The Face Reader (Movie - 2013)

• 
  Song Kang-ho
  송강호
  As
  Nae-kyeong
  (내경)
• 
  Lee Jung-jae
  이정재
  As
  Grand Prince Suyang
  (수양대군)
• 
  Baek Yoon-shik
  백윤식
  As
  Kim Jong-seo
  (김종서)
• 
  Jo Jung-suk
  조정석
  As
  Paeng-heon
  (팽헌)
• 
  Lee Jong-suk
  이종석
  As
  Jin-hyeong
  (진형)
• 
  Kim Hye-soo
  김혜수
  As
  Yeon-hong
  (연홍)

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• 

  Jo Jung-suk and Gummy to Marry This Fall
  2018/06/21, Source
  Actor Jo Jung-suk and singer Gummy (Park Ji-yeon) are getting married this fall. Sources say that both families are discussing a date,...More

• 

  [USA] "The Princess and the Matchmaker" releases on Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play on June 19
  2018/06/15
  "The Princess and the Matchmaker" South Korea's Hit Historical Romantic Comedy Releases on Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play on June 19, 2018   Starring Beloved Actress Shim Eun-kyung, K-Drama Star Lee Seung-gi, and more,...More

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  [USA] "The Princess and the Matchmaker" Starring Shim Eun-kyung and Lee Seung-gi - March 9 in Select U.S. Theaters
  2018/03/02
  "The Princess and the Matchmaker" South Korea's Hit Historical Romantic Comedy Releases in North America on March 9 Starring Beloved Actress Shim Eun-kyung, K-Drama Star Lee Seung-gi, and more,...More

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  [Lily's Take] Lee Seung-gi and Shim Eun-kyung's "The Princess and the Matchmaker" Will Finally Be Released
  2018/01/20, Source
  A CJ Entertainment associate revealed that movie the "The Princess and the Matchmaker" confirmed its release date for February 28th,...More

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  Moon Chae-won to come back with "Fengshui" with Cho Seung-woo
  2017/08/23, Source
  Namu Actors revealed that Moon Chae-won is taking on the role of Cho-sun in the movie "Fengshui",...More

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  Song Kang-ho has an accumulated attendance of 100 million
  2017/08/14, Source
  Song Kang-ho is the creme of the crop in the Korean movie industry. The film "A Taxi Driver", which surpassed 8 million viewers in 13 days and stands at the threshold of the first 10 million film in 2017, depicts the painful history of the Gwangju Democratization Movement. It resonates with the audience with its thoughtful directing and story that touches the painful past. Above all, the reason why this movie was able to stay fast in the minds and hearts of audiences is the perfect performance of lead actor Song Kang-ho,...More

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  Korean movie of the week "The Face Reader"
  2017/08/10, Source
  Korean movie of the week "The Face Reader" (2013) Directed by Han Jae-rim With Song Kang-ho, Lee Jung-jae, Baek Yoon-shik, Jo Jung-suk, Lee Jong-suk, Kim Hye-soo,... Synopsis Nae-kyung, the most skillful face reader in Joseon dynasty, was living in seclusion when he was offered a lucrative partnership by Yeon-hong, a Korean geisha. Nae-kyung accepts the proposal to read the faces of Yeon-hong's guests only to get involved in a murder case,...More

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  Kim Hye-soo to star in "Default"
  2017/07/26, Source
  Actress Kim Hye-soo is starring in the new movie "Default",...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2017.01.27 - 2017.01.29
  2017/01/30
  Local buddy cop film gains momentum to overthrow "The King"... Kim Seong-hoon-III's "Confidential Assignment" (formally known as "Cooperation") received a screen boost for its second weekend out that helped bump it up one place to pole position. Last weekend, Kim's sophomore film – after "My Little Hero" (2006) – entered in second with 845,971 admissions (27.2%) from 976 screens behind "The King"'s 1.3 million admissions (42.85%); in week two, "Confidential Assignment" (starring Hyun Bin and Yoo Hae-jin) had 1,379 screens from which to pool and added another 1,9 million (46.1%), moving its total tally now to 3.77 million ($26.57 million),...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2017.01.20 ~ 2017.01.22
  2017/01/23
  Local films "The King" and "Confidential Assignment" capture 70% of the sales... Han Jae-rim's new film, "The King" (starring Jo In-sung, Jung Woo-sung and Bae Sung-woo), and Kim Jeong-hoon-III's sophomore feature, "Confidential Assignment" (with Hyun Bin and Yoo Hae-jin), entered the chart and secured a one-two finish for the home team,...More

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  [USA and Canada] Korean movie "The King" to be Released in North America on January 27, 2017
  2017/01/16
  Will "The King" Become the Next Korean Blockbuster Hit in the U.S? * Uncanny resemblance to the Choi Soon-sil Scandal * Korean-American viewers are keeping their eyes on the movie's release date in Korea (1/18) * Limited release in about 30 theaters around the U.S./Canada on January 27 * Jaw-dropping cast including Jung Woo-sung, Jo In-sung, Ryu Jun-yeol, and Kim Ah-joong,...More

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  [HanCinema's Digest] Cinema Snippets
  2016/10/01
  Pierce Conran goes through the impressive lineup for the 11th London Korean Film Festival, NPR looks at the fascinating history behind Korea's first cinema couple, KOBIZ reveals the country's favourite films over Chuseok in their latest infographic, and the Los Angeles Times reviews Korea's official Oscar submission: "The Age of Shadows",...More

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  [Video] Korean movie of the week "The Fatal Encounter"
  2016/06/30, Source
  Korean movie of the week "The Fatal Encounter" (2014) Directed by Lee Jae-gyoo With Hyun Bin, Jung Jae-young, Jo Jung-suk, Cho Jae-hyun, Han Ji-min, Kim Sung-ryung,... Formerly known as "The King's Wrath" Prologue "The Fatal Encounter" is
focusing on the story of politically embattled King Jeongjo (nicknamed the King of Misfortune), his dedicated servant Sang-chaek, and nefarious courtiers and assassins. Synopsis As the year 1777 opens, King Jeongjo enters the second year of his reign, which is consistently under threat from the opposing Noron and Soron factions. To successfully defend his royal power, Jeongjo draws upon his stores of courage and relies heavily on his loyal servant Sang-chaek. In a shocking twist, Sang-chaek turns out to be an assassin who was sent into service in order to kill Jeongjo. After witnessing King Jeongjo's capacity to justly rule the people, however, Sang-chaek comes clean about his true identity, and is banished from the court. As he leaves the palace, however, his eye catches sight of Sal-soo, the deadliest assassin in Joseon. Sang-chaek frantically returns to the court, only to find Sal-soo locked in combat with Jeongjo,...More

• 

  Song Kang-ho confirmed for action thriller movie 'Fifth Column'
  2016/05/05, Source
  Song Kang-ho has confirmed his cast for the forthcoming action thriller movie, "Fifth Column". "Fifth Column" said, "Korea's unarguably prominent leading actor Song Kang-ho will star as the leading actor" and "The movie will begin filming in the second half of this year". Song Kang-ho has been cast as Kang Jong-deok, an army criminal investigator working for the Ministry of National Defense, who gets involved in an accident fifteen days before his military retirement date. He fights alone to uncover the truth of his last case,...More

• 

  [North America] "Time Renegadess" to be realased in North America on April, 22
  2016/04/06, Source
  Synopsis One murder, two different times. Two men's desperate race against time to save one woman they both love. January 1, 1983. High school teacher Ji-hwan (Jo Jung-suk) proposes to colleague and lover Yoon-jeong (Im Soo-jung), but moments later he is fighting for his life after he is stabbed by a mugger. January 1, 2015. Police detective Geon-woo (Lee Jin-wook) is shot by a suspect. The two men who live 30 years apart, fight for their lives on the same day, at the same hospital. As they come back from the brink of death, the two men begin to see through each other's eyes in their dreams,...More

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  Kim Hye-soo and Lee Sun-kyun's "Special Lady" to crank up on the 28th
  2016/01/26, Source
  Actors and actress Lee Sun-kyun, Kim Hye-soo, Lee Hee-joon and Choi Moo-sung have been cast for the noire "Special Lady". "Special Lady" will crank in on the 28th,...More

• 

  Jung Woo-sung confirmed to join Jo In-sung for movie 'The King'
  2016/01/03, Source
  Jung Woo-sung will star in movie "The King". An associate with Jung Woo-sung's agency, Red Brick House told Xports News on January 2nd, " Jung Woo-sung will star in "The King". He will play a superintendent public prosecutor,...More

• 

  Buddies with Santa, Lee Seung-gi's playful smile
  2015/12/23, Source
  Lee Seung-gi celebrated the cranking up of "The Princess and the Matchmaker". In the picture he posted on Instagram, he is pulling on a string attached to a Santa figure and smiling like a child,...More

