‘Hana Korea’ spotlights realistic journey of North Korean defectorA new cinematic collaboration between South Korea and Denmark is set to hit local theaters in July to offer an emotional and realistic look into the challenges faced by North Korean defectors settling in South Korean society. The film “Hana Korea” follows the journey of a young female defector named Hye-seon (Kim Min-ha), who strives to move forward despite facing an unfamiliar and harsh environment. The story is inspired by in-depth interviews with around 30 North Korean defectors who have settled in the South. The title of the film directly connects to Hanawon, officially named the Settlement Support Center for North Korean Refugees, where defectors stay to prepare for their new lives. The name combines the Korean word "hana," meaning one, and "won," meaning facility. This reflects the center's core mission to help defectors adapt and truly become "one" with South Korean society, explaining why the movie is called “Hana Korea.” The movie realistically portrays the struggles of immigrants through the lens of Hye-seon. While the protagonist arrives in South Korea seeking freedom,2d agoBy Baek Byung-yeul
Korean film programmer named knight of French arts and lettersNam Jong-suk, a programmer for the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN), has been awarded France’s Chevalier rank in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, marking the first time a film festival programmer in Korea has received the distinction. The festival, which opens its 30th edition on Thursday, said Nam received the honor in recognition of his contributions to film programming and international cultural exchange. The French Ministry of Culture’s Order of Arts and Letters is one of the country’s highest cultural honors and is divided into three ranks: Commandeur, Officier and Chevalier. Nam’s recognition is significant because it is the first awarded to a programmer, rather than a director or performer. The French government said it decided to confer the honor in October 2025 in recognition of Nam’s work promoting Korea-France film exchange, including through the 2025 NAFF Project Market program Focus: France. Philippe Bertoux, the French ambassador to Korea, said Nam’s career has helped open new horizons and offer innovative perspectives in cinema. “The awar2d agoBy Lee Kyung-min
InterviewFrom bar owner to village chief: director Lee Yu-jin’s ‘Manok’ puts middle-aged lesbian in chargeA middle-aged queer woman rarely leads Korean films, let alone cheerful political comedies set in a sleepy village. With “Manok” (2025), director Lee Yu-jin wanted to start right there — with what she calls an “imperfect hero” charging toward a “too much” happy ending. Middle-aged queer hero Lee began with a simple desire: make a queer comedy with a happy ending. Out of that goal, the idea of self-admitted “kkondae lesbian,” Manok, took shape. “Stories about young queer characters often revolve around first love or identity crisis,” she said during an interview with The Korea Times, Tuesday. “I was more interested in someone who has already lived as a queer person and now has to deal with everything else life throws at her.” Equally important was avoiding the “model minority” trap that queer characters often fall into. “I didn’t want her to be a good, exemplary person,” Lee said, mentioning that she has watched how real-life queer figures who come out publicly are often held to an unusually high moral standard. “Why do you have to be perfect just to exiJun 25, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
Seoul turns film center into permanent base camp for young directorsSeoul is betting on student directors to secure the future of its cultural exports. By transforming the Seoul Film Center into a permanent base camp equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) training tools, free workspaces and a massive 23-university film network, municipal authorities are launching a major initiative to institutionalize the independent film sector. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Wednesday a major expansion of the Seoul Film Center, positioning the newly opened facility as a permanent, fully subsidized base camp for the next generation of filmmakers. To anchor this strategy, the city will host the Film House Film Project 2026 Film Festival from Friday to Sunday, a collaborative showcase bringing together student creators from 23 universities across the nation. Operating under the slogan “Beyond the Frame: Reconstructing Romance,” the three-day event bridges the gap between raw student enthusiasm and the commercial film market. Instead of relying on isolated student showcases, the festival links student directors from major institutions — including YJun 24, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
'Toy Story 5' tops weekend box office, dethroning 'Colony'The Hollywood animation "Toy Story 5" debuted atop the weekend box-office chart in South Korea, snapping a four-week winning streak by the Korean zombie thriller "Colony," data showed Monday. "Toy Story 5" added 713,071 admissions over the weekend, bringing its accumulated admissions to 872,553 as of Sunday, according to the data released by the Korean Film Council, which compiles admissions from Friday through Sunday for its weekend chart. "Colony," the latest in director Yeon Sang-ho's zombie thriller lineup, ranked No. 2, attracting 188,674 admissions over the weekend and logging 5,527,525 total admissions. "Wild Sing," another Korean film starring Gang Dong-won, broke the 1-million milestone, adding 133,556 admissions over the weekend and coming in at No. 3. Foreign films mostly dominated the weekend box-office chart, with only one other Korean film landing in the top 10. The Korean-Japanese supernatural horror film "The Shrine" debuted at No. 5, according to the data.Jun 22, 2026By Yonhap
