Kim Yeong-joon (김영준)

No Wave, just a Korean breeze in Poland

2008/04/28 | Source | Permalink |

The Korean Wave has been spreading Korean pop culture across Asia and beyond for more than a decade, although it has barely reached Poland, in the centre of Europe. It is sad to admit, but Korean culture (traditional as well as the "new wave") does not exist in Polish minds as a distinctive identity. It is often mixed in with Chinese and Japanese cultures, which are more defined in Poland yet still often confused with each other.

Still, it is trendy nowadays in Poland to go to an East Asian restaurant, buy Chinese souvenirs, own Japanese-style furniture, follow feng-shui rules, watch an Asian movie or send kids to taekwondo or karate classes.

Although Polish knowledge of Korean culture is minimal, the present article aims to show that there is a gentle Korean wind that is blowing into Poland faster than the mainstream Wave.

There is, however, still no trace of: (1) the Korean entertainment industry invading the Polish media market; (2) any Polish fans adopting the lifestyles o...| More

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"Once upon a Time" ideal to start the Lunar New Year

2008/02/13 | Source | Permalink |

Director JEONG Yong-ki's "Once upon a Time" topped the Lunar New Year holiday box office, closely followed by "Forever the Moment" and "Lovers of 6 Years". "The Devil's Game", "Last Present - 2007", and "A Man Who Was Superman" claimed places four to six, respectively. "Radio Dayz" was the seventh Korean film in the top ten at nine.

"Once upon a Time" is a comedy starring PARK Yong-woo and LEE Bo-yeong. "Forever the Moment" - a sports drama with MOON So-ri and KIM Jeong-eun, and directed by LIM Soon -rye - continued its strong box office run. The romantic drama "Lovers of 6 Years" features KIM Ha-neul and YOON Kye-sang, and PARK Hyeon-jin directed.

In "The Devil's Game", YOON In-ho directs SIN Ha-gyoon and BYEON Hee-bong whose characters switch bodies. KIM Yeong-joon's drama "Last Present - 2007" stars SIN Hyeon-joon and HA Ji-won. HWANG Jeong-min plays the titular character in the drama "A Man Who Was Superman". JEON Ji-hyeon also stars and JEONG Yoon-cheol directed. RYOO Seung...| More

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Shadowless Sword Dulled

2006/11/01 | Source | Permalink |

A middling period actioner under the shadow of yesteryear's Hong Kong cinema

Kyu Hyun Kim (qhyunkim)

With financial successes of the politically muddled but pretty-to-look-at "Hero" and the exquisitely spiritual "Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon" in North America, Hollywood studios have perked up their antennae trying to locate the next East Asian chop-socky flick that can make bucketloads of money for them. Following the footsteps of Miramax and Sony Classics, New Line Cinema has ventured into the martial arts territory by co-producing "Shadowless Sword" with Taewon Entertainment.

uestion that popped into my mind, as the clipped-film logo of New Line flashed by as the movie opened, was whether the American producers had had a chance to see "Bichunmoo (2000)", the debut film of director Kim Yeong-joon. Director Kim, armed with a thoroughly trite, culturally featureless love triangle backstory, created what appears to be a blatant pastiche of a '90s Hong Kong period piece, c...| More

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Shadowless Sword to open worldwide in 2006

2005/11/23 | Source | Permalink |

Shadowless Sword, a big-budget swordplay fantasy by KIM Yeong-joon set in the tenth century, is expected to be released in over 60 territories across the world.

The film is represented internationally by Hollywood-based New Line Cinema, which provided 30% of the financing in a deal with Korean production company Taewon Entertainment. According to Robert Remley, a senior vice president in charge of international marketing, New Line is also planning a large scale release in the North American market in 2006.

The influence of New Line Cinema, which often signs output deals with foreign distributors for works such as the hit trilogy Lord of the Rings, is expected to help the film sell widely to other international markets.

The film was shot in China, and was released in Korea on November 18. Set during the Balhae Dynasty in the tenth century, it tells the story of a female warrior who must return an exiled prince safely to his homeland so that he can assume the throne, as a group ...| More

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'Shadowless Sword' Delivers Formulaic Fun

2005/11/18 | Source | Permalink |

When director Kim Yeong-joon, whose "Shadowless Sword" hits movie theaters Friday, said he was going to make a breakthrough in Korean martial arts movies, his chances of failure were good. But as easily digestible commercial fare, the film delivers.

The year is 962 A.D. in the Balhae kingdom ravaged by the invasion of Khitan -- Tungusic or Mongol residents of the southern part of what is now Manchuria, Northeastern China.

In a country almost wiped off the face of the earth, the last survivor of the dynasty, Dae Jeong-hyeon (Lee Seo-jin), ekes out a meager existence in a frontier town while hiding his true identity. Then those who dream of restoring the Balhae kingdom order the greatest woman warrior Yeon So-ha (Yoon Soy) to bring prince Jeong-hyeon back, but those on Khitan's side -- Gun Hwa-pyeong (Shin Hyeon-joon) and his confidant Mae Yeoung-ok (Lee Gi-yong) -- are hot in pursuit, looking to take his life.

The action scenes in "Shadowless Sword" thoroughly ignore the laws o...| More

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