Jo Jae-hyeon (조재현)

Lee Jae-gyoo's directorial debut "The Influence" was released this week through the internet. The three part film stars Lee Byeong-Heon fresh from his international exposure in Tran Ahn Hung's I Come with the Rain and blockbuster GI Joe. He appears alongside actress Han Chae-young who recently starred in "Good Morning President" (2009). The film also stars actors Jeon No-min, Kim Tae-woo ("The Naked Kitchen" 2008) and ...More

Jo Jae-hyeon, Jeon No-min, and Kim Tae-woo are in the mystery digital blockbuster, "The Influence" bringing 3 different charismas on screen!

It is about a promise that doesn't change over time and to keep the value of this promise, there are many choices that the characters must make.

Jo Jae-hyeon is Kojong who decides to save Chosun w...More

From left, actors Jo Jae-hyeon, Ryoo Deok-hwan, Jeong Tae-woo and Song Seung-hwan pose at a press conference for "Equus", which will be on stage from Dec. 1 as the opening performance of "Yeongeuk Yeoljeon 3" (Series of the Best Plays) in Daehangno, central Seoul, Monday. / Courtesy of organizers

By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

"Yeongeuk Yeoljeon 3" (Series of the Best Plays) has unveiled this year's lineup of nine plays, and will embark on a 13-month run starting Dec. 1. The project consists of classic masterpieces, literature-based dramas and world premieres.

"Equus", written by Peter Shaf...More

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

There have been a good number of movies that deal with the agony of being on death row or feature capital punishment as the (un)just consequence of crime.

"The Executioner", which premiered at the 14th Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival (PIFF) earlier this month, however, delves into the actual process of the death penalty, which involves more than just a quick snap of the neck and a dead body (hanging is still the method used in South Korea).

In his feature directorial debut, Choi Jin-ho ("Reunion", which competed at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival) invites viewers to step into the shoes of prison staff who must carry out the actual deed.

The film poses some big ethical questions but manages to be clear cut in eliciting specific emotional responses from the audience. Nevertheless, "Executioner" gets caught in a sort of muddled gray zone; it's too formulaically mainstream for art...More

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas is one of the most heavily fortified areas in the world, but the no-man's land is also home to some of the rarest flora and fauna and is the most visited tourist attraction in South Korea.

The 1st DMZ Korean International Documentary Festival will open Thursday through Oct. 26 in the vicinity of the buffer zone to transform the living Cold War remnant into a festive venue for documentary films.

"The DMZ possesses more fictional elements than fiction, with many tearful stories to tell. Gyeonggi Province and Korea can't claim it as its own ― it is a world heritage. It has come to symbolize more than ideological conflicts and is a scientifically and historically significant space", said film festival chairman and Gyeonggi Province governor Kim Moon-soo in a press conference earlier this month in Seoul.

"I think I can say the festival will have succeeded if it simply inspires someone to reflect abo...More