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  Lee Seung-gi the winter man in "The Princess and the Matchmaker" with Shim Eun-kyung
  2015/11/17, Source
  Actor Lee Seung-gi is back as the perfect winter man. He was featured in the man cover of Cosmopolitan which only happens twice a year. He is currently busy with making the movie "The Princess and the Matchmaker" with Shim Eun-kyung,...More

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  Former After School member, Lee Joo-yeon-I joins Jo In-sung in movie 'The King'
  2015/11/12, Source
  Former After School member Lee Joo-yeon-I has been cast for movie, "The King". According to sources in film industry on November 12th, Lee Joo-yeon-I will star in the upcoming movie, "The King" starring Jo In-sung as the leading actor and directed by Han Jae-rim. Lee Joo-yeon-I's character will play an important role in moving forward the plots and developing events in the movie,...More

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  Son Hyun-joo VS Jo Jung-suk VS Lee Kwang-soo: Who is going to be the last one to laugh?
  2015/10/22, Source
  Actors Son Hyun-joo, Jo Jung-suk and Lee Kwang-soo are coming together with different titles. "The Martian" holds of record of 3 million audiences in just 11 days and next is "The Intern" at the Box Office,...More

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  Lee Byung-hun to come back with movie "Inside Men" in November
  2015/09/22, Source
  Writer Yoon Tae-ho's unfinished web-toon and criminal drama is coming out this November. The film features actors Lee Byung-hun, Cho Seung-woo and Baek Yoon-shik. "Inside Men" is a criminal drama about the loyalty and betrayal of inside men who move the Korean society. The drama was serially published in 2012 but suddenly came to a stop and originates from Yoon Tae-ho's unfinished web-toon "Inside Men",...More

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  Shim Eun-kyung and Lee Seung-gi to star in "The Princess and the Matchmaker"
  2015/09/14, Source
  Actress Shim Eun-kyung and actor Lee Seung-gi are starring in the historical movie "The Princess and the Matchmaker". Jupiter Films claims that the two started filming the movie in a set in Namyangju on the 9th of September.,...More

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  [HanCinema's Digest] Cinema Snippets
  2015/09/13
  DramaFever does its research and reveals the highest paid K-drama actors and actresses, 11 Korean films head to VIFF, and KOBIZ explores the success of period dramas in recent years as more films reach 10 million admissions,...More

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  'The Assassination' actor Lee Jung-jae on promotional trip to China steals spotlight
  2015/09/08, Source
  Actor Lee Jung-jae along with director Choi Dong-hoon and actor Ha Jung-woo visited Beijing, China to promote movie, "The Assassination", which is scheduled to be released in China on September 17th, Since the news about Lee Jung-jae's visit to China broke out on September 7th, the Chinese local medias including Sohu, Qianhua, People started reporting from the moment he departed from Ghimpo International Airport to the moment he arrived in China,...More

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  How Kim Tae-hee escaped from being the scapegoat
  2015/08/24, Source
  In the past, Kim Tae-hee's sister worked at Namoo Actors for 2 years. It was a permanent position with insurance. She was helping the managers and her sister who was making 5 billion won a year. There was no reason for anyone to stop the sister from coming into work and helping out. However, there was a lot of noise about this as there is no case where a celebrity and his or her family worked out well together. There was also the question of how well a blood-related family could be rational when it came to making decisions about work and money matters,...More

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  [Interview] "The Assassination" Lee Jung-jae, "My romance has dried up and I lost my co-workers..."
  2015/08/19, Source
  Lee Jung-jae talked about his endless roles of being the bad guy. "The Assassination" is the first movie this year to have made 10 million views and as for Lee Jung-jae, it's his second 10 million hit movie following "The Thieves". In "The Assassination", Lee Jung-jae plays an independent movement soldier named Yeom Seok-jin in his 20s then a spy who betrays his country in his 30s. It must've been a concern playing a role like this near the 70th anniversary of independence in Korea but he said it was a challenge he wanted to try. It was torturing and made him lonely at the same time,...More

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  Will Lee Seung-gi solidify his 'romantic comedy' image with Shim Eun-kyung?
  2015/07/19, Source
  Singer and actor Lee Seung-gi is working on his second movie, "The Princess and the Matchmaker" with Shim Eun-kyung. He's been starring in romantic comedy dramas lately; will he be able to bring out his colors with Shim Eun-kyung? "The Princess and the Matchmaker" is one of the '3 dynamics' by Jupiter Films and is the second series in following "The Face Reader" which was released in 2013. "The Princess and the Matchmaker" is a romantic comedy historical which looks into the relationship between a man and a woman through marital compatibility,...More

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  Jang Geun-suk, Ahn Sung-ki, Won Bin, Lee Min-ho, Song Joon-ki become foundation members of Unicef Honors Club
  2015/05/30, Source
  Korean Committee for UNICEF formed UNIC,...More

• 

  Jo In-sung to return to big screen with 'The King'
  2015/05/14, Source
  It seems that actor Jo In-sung will return to the big screen in seven years, as he is positively discussing about his appearance in director Han Jae-rim's new project, 'The King' at the moment. An official from his agency IOK Entertainment told OSEN on May 14th, "He has not completed the last stage of the contract yet. However he's looking into the offer positively",...More

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  Kim Hye-soo Excited to Take on New Challenge
  2015/04/25, Source
  Kim Hye-soo is a brave actress who is not afraid of taking on new challenges. Her filmography reflects her bold character and undying commitment to acting. She played unusually charismatic female roles in "Tazza: The High Rollers" (2006), "The Thieves" (2012) and "The Face Reader" (2013). She is set to come back with a new noir film, "Coin Locker Girl", which will be released next week,...More

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  Kim Hye-soo Undergoes Transformation for Her Upcoming Film
  2015/03/18, Source
  Actress Kim Hye-soo underwent a transformation to prepare for her newest role in the film "Coin Locker Girl". In "Coin Locker Girl", Kim plays an immigrant woman who lives the tough life of a crime boss,...More

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  [HanCinema's 7 Days of Giveaway] Day 7 : "The Thieves" and "The Face Reader"
  2014/12/31
  [HanCinema's 7 Days of Giveaway] Day 7 : "The Thieves" and "The Face Reader",...More

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  [HanCinema's Feature] Korea's Top Five Favorite Films of 2014
  2014/12/20
  2015 is nigh upon us, a fresh year with its own host of hits waiting to entertain and be enjoyed. There is still a little time before 2014 passes us by, and before it does I wanted to glance back and take stock of this year's most successful spectacles and see what rose to top in terms of ticket tallies. Last year Korean cinephiles were treated to an array of awesome attractions ("The Face Reader", "Snowpiercer", "The Attorney", "Miracle in Cell No.7"), but still Bong Joon-ho's 2003 hit "The Host" remained the nation's cash king with over 13M admissions. It would take something supremely special (historic) to rally such record-breaking support and slay this iconic stub-guzzler,...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2014.12.05 ~ 2014.12.07
  2014/12/08
  Scott's Epic Exodus Grounds "Interstellar"... Nolan's "Interstellar" was November in Korea. It dictated terms and elevated itself well above the competition ("Fashion King", "Cart", "Fury", "Big Match"), each week and without fail. So successful was this space odyssey's reign, that its nearest challenger claimed no more than half of its black and bloated bottom-line each weekend. It's not over yet, but the film has so far absorbed nearly 10 million admissions ($65.2M): a mega-milestone in Korea that currently only a dozen features can boast (all after 2003 starting with "Silmido"). "Snowpiercer" (9.3M), "The Face Reader" (9.1M), and "Iron Man 3" (9M) have all had a recent sniff, and "Interstellar" still needs a further 800K to buy into this elite club,...More

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  Actresses have nowhere to stand
  2014/12/07, Source
  There's a saying; 'there's no place for an actress'. There aren't that many movies that stand out for actresses this year. Last year, actors stood out with the movies "The Terror Live", "The Face Reader" and "Secretly and Greatly". This year was no different with "KUNDO : Age of the Rampant", "The Admiral: Roaring Currents", "The Fatal Encounter", "Haemoo", "A Hard Day" and more. The majority of the audience remembers that these movies were based around men,...More

• 

  Lee Jung-jae Proves He Has Yet to Peak
  2014/12/06, Source
  As the title of the movie suggests, actor Lee Jung-jae keeps running, jumping and fighting in "Big Match", an action comedy directed by Choi Ho that was released last week,...More

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  Character posters released for upcoming movie "Big Match"
  2014/10/27, Source
  The movie "Big Match" has released its latest poster. Lee Jung-jae and other characters are featured on it,...More

