| Film journalists pick Song Kang-ho, Kim Hye-ja top actors (Source) |
2010/01/28 |

Poster for film "Thirst" [CJ Entertainment]
Song Kang-ho and Kim Hye-ja have been recognized last year's top film actors by Korean film journalists.
The Korea Film Reporters Association (KOFRA) held the 1st Korean Film Award on Wednesday, naming Song best actor for his role in film "Thirst" and Kim as best actress for her role in "Mother - 2009".
Song, 43, is considered one of Korea's most successful actors who has starred in a handful of hit films including "Memories of Murder", "The Host" and "Thirst", which won the Jury Prize at Cannes earlier last year.##
Kim, 68, is a veteran actress who has received more than a few appraisals for her performa... |More
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| Song Kang-ho's New Movie 'Secret Reunion' (Source) |
2010/01/17 |

In an interview at a hotel in Sokong-dong, actor Song Kang-ho said, "First of all, I could easily identify my own personality with the character I played in the movie ‘Secret Reunion' better than in any of my other movies. The character of Han-kyu in Secret Reunion seems to me to be a mix of previous characters I played before, including Doo-man ("Memories of murder") and Kyung-pil ("JSA - Joint Security Area"). I think that my character Han-kyu is a unique character, but I also used several of my previous characters from my other movies to influence the character 'Han-kyu'. I see my role as Han-kyu to be an assorted gift of my acting experiences for my fans. I tried to show the essence of my acting t... |More
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| Year of the thriller for Korean movies (Source) |
2010/01/12 |
Film insiders excited over new works by three star directors
Hits came from all quarters in Korean cinema last year, with big blockbusters "Take Off" and "Haeundae", auteur films "Thirst" and "Mother - 2009" and indie sleepers "Old Partner" and "Breathless" all filling seats.
Disaster flick "Haeundae" was the first locally made film to top 10 million tickets sold in three years. Industry-wide box office returns hit a record high of 1.08 trillion won ($964 million), about half from Korean-made films.
The state-funded Korean Film Council forecast in a recent report that the local movie market will continue its incremental growth over the next five years, and 2010 is expected to be another bonanza for the local film studios. But the most hotly anticipated movies inside the industry aren't quite as diverse as 2009's top sellers - on the contrary, they're all in a single genre: thriller.
Korea's thriller renaissance, kicked off by "The Chaser" in 2008 and continued by "Secret - ... |More
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| 13th Director's Cut Awards Winners Announced (Source) |
2009/12/24 |
| 240 Korean directors have picked the best director, movie and actors for 2009. Most notably, PARK Chan-wook picked up the best director award for the Cannes winning "Thirst". Previous to this he had won the award for "JSA - Joint Security Area" (2000), "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" (2002) and "Old Boy" (2004). The long awaited "Thirst", as well as being eagerly received in Korea, played at the Fantasia Film Festival in Toronto and also had a limited U.S. release. For his performance in "Thirst", the ever present and hardest-working Korean actor SONG Kang-ho picked up his fifth actor of the year award. Previously he had won the award for, "Memories of Murder" (2003), "The Host" (2006), "Secret Sunshine" and "JSA - Joint Security Area" (2000) also directed by PARK Chan-wook. The best actress award went to KIM Hye-ja, the television drama acting stalwart for her passionately eccentric portrayal of a 'Mother - 2009' fighting for the rights of her son in BONG Joon-ho's film of the sam... |More
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| Park Chan-wook Picked Best Director (Source) |
2009/12/17 |
By Cho Jae-hyon
Staff Reporter
Korean directors picked Park Chan-wook, for his dark vampire thriller "Thirst" (Bakjwi), as the Best Director at the 12th Director's Cut Awards 2009, Thursday.
The Korea Film Director's Network awarded Best Actor to Song Kang-ho in recognition of his exceptional performance in "Thirst". Song played the lead role of a priest who, after receiving a mysterious blood transfusion, turns into a ravenous vampire.
The Best Actress award went to veteran actress Kim Hye-ja who played a major role in Bong Joon-ho's "Mother".She performed a remarkable role in the movie, playing a distraught mother who struggled to prove the innocence of her son who was framed for a neighbor's death.
Director-actor-producer Yang Ik-joon won the Independent Movie Director Award with his internationally-acclaimed "Breathless", a semi-indie flick about a victim of domestic violence who grows up to become an aggressive brute.
It marks the fourth time Park has won the honor... |More
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