Kwak Ji-min (곽지민)

December 29, 2004 ㅡ Hypertheque Nada at Dongsoong Art Center is hosting its annual end of the year film festival. The event began in 2000 as a way of screening movies that patrons might have missed, especially arthouse films.
Looking back on films released in Korea this past year, the 24 chosen by the organizers of the festival, "Nada's Last Propose", range from Korean to Spanish to German. The festival, launched on Friday, runs until Jan. 13 at the Daehangno theater.
Highlights include two films by Kim Ki-duk. His "Samaria" won the Silver Bear at the 2004 Berlin International Film Festival. The movie stars Seo Min-jeong as Jae-young, an underage prostitute whose pimp is her best friend, Yeo-jin (...More

Japan's movie circles is giving attention to a late teens star 'Kwak Ji-min, a leading actor of movie 'Samaria', with the Japan release of 'Samaria' in January, next year as a momentum.

She has been included among 30 Hanryu stars that a Japan's famous magazine has selected and is being watched as a new figure to lead Hanryu ahead.

Starting from movie 'Samaria' to be released from Japan, late teens star Kwak Jin-m...More

By Joon Soh
Staff Reporter
Religion seems to be on director Kim Ki-duk's mind as of late. After last year's contemplative "Pom Yorum Kaul Kyoul Kurigo Pom (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring)", which looked at the cycle of suffering from a perspective of a Buddhist monk, Kim layers "Samaria", his new film about teenage prostitution, with variations on Catholic concepts of sin and guilt.

Unlike "...ing", however, the film doesn't extensively rely on religious iconography to generate meaning. Rather, it's a springboard for what seems a rather personal take on the psychological and moral battles that has plagued K...More

BERLIN - After her screen debut as a sexually exploited schoolgirl in South Korean director Kim Ki-duk's "Samaria", Kwak Ji-min said she's hoping for a less tragic second role.
"I want a film that's light and with a happy ending", the 19-year-old actress told reporters Tuesday after the movie's premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival.
"Samaria" is one of 23 films competing for the festival's top prize - the Golden Bear. The festival ends Sunday.
In "Samaria (Samaritan Girl)", Ji-Min plays Yeo-jin, a k...More

by Cheon Sang-hee

Controversy is expected to follow film director Kim Ki-duk's use of the teenage leading lady of his latest movie, "Samaria", in a provocative "half-nude nun" pose in the film's poster.
The film deals with a relationship between a teenage girl and an older man.

While shooting the poster for the film, the leading actress, Kwak Ji-min, 19, posed topless, wearing only a coif -- the veil used by Catholic nuns. Photographer Lee Jeon-ho, who did the poster work for the hit film, "...More