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  Oh Yeon-seo becomes a sensual woman
  2014/10/20, Source
  Actress Oh Yeon-seo took pictures for the fashion magazine Allure November issue. Oh Yeon-seo put on sexy make up and exposed her back. In the oriental mood pictorial, Oh Yeon-seo is wearing a lacy dress that emphasizes her voluptuous bodyline,...More

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  Upcoming KBS drama "The King's Face" vs. plagiarism claims from "The Face Reader"
  2014/08/26, Source
  MBC has run into a wall with going forward with a drama. An issue has been brought up regarding KBS plagiarizing the movie "The Face Reader" and MBC could bring this issue to square one. Jupiter Films and MBC have been talking about making a drama out of "The Face Reader". However, when issues about KBS "The King's Face" plagiarizing the movie came up, MBC wondered if there was a need to make a drama with the same source and subject,...More

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  "The Face Reader" appeals for injunction
  2014/08/24, Source
  The production company for "The Face Reader" applied for production and restriction of broadcasting injunction against KBS and KBS Media. Jupiter Films requested an injunction for the violation of copyrights and an unfair act of competition against KBS and KBS Media,...More

• 

  'Roaring Currents' Breaks All Box-Office Records
  2014/08/07, Source
  "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" is breaking every box-office record in Korea and has now drawn 7 million viewers in the shortest time in Korean film history, just eight days after it opened. It was released on July 30 and needed a full five days fewer than the previous record held by "The Host" (2006), "The Thieves" (2012) and "The Face Reader" (2013),...More

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  [HanCinema's Actor Spotlight] Jo Jung-suk
  2014/07/05
  Stage and musical actors who become television and film actors generally fall into one of three categories. Either they act on screen as they do on stage, altogether too loudly and flamboyantly for the screen, or, they have a natural screen presence. There are also those who gradually transition from the first to the second with practice and experience. Actor Jo Jung-suk is a stage and musical actor who has not only naturally transitioned onto the screen with ease, but has earned himself the title of "scene stealer",...More

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  [Video] Official English trailer released for the Korean movie 'The Fatal Encounter'
  2014/05/30, Source
  Official English trailer released for the Korean movie "The Fatal Encounter",...More

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  2014 50th Baeksang Arts Awards Winners in Movies
  2014/05/27
  2014 50th Baeksang Arts Awards winners in movies,...More

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  Song Kang-ho vs. Ha Jung-woo vs. Sol Kyung-gu
  2014/05/26, Source
  There's going to be competition at the 50th Baeksang Arts Awards. The 50th annual BAA is going to be held on the 27th at 6:30PM at Kyeonghee University to reward the stars who have shined throughout the year. It is expected that there's going to be tough competition amongst the leading actors and actresses of Chungmuro,...More

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  Casting is complete for "Sado"
  2014/05/25, Source
  "Sado" is director Lee Joon-ik's version of the unknown story of Prince Sado who infamously died from being trapped in a box by his father Yeong Jo. Song Kang-ho from "Snowpiercer" and "The Face Reader" takes on the role of King Yeong Jo, a man who climbed many mountains to become king and had no choice but to lock up his son,...More

• 

  [HanCinema's Actor Spotlight] Lee Jong-suk
  2014/05/17
  Lee Jong-suk is a young star who skyrocketed to Hallyu fame after his leading role in KBS's fifth installment of its School franchise, "School 2013". What makes him worthy of such star power is not only his good looks, but his versatility in acting. He started out in film and slowly worked his way up from minor roles in films dramas like "Prosecutor Princess" and "Secret Garden" to the meaty first lead in "School 2013", "I Hear Your Voice", and the presently airing "Doctor Stranger". Even in smaller roles he stands out. In "Secret Garden" he played a secondary character: a talented young composer with a surly attitude and a forbidden crush on the second male lead, Oska played by Yoon Sang-hyun. It was in this that I first took notice of him and how he held his own with seasoned actors like Sang-hyeon,...More

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  [Video] Added new videos and stills for the Korean movie 'The Fatal Encounter'
  2014/05/16, Source
  Added new videos and stills for the Korean movie "The Fatal Encounter",...More

• 

  2014 50th Baeksang Arts Awards : Most Popular Actor in a Movie Nominees List
  2014/05/09, Source
  2014 50th Baeksang Arts Awards :most popular actor in a movie nominees list,...More

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  2014 50th Baeksang Arts Awards : Most Popular Actress in a Movie Nominees List
  2014/05/09, Source
  2014 50th Baeksang Arts Awards : most popular actress in a movie nominees list,...More

• 

  2014 50th Baeksang Arts Awards : Movies Nominees List
  2014/05/09, Source
  2014 50th Baeksang Arts Awards : Movies Nominees List,...More

• 

  Korean Super Star Actor Hyun Bin's Much Awaited Comeback Period Film "The Fatal Encounter" Hits N. American Theaters May 23rd!
  2014/05/07, Source
    Prologue "The Fatal Encounter" is
focusing on the story of politically embattled King Jeong-Jo (nicknamed the King of Misfortune), his dedicated servant Sang-chaek, and nefarious courtiers and assassins. Synopsis As the year 1777 opens, King Jeong-jo enters the second year of his reign, which is consistently under threat from the opposing Noron and Soron factions. To successfully defend his royal power, Jeong-jo draws upon his stores of courage and relies heavily on his loyal servant Sang-chaek. In a shocking twist, Sang-chaek turns out to be an assassin who was sent into service in order to kill Jeong-jo. After witnessing King Jeong-jo's capacity to justly rule the people, however, Sang-chaek comes clean about his true identity, and is banished from the court. As he leaves the palace, however, his eye catches sight of Sal-soo, the deadliest assassin in Joseon. Sang-chaek frantically returns to the court, only to find Sal-soo locked in combat with Jeong-jo,...More

• 

  [HanCinema's Hall of Fame Review] "Cold Eyes": Soulless City Surveillance
  2014/04/26
  In the Spotlight this Week: Cho Ui-seok & Kim Byeong-seo's "Cold Eyes"... 2013 was a stunningly successful year for Korean cinema that saw the top three films ("Miracle in Cell No.7", "Snowpiercer", and "The Face Reader") rack up more than 30 million admissions between them. In addition to these bulging blockbusters, the year's top ten also saw a number of spy films gain the public's favour. Ryoo Seung-wan's "The Berlin File" depicted a classy tale of international espionage, Jang Cheol-soo's sophomore feature "Secretly and Greatly" raced to nearly 7 million, and the domestic spy thriller "Cold Eyes" grinded through July to eventually claim nearly 6 million admissions. Although the podium finishers showcased glittering happy-ever-afters, devastating dystopias, and dreaming dynastic dreamscapes, the latter half of the year's top ten were more shadowy and sane,...More

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  6th Annual Terracotta Far East Film Festival Announces Full Line-up
  2014/04/25, Source
  The sixth Terracotta Far East Film Festival (TFEFF) will be held in two central London venues over ten days from Friday 23 May to Sunday 1 June, showing 23 films including International and European premieres. The festival is one of the UK's biggest showcases for contemporary Asian cinema, boasting an electrifying mix of movies from emerging and established artists across a range of genres. The 2014 edition will open on Friday 23 May with the UK premiere of ON THE JOB, the latest ground-breaking work from Erik Matti which premiered at Cannes Film Festival 2013 in the 'Directors' Fortnight'. The closing film of the festival, screened on Sunday 1 June, will be the International premiere of JUDGE! with special guest appearance from director Akira Nagai,...More

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  Hyun Bin's Much Awaited Comeback Movie "The Fatal Encounter" Hits N. American Theaters May 23rd!
  2014/04/16, Source
  South Korea's highly anticipated period film "The Fatal Encounter" is set to released in over 25 North American theaters on May 23rd. "The Fatal Encounter" is expected to join the ranks of South Korea's most treasured period films including "Masquerade" (2012) and "The Face Reader" (2013),...More

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  Director Lee Jae-gyoo, "I was intrigued"
  2014/03/31, Source
  "The King 2 Hearts's Wrath" which is well known for being Hyun Bin's first movie since his National Service discharge, has once again topped the ranks but this time, it's the director Lee Jae-gyoo. With a fancy debut winning the Baek Sang Rookie Director Award for "Damo", Lee Jae-gyoo directed high rating dramas such as "Beethoven Virus", "The King 2 Hearts" and more,...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2014.03.28 ~ 2014.03.30
  2014/03/31
  "Captain America" strikes, "Noah" sinks... Darren Aronofsky's "Noah" sunk to second as Marvel's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" rallied 1.1M admissions to its cause. The American superhero opened to a massive 1,106 screens to capture 61% of the market and dislodge the biblical epic from pole position. Last weekend "Noah" opened its account with 950K, but was unable to see out the storm and managed just 326,746 (16.6%) stubs here in week two. Only three local films featured in the top ten ("Thread of Lies", "Miss Granny", and "Monster - Movie") as Korea's volatile box office continued its fickle favouring of new entries,...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2014.03.14 ~ 2014.03.16
  2014/03/17
  "300" falls to "Thread of Lies"… "300: Rise of an Empire" fell from grace this past weekend as "Thread of Lies" opened strong with 447,454 admissions (26.5%). Lee Han's last film, "Punch", attracted over 5 million filmgoers back in 2011, and now his latest has made the most of its 555 allocated screens to claim the top spot in week one. Last week the fantasy war epic "300: Rise of an Empire" took gold with over 6K admissions, however after that initial excitement the adaptation fell one place with just 303,280 (20.4%) to its name. Murro's hyper-stylised retelling of the Battle of Salamis now sits on an admissions stack 1.3 million high after two weeks in the chart,...More

