium ago.

 

He said although he had so many "embarrassing" moments while shooting the computer graphic-heavy film, because he had to act alone during "blue screen" scenes while imagining a different setting, he said he was surprised by the end-product. "Since it is rare to appear in a film with as many special effects as this one, it was hard to act at first. 

 

Most of my challenges have been me versus machines, coordinating my acting with the cameras. In the scene where dinosaurs are chasing after me, I just run behind the blue screen alone and draw a ring around me on the ground to prevent them coming closer. I wished something, anything like a doll, could appear so that I could know what I should look at. It was a strange and embarrassing experience," said Ha. "Then I remembered the behind-the-scenes videos of 53-year-old Robert Downey Jr. acting in Ironman with the green backdrop. I clenched my teeth and tried my best to just believe what I was told. But, when I saw the post-production, I was in awe."

 

He added that he is proud to witness the quality of Korean movies improving over time. "BTS and Psy played a big role in elevating K-pop in the world music scene. Now I think it should be K-film's turn," he said. "Although the Korean film industry has problems like less diversity in genres, I think the quality of filming staff can rival those of Hollywood. As the film's first sequel proved it to some extent, I wish to see more such high quality Korean films meet global film fans." 

 

The cast of "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days" will launch Asian promotional events beginning in Taiwan, Aug. 5. 

 

As for differences from the first film, Ha said if the first installment spoke about maternal love, the second part tells more about paternal love. "If viewers had maternal love and tear-shedding emotions from the first installment, part two will tell of paternal love, which will make viewers choke up," said Ha, adding that the story is richer since it has an additional storyline of a thousand years ago when the three reapers were human.

 

Apart from acting, Ha is also known as an artist. He held his first solo exhibition in 2010 and has been expanding his presence in the art world, currently holding an exhibition titled "Vacation" in Seoul from July 11. It shows his paintings inspired by his travel to cities such as Rome, Naples, Florence, Barcelona and London when he takes a break from acting. 

 

Ha said his paintings reflect his wish to communicate with the public. "Although I can show part of myself through my characters in films, those characters are more like another self of the director and his story, not me. My paintings, on the other hand, show the all of me, showing who I am and what I feel at the moment. The reason I continue to paint is that I want to communicate with the public. Although nowadays it gets harder to just tell my story and reveal myself as I am, I'm afraid. "

jinhai@ktimes.com

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August 2, 2018

 

Ha Jung-woo Says He's Just Happy to Be Part of Film-making

 

By Song Hye-jin The Chosun Ilbo

Actor Ha Jung-woo has a unique ability to grab the viewer's attention, both in the way he moves and in the way he talks. Ha, who played the grim reaper in "Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds," reprises the role in the sequel "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days," which hit screens on Wednesday. 

 

The sequel was filmed at the same time as the first film, which became a box-office hit with over 14 million viewers when it was released in December last year.

 

"The difference between the two is that whereas the first film was a tear jerker, the sequel is more of a movie that makes you feel a lump in your throat," Ha said.

 

The "Along with the Gods" films are fantasies that move between real life and the afterlife. The films are heavily dependent on elaborate sets and computer graphics, so the shooting schedule was totally determined by the needs of the studio. Confusingly for the actors, the final scene of the sequel was filmed just two days after the first scene of the first film.

 

"But that's our job, so we have to pull it off no matter what," Ha said.

 

Ha is one of the most prolific actors in the business, having appeared in 45 films since his debut in 2002, averaging four to five films a year. He does not insist on starring roles and says he does not give much thought to his image when choosing projects.

 

"My priority is whether the script is fun, and whether the production team is capable of realizing the script well. If those things check out, then I don't care what role I get. I'm not in this business to look cool or great as an actor. I just want to be part of the film-making process," Ha said. 

 

Sequel to Fantasy Spectacle Draws 1 Million Viewers on Opening Day
 

Source: The Chosun Ilbo

 

 

Filmmaker Kim Yong-hwa's latest CGI-heavy fantasy spectacle became the first Korean film to draw over 1 million spectators on the first day of its release on Wednesday.

 

According to the film's distributor, Lotte Entertainment, the film "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days" broke the previous opening-day record for a Korean film of 970,000, set by the historical epic "The Battleship Island" last year.

 

"Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" released in June this year has the all-time record with 1.18 million viewers for any movies released in Korea.

 

"Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days," the sequel to "Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds," which attracted 14.41 million viewers when it was released in December last year, revolves around three guardians of death, or grim reapers, who serve as guides to the underworld.

 

[rubie]

August 14, 2018

 

'Along With the Gods 2' tops 10 million admissions

 

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- "Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days" surpassed 10 million in attendance on the 14th day of its run, the film's distributor said Tuesday.