Megabox crisis raises concerns over future of Korean cinemaThe financial crisis facing Megabox JoongAng is raising concern across Korea's film industry, with filmmakers and distributors warning that the problems extend far beyond a single theater chain. As one of the country's three major multiplex operators and a leading film investor through Plus M Entertainment, Megabox has become deeply embedded in the Korean movie business. Industry officials said any disruption to its operations could impact filmmaking and distribution at a time when the sector is already struggling to recover from the pandemic and the rise of streaming platforms. On June 12, Megabox JoongAng was among five affiliates of JoongAng Group that filed for corporate rehabilitation with the Seoul Bankruptcy Court. The move came days after JTBC, the group’s flagship broadcaster, declared a default on 20.6 billion won ($13.5 million) in debt repayments. While Megabox theaters continue to operate normally, the filing has sent shockwaves to the industry. For more than two decades, Megabox has stood alongside CGV and Lotte Cinema as one of Korea's three major multiplex chains. ThrougJun 21, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Review'Summer’s Camera' captures gentle first love, griefDirector Divine Sung makes a memorable feature debut with "Summer’s Camera," a movie that explores the delicate intersection of teenage romance and family grief. The film approaches complex human relationships through a soft lens, focusing on how memories can cause grief but also help a person grow. The story centers on a high school freshman named Summer (Kim Si-a), who stops taking photos after her father passes away. She constantly carries her late father’s old film camera around in her bag, but she cannot bring herself to shoot the remaining four pictures left on the roll. Her frozen world begins to change during a warm summer day at school. Summer encounters Yeon-woo (Yu Ga-eun), a star player on the school football team, and feels an immediate attraction. This sudden spark motivates her to pick up the camera again to capture Yeon-woo’s daily moments. The movie takes a turn after Summer discovers old photographs of a man named Maru (Kwak Min-gyu) on the roll. Through these pictures, Summer uncovers a deep secret — her father had a male lover during his high school years. WondJun 19, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'Colony' sweeps box office charts across AsiaDirector Yeon Sang-ho's zombie thriller "Colony" has swept the box-office chart in countries across Asia, becoming one of most-watched Korean films in some countries, the film's distributor said Tuesday. The Korean film had attracted 1,511,802 admissions in Malaysia as of Sunday, becoming the most-watched Korean film in the local box-office chart to date, according to Showbox. Yeon's previous zombie thrillers "Train to Busan" (2016) ranked second, followed by "Peninsula" (2020) at No. 3, it added. In Indonesia, "Colony" attracted 1,062,394 cumulative admissions, becoming the second most-watched Korean film in the country, while the film garnered 347,438 admissions in the Philippines to also become the second-most watched Korean film in the country. The film ranked among the top five most-watched Korean films ever released in Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. "Colony" is the latest zombie thriller from director Yeon. It follows biotechnology professor Se-jeong (Jun Ji-hyun) and a group of survivors who fight to escape a building locked down by a virus outbreak. The blockbuster also stars KooJun 16, 2026By Yonhap
Netflix comedy 'Husbands in Action' promises big laughs, chemistryThe Netflix movie "Husbands in Action" is an action-comedy that follows the hijinks of a rescue operation put together by the ex-husband and current husband of a woman kidnapped by a criminal organization, according to director Park Gyu-tae as he introduced the film, Monday. "I've focused on situational comedy from clashing groups in my past works, but the biggest difference in this film is the action," Park said during a press conference in Seoul. The director, known for the 2022 comedy "6/45," added that the action sequences unfolding across various locations will be a key point for the audience to watch. The movie follows a desperate rescue mission by the elite narcotics detective and ex-husband Choong-shik (Jin Sun-kyu) who teams up with his former wife's handsome young veterinarian husband Min-seok (Gong Myung). Together they chase down a criminal group that has kidnapped Shi-nae (Kang Han-na), Min-seok's current and Choong-shik's former spouse. Throughout the movie, the two leads try to overcome their awkward relationship to navigate a series of dangerous situations while fightingJun 15, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'Colony' breaks 5 mil. admissions, tops weekend box-office chart for 4th weekThe Korean zombie thriller "Colony" broke 5 million admissions during the weekend as it reigned atop the weekend box-office chart for the fourth straight week, data showed Monday. The film added 301,053 admissions over the weekend, logging 5,212,824 accumulated admissions as of Sunday, according to the data released by the Korean Film Council, which compiles admissions from Friday through Sunday for its weekend chart. It is the second movie released this year to accomplish the 5-million milestone, following the Korean history drama "The King's Warden." "Colony" is the latest zombie thriller from director Yeon Sang-ho, known for "Train to Busan" (2016). It follows biotechnology professor Se-jeong (Jun Ji-hyun) and a group of survivors who fight to escape a building locked down by a virus outbreak. The blockbuster also stars Koo Kyo-hwan as a lone wolf researcher who controls zombies and Ji Chang-wook and Kim Shin-rok as survivors battling the zombies, alongside Jun. On the weekend chart, "Wild Sing," a Korean comedy film starring Gang Dong-won, ranked No. 2 as it attracted 205,100 admissioJun 15, 2026By Yonhap