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  Korean Box Office for the Weekend 2014.03.14 ~ 2014.03.16
  2014/03/16, Source
  The number one movie this week is "Thread of Lies" (우아한 거짓말),...More

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  [HanCinema's Hall of Fame Review] "The Face Reader": A Polished Period Piece with Nothing to Hide
  2014/02/01
  In the Spotlight this Week: Han Jae-rim's "The Face Reader" Dreamy quest through Joseon's dynastic dreamscapes have provided modern Korean cinema with some of the most lavishly successful hits in recent years. Period features such as "The Thieves" (2012), "Masquerade" (2012), and "Arrow, The Ultimate Weapon" (2011) have stormed local theatres and attracted tens of millions of filmgoers to their vibrant and scintillating re-imaginings of Korea's Hermit Kingdom. These romanticised tellings have probed and pondered various political dramas through a curious, but altogether captivating, contemporary lens. There has already been a tremendous about of buzz regarding the string of yarns set for release this year, but that feverish frenzy was somewhat sparked by 2013's only, and hugely successful, period film: "The Face Reader",...More

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  [HanCinema's Image Gallery] "The Face Reader"
  2014/02/01
  A selection of shots from Han Jae-rim's "The Face Reader"... As part of the astonishing year that was 2013, Han Jae-rim's "The Face Reader" claimed 9.1 million admission during Korea's Chuseok celebrations and was the second of three films to feature 2013 biggest star: Song Kang-ho. The film has Song play a Joseon physiognomist (a person who can judge character by examining one's facial features) who makes his way from his humble country dwelling all the way to King's court and back. "The Face Reader" contains an interesting mix of K-comedy, suspense, and melodrama and is currently the evelenth highest grossing Korean film of all-time. Enjoy! [spoiler],...More

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  [HanCinema's Afterwords] KOFIC Podcast Review - Ep. 5
  2014/01/25
  In this Episode: Pierce has a chat with film critic Jason Bechervaise about six period films coming in 2014… KOFIC recently launched "Korean Cinema Today", a bimonthly podcast that's all about the wonderful world of Korean cinema. Hosted by Pierce Conran, the show features the latest Korean cinema news, features, discussions, and interviews with special guests from the industry. In episode 5 Pierce has Korean film critic, journalist and academic Jason Bechervaise in studio to discuss the host of period films coming our way in 2014,...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2014.01.17 ~ 2014.01.19
  2014/01/20
  "Frozen" enjoys a solid start while "The Attorney" celebrates 10M tickets…  After four consecutive weeks at the top of the pile, Yang Woo-seok's "The Attorney" has finally given way to Walt Disney Picture's "Frozen" (1,036,102 admissions). The Oscar nominated animation has already grossed $759M worldwide and arrived on Korean shores to the delight of more than a million filmgoers. "Frozen" captured 41.4% of the market share to dislodge Yang's true-life drama and deny it a fifth straight week as Korea's number one. However that didn't overshadow the fact that this past week saw "The Attorney" breach 10 million admissions (10,162,511 - $69.5M), and it now joins an elite, and ever-growing, list of Korean films who have achieved such an incredible feat,...More

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  'The Attorney' Set for North American Release
  2014/01/16, Source
  Less than one month after it premiered, "The Attorney" has already eclipsed the 9-million viewer mark here in Korea. It is expected to sell a total of 10 million tickets later this week, thus cementing its status as a blockbuster. This is familiar territory for lead actor Song Kang-ho, who last year had two films -- "The Face Reader" and "Snowpiercer" -- hit the 9-million mark, although neither was able to achieve double-digit status,...More

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  [HanCinema Feature] Historical Hysteria: Korean period films coming in 2014
  2014/01/11
  Joseon pirates, legends, swordsmen, angels and more coming our way in 2014... Cinematic journeys back to Joseon and beyond have rewarded the Korean film industry with a string of profitable historical yarns, a trend that has got producers drooling with the prospect of tapping deeper into this regenerative cash cow. Recently, it's been Han Jae-rim's "The Face Reader" (9.1M admissions) that has had locals flustered and, in 2005, it was Lee Joon-ik's "The King and the Clown" that became the first Joseon-era flick to pass the 10 million admissions mark. It's big business with a cultural twist that locals enjoy supporting, international audiences love lapping up, and a trend that 2014 is keen to take advance of as a host of new retrospectives are getting raring to go,...More

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  [HanCinema's Lists] The Top 5 Korean Period Films of All-Time
  2014/01/10
  Korean period features are big business that, when done right, really do bring in the big bucks. The past few years, in particular, have yielded some stellar titles that have seriously resonated with local audiences. This trend is set to continue in 2014 as a host of new historical dramas and action flicks are lining up to try and capture the public's imagination by re-framing the past in unique and exciting ways. Some of the historical films to look out for in 2014 include: "KUNDO : Age of the Rampant", "A Touch of Zen", "Pirates", "The Huntresses", and "Battle Of Myeongryang"; but before we usher in these new historical yarns, here's a quick look at the five highest grossing Korean period films of all-time that this year's entries will hope to challenge,...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2014.01.03 - 2014.01.05
  2014/01/06
  "The Attorney" gets 2014 off to a super start…  The first figures for 2014 are in and Yang Woo-seok's "The Attorney" has crossed over in style. Yang's true-life drama dominated proceedings at the end of 2013, and has opened its 2014 account with 1.2 million admissions (44.3%), advancing its total tally now to 7.8M ($53.7M). Yang's magnetic marvel was joined by Won Shin-yun's action thriller "The Suspect", whose 542,730 (19.4%) pushed Won's fourth film over the 3 million mark. From there it was the foreign flicks all the way down to Bang Eun-jin's "Way Back Home" in tenth, which marked its fourth week in top ten by adding to 35,764 (1.2%) admissions to its cause,...More

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  [HanCinema's Afterwords] KOFIC Podcast Review - Special Episode
  2014/01/04
  In this Episode: Korean Cinema in 2013…  KOFIC recently launched "Korean Cinema Today", a bimonthly podcast that's all about the wonderful world of Korean cinema. Hosted by Pierce Conran, the show features the latest Korean cinema news, features, discussions, and interviews with special guests from the industry. In this special episode, Pierce has Darcy Paquet in studio to talk about the past year's big features, their top 5 films of the year, industry trends, as well as mention some of the big period films coming our way in 2014. "Korean Cinema Today" is only four episodes in, and so while they are still finding their feet, the show is shaping up to be another fantastic new initiative by KOFIC. The show is hosted by Pierce Conran (editor of Modern Korean Cinema, Twitch Korean film correspondent, and writer for the Korean Film Council) and thus far he has already had interviews with Kwak Gyeong-taek ("Friend 2"), Lee Cheol-ha ("Hello Orchestra"), and has Darcy Paquet (one of Korea's leading and dedicated film critics) on the show to talk about 2003 (a landmark year for Korean cinema). In this special episode Darcy joins Pierce once again to discuss the incredible year that was 2013,...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2013.12.27 ~ 2013.12.29
  2013/12/30
  Song on song as "The Attorney" rounds out a stellar year… The Korean box office has ended its record-breaking year on a massive high as Yang Woo-seok's "The Attorney" and Won Shin-yun's "The Suspect" dominated the final weekend. This year's remarkable ticket sales indicate that Koreans are some of the most active filmgoers in the world, with an average of 4.1 trips in 2013 (the U.S. sits on 4.3). Support for local flicks has, indeed, been incredible this year, and the encouragement continued right up until the very end as "The Attorney" and "The Suspect" closed proceedings for the home team in emphatic style,...More

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  [HanCinema's Film News] Korea's Top Ten Most Popular Films of 2013
  2013/12/28
  It's been an astonishing and record-breaking year at the Korean box office, but before we usher in 2014, here's a quick look at the top ten Korean films that locals were throwing their hard-earned won at,...More