 

The local action fantasy film recorded 10,002,508 for its cumulative tally of views at about 2:34 p.m. based on a real-time tally from the Korean Film Council, Lotte Entertainment said.

 

With this accomplishment, it became the 22nd film to hit the milestone in Korea, following Marvel's superhero movie "Avengers: Infinity War" in May, and the second "Along With the Gods" film to record more than 10 million in attendance.

 

The first installment, "The Two Worlds," attracted an audience of 14.41 million in Korea. In South Korea, 10 million in terms of attendance is a standard for hugely successful films.

 

Starring Ha Jung-woo, Ju Ji-hoon and Kim Hyang-gi, "The Last 49 Days" is the second installment in the franchise started by the 2017 box office hit "Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds" by the same director, Kim Yong-hwa.

 

 

The latest release tells the story of three grim reapers from the first installment meeting the Seongju God (House Guardian God), who remembers their pasts from 1,000 years ago.

 

Upon its release on Aug. 1, "The Last 49 Days" set a new all-time opening day record in South Korea, breaking the record set in June by "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom." On Aug. 4, "The Last 49 Days" set a new single-day sales record in the country, beating "Avengers: Infinity War."

   

It also became the second-fastest film of all time to reach 10 million viewers in South Korea, after 12 days for "Roaring Currents," the all-time most-watched movie in the country. The previous No. 2 was 16 days set by "The Two Worlds."

   

The two "Along With the Gods" films were shot simultaneously, a first for the Korean film industry, with a total budget of about 40 billion won (US$35.44 million). The combined break-even point for the two films is 13 million in terms of attendance. Since the first movie has already sold more than 14 million tickets, the ticket sales for the second movie will all be counted as profit.

 

The two films have already earned over 200 billion won at the local box office.

 

"The Last 49 Days" is also making a splash in global markets.

 

In Taiwan, it earned $5.8 million in the opening week, beating the opening of Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" in the country.

 

The Korean film made $3.3 million in the first week in Hong Kong, the biggest opening week for all Asian films this year. It also had the biggest opening week for all Korean films that have been shown in North America, Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam.

 

The film is scheduled to open in 11 other Asian countries, including Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, by early September.

 

sshim@yna.co.kr

[rubie]

August 26, 2018

 

August Movie Star Brand Reputation Rankings Revealed

Source: Soompi  by esspee

 

 

The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed the brand reputation rankings for film actors for the month of August!

 

The institute analyzed 209,364,728 pieces of big data from July 24 to August 25 and analyzed consumer participation, media coverage, interaction, and community awareness indexes of 50 popular movie stars.

 

As a result, Ha Jung Woo came in first place with a brand reputation index of 10,557,972 and a 376.28 percent increase compared to June.

 

In second place was Joo Ji Hoon who scored a brand reputation index of 8,741,657 and saw an increase of 1,014.48 percent from his index in June.

 

Lee Sung Min came in third place with a total brand index of 7,795,459, which is 1,106.98 percent increase from June.

 

Goo Chang Hwan, the chief of the Korean Business Institue, stated, “As a result of the August 2018 movie star brand reputation rankings, film actor Ha Jung Woo recorded first place. After analyzing the movie star brand category big data and comparing it to the 120,450,353 pieces of big data from June, there was a 73.82 percent increase.”

 

He continued, “‘Along with the Gods,’ which achieved 10 million moviegoers, led the film brand consumption, and all the indexes related to brand reputation increased.”

 

The link analysis for Ha Jung Woo showed words like “amazing,” “surprising,” and “crazy” ranking high, while keywords ”Along with the Gods,” “Kim Yong Bae,” and “Cha Yeon Woo” were highly associated.

 

Check out the top 30 below!

 

1. Ha Jung Woo
2. Joo Ji Hoon
3. Lee Sung Min
4. Park Seo Joon
5. Park Bo Young
6. Gong Yoo
7. Soo Ae
8. Kim Tae Ri
9. Hwang Jung Min
10. Han Ji Min
11. Kwak Si Yang
12. Kim Hyun Soo
13. Park Hae Il
14. Lee Kwang Soo
15. Kim Hyang Gi
16. Song Ji Hyo
17. Kim Young Kwang
18. Ma Dong Seok
19. Kim Da Mi
20. Kim Dong Wook
21. Son Ye Jin
22. Jin Ki Joo
23. Lee Jin Wook
24. Kim Da Mi
25. Ra Mi Ran
26. Jo Jin Woong
27. Kim Tae Hoon
28. Lee Byung Hun
29. Kim Sang Ho
30. Hyun Bin

Source (1) (2)

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August 27, 2018

 

Ha Jung-woo wins online poll for war hero role in upcoming film 
 

Actor Ha Jung-woo poses prior to an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul on July. 31. / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

 

By Kang Aa-young The Korea Times

 

Actor Ha Jung-woo was selected in an online poll as the perfect actor to bring a war hero to the silver screen.

