Park Kwang-soo (박광수)

Acclaimed actor Moon Seong-geun will take the lead role in "Sahwa" (meaning 'Royal Massacre') a horror from Cannes winning director Song Il-gon. MOON has been a notable figure in the Korean film industry since the 1990's, when he starred in films by top new wave directors, Park Kwang-soo ("Black Republic"), Jang Sun-woo ("Road to...More

Drama "Meet Mr. Daddy" ("Shiny Day") won the Young Audiences Award at the 2007 Rome Film Festival. Director Park Kwang-soo's drama revolves around a selfish man – played by Park Shin-yang – who finds out that he has a young daughter. Because it's financially beneficial, he decides to keep her. Later he finds out that the girl suffers from a serious disease.

Park Kwang-soo is a veteran writer/director whose credentials includes "Chilsoo and Mansu" (1988), featuring Park Joong-hoon and ...More

By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter

There have been many films that have shed light on motherly love such as "Running Boy" ("Marathon" - 2005), "Herb" (2006) and "Sunflower" (2007), where single mothers raised their children overcoming hardships.

Now it's the fathers' turn. This spring, local filmmakers are paying a particular attention to fathers, as many new films portray the contemporary father.

At the box office, the audience can choose from a range of films that center on fatherly love. These fathers have different jobs according to their social class. But what they share in common is, of course, the devotion and affection they have for their family.

"Meet Mr. Daddy" ("Shiny Day" - at theaters)

Directed by Park Kwang-soo, the film is a story of a man who learns about fatherly love, something he never experienced as a child himself.

Jong-dae is a ruthless and selfish man. One day, after a fight, he is placed in a police cell. He receives a visitor, a former love.

She tells him that he is the father of her child and she pays the fine to get him out of jail on the condition that he will spend one month with the child.

The father first finds it irritating to live with his seven-year-old daughter, who is just happy to see her father for the first time. Through her, he opens his heart and recognizes how adorable she is as she helps him learn about true love.

But a tragic moment strik...More

Melodramas, horror flicks, gangster comedies and thrillers have one thing in common for Korean moviegoers: they are not so popular at the box office. To find a breakthrough, filmmakers have been exploring other alternative genres and themes, one of which turns out to be the father.

Not a traditional Korean father who symbolizes the paternal authority, though. The latest cinematic Korean fathers are usually depicted as middle-aged, increasingly powerless, anxious to survive, lonely, and willing to admit their vulnerability.

In-gu, a mid-level mob boss in "The Show Must Go on", is a case in point. The character represents many Korean fathers who feel threatened by the worsening conditions in Korean society.

In-gu, played by veteran actor Song Kang-ho, wants to get a decent house for his family - one of the key issues for most Korean households - but does not make enough money. After all, he's ...More

Director Lee Chang-dong's next film is in the post-production stage after filming finished on February 10th. The film will be released in Korean cinemas in May.

The Korean title has been changed from "Secret Sunshine" to "Milyang", after the place where the love story unfolds. Jeon Do-yeon plays a woman who settles in Milyang with her young son after her husband's death. Song Kang-ho is the head of a c...More