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  Song Kang-ho, Jeon Do-yeon Named Most Memorable Actors of 2013
  2013/12/23, Source
  Song Kang-ho (left) and Jeon Do-yeon A record 227.8 million people had watched the 623 films screened in Korean theaters this year as of Saturday. Multiplex chain CGV says data from U.K. media research firm Screen Digest show that every Korean watched on average 4.12 films in cinema this year, beating the U.S'. 3.88 films per person to top the world for the first time. Some films were good, others a way of killing time. The Chosun Ilbo and booking site Maxmovie asked 2,622 people who were the most memorable actors and what the most memorable films of the year,...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2013.12.20 - 2013.12.22
  2013/12/23
  Song Kang-ho ho ho's "The Attorney" to the Top... All others were found wanting this past weekend as Yang Woo-seok's "The Attorney" put up a feverish 1.3M (45.2%) admissions ahead of the Christmas celebrations. Last week Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" was the flickering favourite, but the epic feature conceded defeat here as Yang's star-struck local drama ensured the year ended on a local high. The other domestic disturbances were Lee Hyun-jong's racy romance "Catch Me", and an early favouring of Gong Yoo's first action outing: "The Suspect". The second instalment of Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" added 381,794 (13.2%) to its new bottom line of 1.6M ($12M); less than half of what it smuggled in last weekend and now skulks into second after Yang's attractive opening act. "The Attorney" outplayed Mr. B. Baggins and his adventuring entourage with a talented team of its own, employing the powerful prestige of this year's gold-fingered Song Kang-ho (who has already steered two showstoppers to glory: the French-born "Snowpiercer" and the dynastic "The Face Reader"), alongside further gems in Kim Young-ae ("Confession of Murder"), Oh Dal-soo ("Miracle in Cell No.7") and Kwak Do-won ("A Company Man"). "The Attorney" follows a civil rights lawyer through a landmark human rights case during Korea's tumultuous 1980s; a perhaps strange Christmas flick, but one that Korean audiences have lavishly lapped up in week one,...More

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  Over 200 Million Movie Tickets to Be Sold This Year
  2013/12/17, Source
  The total number of movie tickets sold in Korea is expected to hit the 200 million mark for the first time this year. According to the Korean Film Council on Monday, the figure had already 199.33 million as of Sunday. Given that 200,000 to 300,000 people watch films in theaters on weekdays, the figure will likely surpass the milestone this week,...More

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  [HanCinema's Film News] New Korean Films Inbound...
  2013/12/14
  K-Films Coming Soon: ★★★★★ "The Attorney": A civil rights lawyer takes up a controversial and historical case that tests his character. (12/10) ★★★★ "Catch Me": A detective on the trail of a hit-and-run witness finds troublesome love for his efforts and has to make a tough call. (12/19) ★★★★★ "SHIVA, Throw Your Life": The last film from the late documentary filmmaker Lee Seong-gyou. (12/19),...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2013.11.22 - 2013.11.24
  2013/11/25
  Korea Proves Fire Retardant as "Friends 2" holds True... Kwak Gyeong-taek's "Friends 2" held onto the top spot despite the arrival of the engrossing "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire". "Catching Fire" smashed the U.S. box office record for a November release, grossing a grotesque $161.1M as fans flooded the theatres to catch the second instalment of "Hunger Games" trilogy. However a slow Korean market proved incombustible in the face of this fiery U.S. action-adventure, choosing instead to re-elect Kwak's popular sequel as it moved onto 2.3 million admissions in its second weekend out,...More

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  Lee Jung-jae full of prizes
  2013/11/24, Source
  Lee Jung-jae is in the highlight these days. He succeeded in transforming his image with the movie "The Face Reader" and has been winning prizes ever since,...More

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  Korean Box Office for the Weekend 2013.11.22 ~ 2013.11.24
  2013/11/24, Source
  The number one movie this week is "Friends 2" (친구2),...More

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  34th Blue Dragon Film Awards Winners
  2013/11/22, Source
  Hwang Jung-min and Han Hyo-joo (right) pose after winning the Best Actor and Actress Awards at the Blue Dragon Film Awards in Seoul on Friday,...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2013.11.15 ~ 2013.11.17
  2013/11/18
  Kwak Gyeong-taek's "Friends 2" blew the God of Thunder away in its first weekend out. Kwak's latest is the sequel to his iconic debut "Friends" (2001) – a landmark feature which earned 8.1 million admissions to became the highest grossing Korean film since the nation's first real blockbuster "Shiri" in 1999. "Friends 2" broke the million admissions mark with the help of 968 screenings around the country, coverage that befriended 50.5% of all the filmgoers active over the weekend. Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World" was grounded due to unfavourable local conditions, dropping 47% from last week to just 346,931 (15.8%).  Jeong Yeon-sik's webcomic adaptation "The Five" and the documentary "Black Gospel" were the new Korean releases that managed to crack a top ten finish, while Ridley Scott's "The Counsellor" was the only new foreign feature that was competitive,...More

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  "Snowpiercer" Song Kang-ho and Uhm Ji-won awarded the Best
  2013/11/17, Source
  Bong Joon-ho's "Snowpiercer" won 3 awards. According to the Film's Commission, that "Snowpiercer" was awarded 3 awards including Best Film, Best Director and Best Cinematography,...More

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  Korean Box Office for the Weekend 2013.11.15 ~ 2013.11.17
  2013/11/17, Source
  The number one movie this week is "Friends 2" (친구2),...More

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  Korean actresses no longer pretend to be pretty, weak, ingenuous
  2013/11/11, Source
  Korean actresses have changed. They are giving up pretending to be pretty, weak and ingenuous. Kim Sun-ah, model-turned actress who is 170 centimeters (near six feet) tall plays the role of a woman paralyzed from waist down in the movie "The Five" that will be released Thursday. Instead of showing off her slim legs, she rides an electric wheelchair with both legs tied up. A woman who lost her husband and daughter by a murderer, she is a vengeful person. To show such emotions, Kim has disheveled hair, and her face is bruised since she fights with the murderer. Jeon Do-yeon in "Way Back Home" plays a woman who is falsely accused of carrying drugs and is locked up in a jail in a foreign country. She doesn`t give off charm of a femme fatal. Ha Ji-won performs a swordsmanship action at "Chosun`s Angels" that will be released in early next year,...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2013.11.01 ~ 2013.11.03
  2013/11/04
  The God of Thunder has struck the Korean peninsula and taken charge atop its box office. "Thor: The Dark World" hammered home 827,625 admissions to deny "Blood and Ties" a second weekend title as Korea's choice flick. Last week Alfonso Cuarón's "Gravity" and "Blood and Ties" partook in a photo finish whereby the local effort pulled through on ticket stubs, while the big budget blockbuster claimed the cash prize due to its 3D splendour. This past weekend's results, however, put a sharp stop to the squabbling, as a new king was crown in the form of the Marvel's "Thor" and his second eventful arrival on our petty planet,...More

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  Korean Box Office for the Weekend 2013.11.01 ~ 2013.11.03
  2013/11/03, Source
  The number one movie this week is "Thor: The Dark World",...More

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  50th Annual Daejong Film Awards Winners
  2013/11/02
  50th Annual Daejong Film Awards Winners,...More

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  Lee Jung-jae and Cho Seung-woo in "Big Match"
  2013/10/31, Source
  Actors Lee Jung-jae and Cho Seung-woo are starring in the movie "Big Match". This movie is directed by Choi Ho and was the center of attention in Chungmuro from the beginning,...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2013.10.25 - 2013.10.27
  2013/10/28
  Gook Dong-seok's disturbing opening act "Blood and Ties" step into the game this past weekend and narrowly claimed the majority vote over last week's favourite: "Gravity". Gook's film drew in a spritely 648,192 filmgoers over 611 screens; a victory somewhat salted by the fact that Cuarón's 3D space thriller still floated away with most of the money (37.3%), for technical reasons. "Hwayi : A Monster Boy" and "Hope" gracefully gave way to Gook's debut, each taking about a hundred thousand admissions hit compared to their efforts last weekend. In addition to "Blood and Ties", Park Joong-hoon's "Top Star" and Shin Yeon-shick's "Rough Play" shook up the middle order somewhat; and the omnibus drama "If You Were Me 6" (4,853 admissions) almost became the fourth new Korean release to snare a top ten finish,...More

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  Korean Box Office for the Weekend 2013.10.25 ~ 2013.10.27
  2013/10/27, Source
  The number one movie this week is "Blood and Ties" (공범 ),...More

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  [HanCinema's Film News] New Korean Films Inbound...
  2013/10/26
  Title: "Days of Wrath" Genre: Action, Thriller Length: 103 min Release Date: 2013/10/31 Director: Sin Dong-yeop ("Wedding Scandal", "100 Days with Mr. Arrogant") Stars: Yang Dong-geun, Joo Sang-wook, Lee Tae-im The Short and Sweet: The victim and bully from school reunite after 15 years with Yang Dong-geun as they bully and Joo Sang-wook as the victim. Actors Yang Dong-geun ("Perfect Game", "Grand Prix") and Joo Sand-wook ("90 Minutes", "The Scent") square off this week in Sin Dong-yeop's fourth feature "Days of Wrath" (aka "The Punisher"). Sin's previous work revolved around romantic ("Wedding Scandal", "100 Days with Mr. Arrogant") comedies and the action sci-fi adventure film "Super Monkey Returns"; but his new film deviates heavily with its dark imagining of an unsettling reunion of Joon-seok (Joo Sang-wook) and his school bully from fifteen years ago. Action thrillers have become a mainstay of Korea cinema; it's a polished genre and style that Korean cinema frequently returns. Sin's new flick looks to join the bandwagon here with a twist that looks not too dissimilar from Park Chan-wook's "Old Boy". "Days of Wrath" looks intriguing and it will be exciting to see if Yang and Joo strike are able to invoke the sort of tension and thrills fans of the genre have come to expect. ★★★★ Title: "NO-BREATH" Genre: Drama, Sports Length: 118 min Release Date: 2013/10/30 Director: Cho Yong-sun* Screenplay: Yoo Yeong-ah Stars: Lee Jong-suk, Seo In-guk, Kwon Yuri, Park Chul-min The Short and Sweet:  Two very different restless youths join a swimming competition for love and friendship that is, in fact, a rite of passage to growing up. This sports drama is Cho Yong-sun's debut feature and in it he has manage to recruit Lee Jong-suk ("The Face Reader", "R2B: Return to Base") and the, largely drama actor, Seo In-guk ("Master's Son", "Rascal Sons") to carry his hopes that a successful sports drama is on the cards here. The two are also supported by the actor/singer Kwon Yuri ("Fashion King", "I AM.") as well as actor Park Chul-min ("The Hero"). In "NO-BREATH", The Lee and Seo play Woo-sang and Won-il, two highly driven youths who follow their dream and talents by joining a swimming competition that tests not only their abilities, but raises new questions in other areas of their lives as well. ★★★ Title: "One of a Kind 3D: G Dragon 2013 1st World Tour" Genre: Documentary, Music Length: 90 min Release Date: 2013/10/31 Director: Jeong Chi-yeong, Son Seok Stars: G-Dragon The Short and Sweet:  The real live feed of one of the leading K-pop artist G-Dragon who always attempts at new challenges in music and style on the 30th of March 2013. ★★★ "Thor: The Dark World" (2013), "Vulgaria" (2012), "Cool Dimension" (2006), "The Four" (2012), "The White Gorilla" (2011), "Storm Rider - Clash of Evils" (2008), "Tough Guy" (2010), "Himizu" (2011), "The Broken Circle Breakdown" (2012), "La Femme Nikita Nikita" (1990), "Klip Clip" (2012), - C.J. Wheeler (chriscjw@gmail.com; @KoreaOnTheCouch)   Sources: AsianWiki: http://asianwiki.com/Mango_Tree; http://asianwiki.com/No_Breathing; Daum: http://movie.daum.net/movieinfo/coming/movieInfoScheduled.do?modeType=day&order=recently HanCinema: http://www.hancinema.net/korean_movie_Nora_Noh.php#synopsis; http://www.hancinema.net/korean_movie_NO-BREATH.php;  http://www.hancinema.net/korean_movie_Mango_Tree.php; http://www.hancinema.net/korean_movie_One_of_a_Kind_3D_2p__G_Dragon_2013_1st_World_Tour.php; http://www.hancinema.net/korean_movie_Delicious_Love_Formula_-_Sex.php; http://www.hancinema.net/korean_movie_Days_of_Wrath.php; http://www.hancinema.net/korean_movie_Green_Chair_2013_-_Love_Conceptually.php#synopsis KOBIZ: http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/jsp/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20122786; http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/jsp/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20130681  ,...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2013.10.18 ~ 2013.10.20
  2013/10/21
  The sci-fi thriller "Gravity" has struck the Korean box office to become the first foreign film to take gold since "Now You See Me" back in August. Alfonso Cuarón's spacey drama snatched 45% (714,419 admissions) of the total ticket sales to outplay last week's number one "Hwayi : A Monster Boy" by some margin. "Gravity" (which stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) has already made $284M worldwide and its international popularity managed to secure foothold for it in the Korean market. Jang Joon-hwan's action thriller "Hwayi" scoped up 365,175 (18.8%) over 552 screens to advance its total now to just under 2 million admissions, while two new Korean entries ("Fasten Your Seatbelt" and "Queen of the Night") quietly crept into fourth and fifth respectfully with less than 300,000 stubs between them,...More

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  Korean Box Office for the Weekend 2013.10.18 ~ 2013.10.20
  2013/10/20, Source
  The number one movie this week is "Gravity",...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2013.10.11 ~ 2013.10.13
  2013/10/14
  Jang Joon-hwan's  "Hwayi : A Monster Boy" opened strong at a peaceful box office this past weekend. Jang, who is best known for his multifaceted debut "Save the Green Planet", has been out of the cinematic limelight for some time now and found his comeback well-supported with 719,454 (45%) admissions in weekend one. Last week's number one, Lee Joon-ik's "Hope", subsequently bowed out into second place with 444,591 (25.5%), followed by "Tough as Iron" (133,250 – 7.7%) and "The Face Reader" (120,126 – 7%). These local flavours dominated the upper echelons of the chart and together constituted 85.9% of the total ticket sales, leaving a string of foreign films to scrap it out for those remaining stubs,...More

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  [Photos] Added new 9 millions viewers "Thank You" celebration images for the Korean movie "The Face Reader"
  2013/10/14, Source
  Director Han Jae-rim, Song Kang-ho, Jo Jung-suk and Lee Jung-jae Added new 9 millions viewers "Thank You" celebration images for the Korean movie "The Face Reader",...More

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  Korean Box Office for the Weekend 2013.10.11 ~ 2013.10.13
  2013/10/13, Source
  The number one movie this week is "Hwayi : A Monster Boy" (화이 : 괴물을 삼킨 아이),...More

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  [HanCinema's Hall Of Fame Review] "Masquerade"
  2013/10/12
  In the Spotlight this Week: "Masquerade" (2012) by Choo Chang-min Trips to Korea's Hermit Kingdom have proven particularly lucrative these past few years, none more so that Choo Chang-min's fourth feature "Masquerade" (2012). Set during Korea's exclusive Joseon Dynasty (1392 ~ 1910), "Masquerade" is a cinematic imagining of the fifteen missing days from King Gwanghae royal journals. Choo's film spent an impressive fourteen weeks in Korea's top ten and attracted 12.3 million viewers during the last quarter of 2012, making it the highest grossing Korean historical drama of all time. "Masquerade" was also honoured at Korea's 2012 Grand Bell Awards (its most prestigious award ceremony), claiming fifteen awards including Best Film, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and the Popularity Award. The film almost walked away as the highest grossing film released that year, but was narrowly outdone by Choi Dong-hoon's "The Thieves" (12.9M), a modern heist flick that dominated proceedings over Korea's sticky summer,...More

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  Domestic Box-Office Sales Hit 100-Million Mark
  2013/10/12, Source
  Cinemagoers here have snapped up over 100 million tickets for Korean movies for the second straight year, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The number of tickets sold this year surpassed the mark Friday, some 47 days earlier than last year, when it took until Nov. 20 to achieve the feat,...More

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  Yeo Jin-goo "Hwayi : A Monster Boy" takes over the box office
  2013/10/10, Source
  "Hwayi : A Monster Boy" took over first place in the box office for two straight days. According to the Korean Films Commission, "Hwayi : A Monster Boy" came in first in the box office with 126,547 audiences. The accumulated number is 494,464,...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2013.10.04 - 2013.10.06
  2013/10/07
  Han Jae-rim's "The Face Reader" relinquished pole position to Lee Joon-ik's new drama "Wish – 2013". Lee has a preference for period pieces with films such as "Hwangsanbul" (2003), "Blades of Blood" (2010), and "Battlefield Heroes" (2010) under his belt, but the director is best known for his period drama "The King and the Clown" which claimed 12.3 million admissions in 2005. Lee's latest is his first film since 2010 and it grabbed some 475,611 (27%) over the weekend, advancing its total tally to just under 800,000. Lee didn't have it all his own way though, "Wish – 2013" had some stiff competition from another local release in the form of Ahn Kwon-tae's "Tough as Iron". Anh's roadside family comedy came out with 407,707 (24%) over 683 screens to secured second place while "The Face Reader" slipped two places in third,...More

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  Korean Box Office for the Weekend 2013.10.04 ~ 2013.10.06
  2013/10/06, Source
  The number one movie this week is "Hope" (소원),...More

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  [Photos] "Hwayi : A Monster Boy" VIP Premiere
  2013/10/04
  Cho Jin-woong, Kim Sung-kyun, Yeo Jin-goo, Nam Ji-hyun, -, Yoo Yeon-seok, Park Hae-joon, Jang Hyun-sung, Kim Yun-seok and director Jang Joon-hwan "Hwayi : A Monster Boy" VIP Premiere,...More

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  Lee Jong-suk, "I realized what was missing"
  2013/10/02, Source
  Cosmopolitan starred Lee Jong-suk as its specially chosen cover model for this month's issue. Lee Jong-suk has become a top star through the KBS 2TV drama "School 2013", SBS "I Hear Your Voice" and more. He also starred in the movie "The Face Reader" which is in cinemas now and is starring in the to-be-released movie "NO-BREATH",...More

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  'Face Reader' Attracts 8 Million Viewers
  2013/10/01, Source
  "The Face Reader", directed by Han Jae-rim, has attracted over 8 million viewers within just 19 days of its release,...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2013.09.27 - 2013.09.29
  2013/09/30
  Ticket sales slowed considerably in the aftermath of Korea's Chuseok holiday celebrations, but that didn't stop Han Jae-rim's "The Face Reader" from advancing past 8 million admissions ($54M). Last week Han's popular period yarn claimed 2.2 million admissions (51.5%) over a whopping 1,239 screens, but the harvest deities have fled and reduced the blockbuster's momentum here to just 641,786 (36.5%) over 857. "The Face Reader" is also now Korea's 14th highest grossing film of all-time, having just recently passed Kim Han-min's "Arrow, The Ultimate Weapon" (7.4M) and Bae Jong's "Welcome to Dongmakgol" (8M). Han's hit still has more than a million admissions to go if it wants to take on Bong Joon-ho's post-apocalyptic thrill ride "Snowpiercer" (9.3M), a feat that will make it the fifth film in two years to break into the Korea's increasingly unstable top ten,...More

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  Seol-Song-Kim, the time has come
  2013/09/29, Source
  Sol Kyung-gu, Song Kang-ho and Kim Yun-seok come back with movies. Sol Kyung-gu (45), Song Kang-ho (46) and Kim Yun-seok (45) all come back with movies,...More

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  Korean Box Office for the Weekend 2013.09.27 ~ 2013.09.29
  2013/09/29, Source
  "Le Chant de la Fidèle Chunhyang" (춘향뎐) 2000/01/29 279 465 The number one movie this week is "The Face Reader" (관상),...More

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  Added new on-the-set images for the Korean movie "The Face Reader"
  2013/09/25, Source
    Added new on-the-set images for the Korean movie "The Face Reader",...More

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  'The Face Reader' Exploits Changing Trends to Race up Film Charts
  2013/09/23, Source
  Director Han Jae-rim's "The Face Reader" is fast establishing itself as the nation's next box-office hit. The movie, which revolves around a power struggle in the Chosun Dynasty, attracted over six million viewers by Sunday, within just 12 days of its release. Pundits say that part of its success can be attributed to its all-star cast, and part to the way in which it has grasped the changing trends of the market in terms of target viewers and themes. It already ranks as the third-fastest Korean movie to attract this many viewers after "The Host" and "The Thieves", both of which subsequently went on to break the 10-million mark. The former sold 13.01 million tickets and the latter 12.98 million,...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2013.09.20 ~ 2013.09.22
  2013/09/23
  The Chuseok king has been crowned as Han Jae-rim's "The Face Reader" stood unopposed at the top of the box office this past weekend. The film has now stormed into Korea's all-time top twenty with less than two weeks on the clock. Han's period piece followed its smashing opening efforts to record another 2.2 million (51.5%) admissions over 1,239 screens. Perfectly timed and critically endorsed, "The Face Reader" channelled Korea's collective consciousness into the concession lines, and is now approaching 7 million admissions with no signs of ceasing. The holiday season was reasonably lucrative for a number of foreign entries as well, with films such as "Monsters University", "Despicable Me 2" and "The Conjuring" being allowed to advance their own tallies into more respectable territories,...More

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  Korean Box Office for the Weekend 2013.09.20 ~ 2013.09.22
  2013/09/22, Source
  The number one movie this week is "The Face Reader" (관상),...More

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  [HanCinema's Film News] New Korean Films Inbound...
  2013/09/21
  K-Films Coming Soon: ★★★★ "A Mere Life": Bak Il-rae dreams of a better life for his family but is cheated out of his entire family savings. In deep despair, Il-rae feeds pesticides to his son and wife and attempts to commit suicide. He fails and becomes the sole survivor. (09/26) ★★★★ "Act": Dong-hyeok is a married man who falls in love with his student Yeon-mi. His wife then invites her into their house and pretends not to know the truth. (09/26),...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2013.09.13 - 2013.09.15
  2013/09/16
  Han Jae-rim's "The Face Reader" dominated Korean cinemas this past weekend, walking away with one of the highest opening weekend hauls of the year. Han's historical drama stole 1.8M admissions (63%) from over 1,190 screens, and has now claimed nearly 2.6 million admissions ($17.1M) in just under a week. Last week's number one, Lee Seung-joon-I's action comedy "The Spy", floundered in second with just 377,861 (12.5%), less than half of what it received the week before. It wasn't just Lee's film that suffered though, a number of foreign entries also found it hard going with even popular animations such as "Monsters University" (5.3%) and "Despicable Me 2" (4.6%) caught blushing in the face of another local showstopper,...More

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  Veteran Actor Baek Yoon-shik Dating Woman Half His Age
  2013/09/16, Source
  Actor Baek Yoon-shik, 66, is dating a TV reporter almost 30 years his junior, which has caused some of his friends to express concern about the couple's significant age gap. According to his management agency Namoo Actors on Friday, they first met in summer 2012 through mutual acquaintances when Baek was working on a project for a terrestrial TV station. They have no plans to get married at this point, it added,...More

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  Korean Box Office for the Weekend 2013.09.13 ~ 2013.09.15
  2013/09/15, Source
  The number one movie this week is "The Face Reader" (관상),...More

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  The Face Reader
  2013/09/13, Source
  "The Face Reader" Genres: Drama and Epics Running Time: 140 min. Directed by: Han Jae-rim Starring: Song Kang-ho, Kim Hye-soo, Lee Jung-jae, Baek Yoon-shik Synopsis: Nae-kyeong is the greatest face reader during the Chosun Dynasty. He can see through people by looking at their faces,...More

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  Korean movie opening today 2013/09/11 in Korea
  2013/09/11, Source
  "The Face Reader",...More

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  [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2013.09.06 ~ 2013.09.08
  2013/09/09
  Lee Seung-joon-I's action comedy "The Spy" displaced the French-American caper thriller "Now You See Me See" as Korea's top film this past weekend. "The Spy", Lee's debut feature, claimed 842,457 admissions over 786 screens around the country, dominating proceedings by snatching 44.81% of the weekend's ticket sales. The film was unchallenged at the top, with second place, held by Louis Leterrier's "Now You See Me", scoring just 265,347 (14%) over 414 screens. "The Spy" may be Lee's first feature in the director's chair, but he has worked on a number of successful films in the past, including the disaster epic "Haeundae" and the fast-paced action flick "Quick". Other Korean features such as "Hide and Seek", "Snowpiercer" and "The Flu" continued to stockpile ticket stubs, while Kim Ki-duk's disturbing domestic drama "Moebius" managed to secure a top ten finish in its first weekend out,...More

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  [HanCinema's Film Review] "The Face Reader"
  2013/09/08
  This movie contains surprisingly little content about how face reading actually works. Our hero, the slovenly Nae-kyung (played by Song Kang-ho) is basically a wizard. Aside from one late scene, where the exact topography of a person's face becomes extremely relevant, Nae-kyung's abilities are indistinguishable from magic. I can believe that people existed (or even exist today) who have the ability to tell murderers by sight. The simple existence of such a character isn't interesting. What would be interesting is an exploration of why or how they do these things,...More

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  Korean Box Office for the Weekend 2013.09.06 ~ 2013.09.08
  2013/09/08, Source
  The number one movie this week is "The Spy" (스파이),...More

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  [HanCinema's Film News] New Korean Films Inbound...
  2013/09/07
  K-Films Coming Soon: ★★★★★ "Our Sunhi": A young filmmaker returns to her old school in the hopes to get a letter of recommendation from her past professor. (09/12) ★★★★★ "The Face Reader": The most skilful face reader in the Joseon dynasty gets pulled from his life of seclusion and soon finds himself in the middle of a political power struggle for the crown. (09/11),...More

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  Today's Photo: September 5, 2013 [2]
  2013/09/05, Source
  Actress Kim Hye-soo attends a red carpet event for her film "The Face Reader" in Seoul on Wednesday,...More

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  [Photos] "The Face Reader" VIP premiere
  2013/09/05
  Choi Seung-hyun at "The Face Reader" VIP premiere,...More

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  Oh Yeon-seo takes a picture with Jeon Hye-bin and Lee Hee-joon
  2013/09/04, Source
  Actress Oh Yeon-seo revealed a picture taken with Jeon Hye-bin and Lee Hee-joon. She posted on her Me Today, "Hye-bin and Hee-joon! It was great seeing you! "The Face Reader" is a good movie",...More

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  Pretty boys on-screen, Lee Jong-suk, Yoo Ah-in and Kim Woo-bin
  2013/09/03, Source
  Actors in their 20s will be taking over screens in the remaining year. Lee Jong-suk comes back with "The Face Reader", Yoo Ah-in with "Tough as Iron" and Kim Woo-bin with "Friends 2",...More

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  Today's Photo: September 3, 2013 [2]
  2013/09/03, Source
  Actress Kim Hye-soo smiles during a press event for her new film "The Face Reader" in Seoul on Monday,...More

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  [Photos] Kim Hye-soo's distinctive pose of an actress
  2013/09/02, Source
  Kim Hye-soo is amazing even when she smiles. Kim Hye-soo attended the media event of the movie "The Face Reader" in Seoul on the 2nd,...More

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  Song Kang-ho, "Moved by his passion, to be a great actor"
  2013/09/02, Source
  Song Kang-ho spoke very highly of Lee Jong-suk. Song Kang-ho, Baek Yoon-shik, Lee Jung-jae, Kim Hae-soo, Jo Jung-suk and Lee Jong-suk appeared at the media event of the movie "The Face Reader" on the 2nd of September,...More

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  Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader"
  2013/08/30, Source
  Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader",...More

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  Korean Films Set New Box-Office Record
  2013/08/27, Source
  Korean films attracted a record 20 million moviegoers in August. According to the Korean Film Council, 24.36 million people watched Korean films between Aug. 1 and 25. The figure easily beats the previous monthly record of 18.09 million in February, when "Miracle in Cell No.7" and "The Berlin File" made a splash at the box office simultaneously. This month, four Korean films are contributing to the success -- "Snowpiercer" with 8.8 million, "The Terror Live" with 5.4 million, "Hide and Seek" with 4.07 million, and "The Flu" with 2.7 million,...More

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  [Video] Teaser released for the Korean movie 'The Face Reader'
  2013/08/26, Source
  Teaser released for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader",...More

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  Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader"
  2013/08/26, Source
  Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader",...More

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  Korean Flicks Dominate Domestic Box Office This Summer
  2013/08/22, Source
  Korean films are having the upper hand at local theaters this summer and crowding out their Hollywood rivals. The Korean Film Council said on Wednesday that director Bong Joon-ho's "Snowpiercer" and Kim Byeong-woo's "The Terror Live" have attracted 8.34 million and 5.14 million spectators, respectively,...More

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  The fortune teller who guessed Lee Jong-suk's destiny
  2013/08/18, Source
  Actor Lee Jong-suk spoke about his fortune telling. The six main actors of the movie "The Face Reader" (Song Kang-ho, Lee Jung-jae, Baek Yoon-shik, Jo Jung-suk, Lee Jong-suk and actress Kim Hye-soo) had an interview on the SBS show "Good Morning" on the 19th,...More

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  Added main poster for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader"
  2013/08/18, Source
  Added main poster for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader",...More

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  Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader"
  2013/08/14, Source
  Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader",...More

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  [Video] Trailer released for the Korean movie 'The Face Reader'
  2013/08/13, Source
  Trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader",...More

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  Added new stills and character posters for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader"
  2013/08/08, Source
  Added new stills and character posters for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader",...More

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  Lee Jong-suk pleases fans with picture of abs
  2013/08/07, Source
  Lee Jong-suk is currently residing in the Philippines for the movie "NO-BREATH" after "I Hear Your Voice". He posted on the 7th and said, "Are you all well? The weather's nice, the views nice but why do I want to go home? I want to see my mother. I am so tired. I need to listen to "Cheer Up" by Girls' Generation". Lee Jong-suk is wearing a swimsuit in the picture with a 'V' on his hand. Another thing that catches the eye is the fact that he has a firm ab. Fans say, "Too revealing!", "My eyes have been cleansed", "So fair and muscular" and more,...More

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  Added character posters for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader"
  2013/08/05, Source
  Added character posters for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader",...More

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  [Video] Trailer released for the Korean movie 'The Face Reader'
  2013/07/24, Source
  Trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader",...More

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  Jo Jung-suk, Kim Go-eun and Lee Jong-suk "Sophmore jinx?"
  2013/07/14, Source
  There's no sophomore jinx. Many actors and actresses who are into their second year of acting are being focused on right now. The sophomore jinx which is a kind of slump one goes through at about their second year since their debut, does not apply to Jo Jung-suk, Kim Go-eun and Lee Jong-suk. They have taken their places as mature actors and actress,...More

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  [Video] Teaser released for the Korean movie 'The Face Reader'
  2013/07/04, Source
  Teaser released for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader",...More

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  [Video] Added trailer and new poster for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader"
  2013/06/28, Source
  Added trailer and new poster for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader",...More

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  [Video] Trailer released for the Korean movie 'The Face Reader'
  2013/06/26, Source
  Trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader",...More

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  Lee Jong-suk joins "Hot Young Bloods"
  2013/06/24, Source
  Actor Lee Jong-suk has joined "Hot Young Bloods". Lee Jong-suk takes on the role of Joong-gil, a Casanova in Hongseong and will be acting along Park Bo-young who takes on the role of gangster female Yeong-sook,...More

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  Lee Jong-suk, "I thought popularity dies after the drama"
  2013/03/24, Source
  He's excited. Lee Jong-suk left a strong impression in the drama "School 2013" as Ko Nam-soon. He said, "Thank You" when he heard in was ranked first place but when he heard the rest (the star to be responsible for national domestic entertainment) he was just amazed. "I thought popularity dies when the drama finishes" is why,...More

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  Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader"
  2013/01/27, Source
  Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader",...More

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  Upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader"
  2013/01/18, Source
  Added the upcoming Korean movie "The Face Reader"'s page to HanCinema database,...More

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  What Does 2013 Hold for Korean Film?
  2013/01/04, Source
  Korean films drew more than 100 million viewers over the past year, but there are a number of concerns if they are to sustain their momentum. Here are five of the top issues for this year that have insiders speculating about the future of the movie industry. ◆ Can Korean Movies Break the 100 Million Mark Again,...More

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  Jo Jung-suk about to go Hallyu
  2012/08/30, Source
  The foreign markets have their attention on Jo Jung-suk. His agency told News N, "Jo Jung-suk is currently one many are eyeing for foreign advertisements",...More

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  "The Face Reader", box office hit cast in one place
  2012/08/27, Source
  Director Han Jae-rim's new movie "The Face Reader" is about to crank in this September. "The Face Reader" is written by Kim Dong-hyeok who received the grand prize at the Korean Films Commission Scenario Exhibit. It is directed by Han Jae-rim from "Rules of Dating" and "The Show Must Go on",...More

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  Top stars struggle to remain remembered
  2012/07/25, Source
  No more, 1 or 2 movies a year Choi Min-sik, Jun Ji-hyun and Ha Jung-woo active Conscious of crisis in case 'gets pushed behind by new stars' The top actors and actresses of Chungmuro are in the 'various generation'. Song Kang-ho, Choi Min-sik, Hwang Jung-min, Kim Hye-soo, Jun Ji-hyun, Ha Jung-woo and other actresses and actors have been busy with several movies. The saying that they usually star in one or two movies a year is an old saying now. Some top stars have two or three movies a year now,...More

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  Song Kang-ho, Lee Jung-jae, Kim Hye-soo and Jo Jung-suk
  2012/07/24, Source
  Director Han Jae-rim's new movie "The Face Reader" has a cast so amazing it's almost the new "The Good, the Bad, the Weird". According to the movie industry on the 25th, Song Kang-ho, Lee Jung-jae, Kim Hye-soo and Jo Jung-suk have confirmed to star in the new Chosun movie "The Face Reader",...More

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  Song Kang-ho's first historical "The Face Reader"
  2012/03/26, Source
  Actor Song Kang-ho has confirmed to star in the movie "The Face Reader". "The Face Reader" is about the things that happen while General Soo-yang and Kim Jong-seo fight for authority. This is the work of writer Kim Dong-hyeok who received the grand prize at the 2010 Korean Films Commission Scenario Exhibition,...More