 

The "Along With the Gods" star won the most votes cast by soldiers choosing an actor to cast as World War II hero Colonel Kim Young-oak in an upcoming film. 

 

The South Korean Army newspaper Kookbang Ilbo canvassed 629 army personnel from July. 19 to Aug. 12 through a military based intranet, and Ha topped the survey, gaining 63 of the total votes. 

 

Those surveyed were asked to select an actor to play the role of Kim Young-oak, a U.S. Army officer considered a war hero during World War II. 

 

They think Ha is the perfect person to play the role because of his charisma and strength.

 

"He is the perfect actor to show the painful history of Korea and to play in scenes depicting the precious nation," the personnel commented.

 

Actor Lee Jung-jae who appeared in the same movie came in second and Lee Seung-gi, discharged from the military last year, came in third.

youngkang@ktimes.com 

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October 24, 2018

 

A-list actors team up for $17 million movie 'Mount Paektu'
       
From left are actors Lee Byung-hun, Ha Jung-woo and Ma Dong-seok, who will star in the new sci-fi film "Mount Paektu." Yonhap

 

By Dong Sun-hwa The Korea Times

 

Three A-list actors ― Lee Byung-hun, Ha Jung-woo and Ma Dong-seok ― will make a rare team-up for the big-budget sci-fi film "Mount Paektu." 

 

They recently gave final approval for their appearance in the movie, according to reports. Star director Kim Yong-hwa will guide shooting that begins next year with a 20 billion won ($17.7 million) budget. 

 

"Mount Paektu" will show covert operatives from the two Koreas struggling to prevent a volcanic eruption of Mount Paektu, a sacred 2,744-meter mountain straddling the North Korea-China border. 

 

Lee will play a North Korean agent struggling to prevent an eruption, while Ha is a South Korean agent on the same mission. Ma will appear as a scientist. 

 

sunhwadong@koreatimes.co.kr 

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October 27, 2018

Winners Of The 2nd Seoul Awards 

Source: Soompi by J. Lim

 

 

The Seoul Awards has announced this year’s winners, honoring some of the greatest in film and television dramas in the past year.

 

The awards show was on held on October 27 at the Peace Hall in Kyung Hee University, with Kim Ah Joong and Jung Hyun Moo returning as the MCs for the second year.

 

This year’s grand prize for the film category went to “The Spy Gone North,” a film that is based on a true story about a South Korean spy who infiltrates the North to obtain intelligence on nuclear weapons plans. The grand prize for the drama category went to tvN’s “My Ahjussi,” a story about three middle-aged brothers and a woman who learn to heal each other’s past scars.

 

The awards ceremony also dedicated a special moment to Kim Joo Hyuk, who won the Best Supporting Actor Award last year for his role in “Confidential Assignment.” The actor unfortunately passed away in a car accident a few days afterwards, and the awards ceremony took time to commemorate his illustrious career and replay his acceptance speech.

 

Check out the full list of winners below!

 

Films:
Grand Prize Award: “The Spy Gone North”

Best Actor Award: Ha Jung Woo (“Along with the Gods”)

Best Actress Award: Son Ye Jin (“Be With You”)

Best Supporting Actor Award: Joo Ji Hoon (“Along with the Gods” – “The Spy Gone North”)

Best Supporting Actress Award: Ye Soo Jung (“Along with the Gods”)

Best New Actor Award: Nam Joo Hyuk (“The Great Battle”)
Best New Actress Award: Kim Da Mi (“The Witch”)
Popularity Award: Son Ye Jin, EXO’s D.O.

 

Dramas:
Grand Prize Award: tvN’s “My Ahjussi”
Best Actor Award: Lee Byung Hun (“Mr. Sunshine”)
Best Actress Award: Kim Nam Joo (“Misty”)
Best Supporting Actor Award: Yoo Yeon Seok (“Mr. Sunshine”)
Best Supporting Actress Award: Moon So Ri (“Life”)
Best New Actor Award: Park Hae Soo (“Prison Playbook”)
Best New Actress Award: Jo Bo Ah (“Goodbye to Goodbye”)
Hallyu Artist Award: Jung Hae In (“Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food”)
Popularity Award: Girls’ Generation’s Seohyun, Jung Hae In
Special Acting Award: Heo Joon Ho (“Come and Hug Me”)

 

Source (1)

[rubie]

October 29, 2018

 

Seoul Awards honor the year's best
 

By Yim Seung-hye INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

 

An array of stars took to the red carpet for the second edition of the Seoul Awards on Saturday evening held at Kyung Hee University’s Grand Peace Palace, eastern Seoul, and some left with several trophies in hand. 

 

TvN’s drama “My Mister,” which featured singer-actor Lee Ji-eun, better known as IU, and film “The Spy Gone North,” directed by Yoon Jong-bin, each received the top honors for Best Work at Saturday’s event. 

 

“My Mister” dealt with an unlikely friendship between a 20-something woman and her colleague in his 40s. The actors’ immersive performances and emotional direction lead to it receiving much praise.

 

“The Spy Gone North” starring Hwang Jung-min, Lee Sung-min and Cho Jin-woong, has been hailed as creating a new type of Korean spy flick. The story is based on a true incident that took place in 1993, when a former South Korean military officer was recruited by the National Intelligence Service to infiltrate North Korea amid leaks that North Korea was developing nuclear weapons.

 

Meanwhile, the Best Actor and Best Actress Awards went to Lee Byung-hun for his starring role in the successful period drama “Mr. Sunshine” and Kim Nam-joo for “Misty” in the television series category. Ha Jeong-woo received Best Actor for “Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds” and Son Ye-jin won Best Actress for “Be With You” for the film category.

 

The Seoul Awards is the first Awards Ceremony here to select the winners by including the public as judges. According to the organizers, public votes account for 30 percent of the final decision in order to “reflect the public opinion in the awards ceremony.”

 

Published on October 27, 2018 by 스포츠서울

 

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November 21, 2018

 

Actor Ha Jung-woo reunites with 'The Terror, LIVE' director for 'Take Point'

 

By Shim Sun-ah

 

SEOUL, Nov. 21 (Yonhap) -- Actor Ha Jung-woo teamed up again with Kim Byung-woo, the director of the 2013 hit action film "The Terror, LIVE," for "Take Point," Kim's first feature in five years.

 

The new film, whose Korean title is translated as "PMC: The Bunker," tells the story of an elite mercenary force on a CIA covert operation to apprehend a high-profile North Korean official at an underground bunker about 30 meters beneath the surface in the Demilitarized Zone that bisects the Koreas.

 

Ha said during a promotional press conference for the forthcoming film Wednesday that the movie started from his own idea of making a film with a secret underground tunnel in the DMZ as the setting.

 

"I proposed to him five years ago that it would be fun if a film can tell a story that takes places at such a place in the DMZ, and this simple idea spawned a film."

 

This photo provided by CJ Entertainment is a scene from "Take Point." (Yonhap)

 

The star of "The Handmaiden," "Tunnel," "1987: When the Day Comes" and the "Along With the Gods" franchise said that he wasted no time before choosing to be in the new movie.

 

"I decided to appear without hesitation because I trusted that director Kim would do it very well."

 

Ha plays the role of Capt. Ahab of a global private military company who lives in the United States as an illegal immigrant. He comes back to Korea to carry out the mission to capture the target in the DMZ.

 

Since the character communicates with his mostly American colleagues in English, Ha had to spend a lot of time learning the language.

 

"I don't speak English well in reality," he said, adding that he had to practice hard to be a fluent speaker.

 

To better depict the character who lives in an African-American neighborhood, Ha studied music videos and documentaries about rappers and their culture to learn how they speak and act.

 

"It may sound strange, but I thought this was the best way to learn," he said.

 

Lee Sun-kyun of "A Hard Day" plays Yoon Ji-ui, a North Korean elite doctor who happens to enter the bunker.

 

"I had no reason at all not to choose this film," Lee said. "I really enjoyed the movie 'The Terror, LIVE' and was eager to work with Ha." The film's "tightly woven screenplay that feels like the script for a well-built computer game" was another draw for him.

 

Except for the two main actors, it took a while for the director to cast the other members of the mercenary force because they had to be foreigners.

 

"I contacted a Hollywood casting director and saw more than 1,000 videos for casting," Kim said.

 

Some of the Americans picked for the roles are a former member of a special forces unit and experienced actors, he added.

 

The director was confident about the film's quality.

 

"I had prepared for it for five years after 'The Terror, LIVE.' I'm sure this film is more fresh and interesting (than my previous work)," he said. "I had the idea that it would make an interesting film to dramatize a situation that happens when the military unites with capitalism."

 

When asked about the focus of the bunker's design, Kim answered that making the space feel real was the most important part.

 

"The bunker had to be designed with the flow of human traffic in mind, so I tried to keep in mind where the characters should separate and reunite again, as well as how deep the tunnels should be."

 

The film was often shot from a first-person shooter point of view to make the action scenes feel more real.

 

"How to shoot the action scenes was like homework to me," he said. "Since the focus of the film is on Ahab, it was important to give the viewers the feeling that they experience the battle by his side. So, I thought it was important to adopt proper shooting methods for this."

 

The CJ Entertainment release will hit South Korean theaters Dec. 26. It will also be released on Dec. 27 in Singapore and Malaysia and on Dec. 28 in Taiwan. This will be followed by a Jan. 10 release in Hong Kong, while its release is set for later in the month in Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines.