'Run to You' chases Korea's elusive sprinting dreams

Korea dominates plenty of global stages. Its pop stars sell out stadiums worldwide, its esports gamers rake in championship titles, and its filmmakers collect awards at major festivals. But on the track, it's an entirely different story. Case in point: Not a single Korean sprinter has met Olympic qualifying standards for the 100-meter in the past two cycles (the 2020 threshold sat at 10.05 seconds). Into that void comes "Run to You," loosely adapting the story of Kim Kuk-young, Korea's national

Sept. 8, 2025

'No Other Choice' misses out at Venice Film Festival

Park Chan-wook’s comedy-thriller "No Other Choice," touted as a potential beacon amid a lull in the K-cinema landscape, came up short at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, missing out on the Golden Lion. "No Other Choice" was selected to compete for the festival’s top prize, marking the first time in 13 years that a Korean film competed in the main section, following Kim Ki-duk’s "Pieta" in 2012. For Park, it was his first invitation to Venice in two decades, since "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" in 2

Sept. 7, 2025

South Korea boosts film industry budget by 80 percent to jump-start recovery

South Korea will pump 149.8 billion won ($108 million) into its film industry next year, an 80.8 percent jump from this year’s budget, the Culture Ministry said Friday. It marks the sector’s largest allocation outside emergency pandemic relief in 2022. The funding package allocates 8 billion won for planning and development, up from 4.7 billion won. Midbudget films combining commercial and artistic appeal will receive 20 billion won — double the current amount. A new 1.7 billion won fund will su

Sept. 5, 2025

Movies in theaters this week

"The Conjuring: Last Rites" (US) Opened Sept. 3 Horror/Thriller Directed by Michael Chaves Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) face a case involving a haunted family in this final installment of "The Conjuring" franchise. "Together" (US) Opened Sept. 3 Horror/Thriller Directed by Michael Shanks A couple (Dave Franco and Alison Brie) run into a mysterious force that causes their bodies to horrifically fuse together. “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” (Ja

Sept. 5, 2025

'Demon Slayer' rides 4DX wave to box office glory

"Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle" is tearing up the Korean box office, holding court at number one for 13 consecutive days with 3.4 million tickets sold as of Thursday. The secret behind its phenomenal run, according to cinema operators, is the 4DX format, a multisensory theater experience that's got audiences literally feeling every sword clash and demonic showdown. The country's leading multiplex chain CJ CGV, parent company of 4DX developer CJ 4DPlex, announced the Japanese animation hit over 9

Sept. 4, 2025

Government to roll out 6,000 won discount vouchers for movie tickets, again

Starting at 10 a.m. on Sept. 8, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Film Council will begin distributing movie discount vouchers worth 6,000 won each. A total of 1.88 million vouchers will be distributed. Vouchers can be claimed via the websites and apps of major multiplex chains, including CGV, Lotte Cinema, Megabox and CineQ. They will also be available at independent and arthouse theaters, small cinemas and senior-focused venues across the country. Two vouchers will be

Sept. 3, 2025

'Demon Hunters' dethrones 'Squid Game' as most-watched title on Netflix

Netflix announced Wednesday that its global sensation "KPop Demon Hunters" has surpassed the platform's popular original series "Squid Game" to become the most-watched title in the streamer's history. The US animated film has amassed 266 million views, becoming the most-watched content on Netflix across both film and television categories. "KPop Demon Hunters," an action-adventure centered on a fictional K-pop group called Huntr/x, overtook both the first season of South Korea's global phenomeno

Sept. 3, 2025

Park Chan-wook's 'No Other Choice' draws rave reviews as Venice competition heats up

Five days into the 82nd Venice Film Festival, the Lido is buzzing with one question that has Korean film fans on edge: Can Park Chan-wook's comedy-thriller "No Other Choice" break a 13-year drought and bring home the Golden Lion? The festival kicked off Wednesday with Italian auteur Paolo Sorrentino's meditative presidential drama "La Grazia," setting a high bar for the 21 films vying for top honors through Sept. 6. Nine competition entries would have screened by Monday morning KST, and if early

Aug. 31, 2025

'Golden' from 'KPop Demon Hunters' OST tops British Official chart for 4th week

"Golden," the smash hit single from the original soundtrack of the Netflix animation film "Kpop Demon Hunters," has topped the British Official Singles Chart Top 100 for a fourth week. According to the chart unveiled Friday (local time), "Golden" claimed the top spot for the third consecutive week. It first reached No. 1 on the chart on Aug. 1. The song by the film's fictional girl group Huntr/x was sung by Ejae, a composer who trained at SM Entertainment; Korean American singer Audrey Nuna; and

Aug. 30, 2025

Movies in theaters this week

“Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” (Japan) Opened Aug. 22 Action/Fantasy Directed by Haruo Sotozaki Demon slayers battle powerful enemies within Muzan's fortress as Tanjiro and his allies face their greatest challenge yet in this first installment of the climactic trilogy. "Pretty Crazy" (South Korea) Opened Aug. 13 Romance/Comedy Directed by Lee Sang-Geun A down-on-his-luck guy (Ahn Bo-Hyun) falls for his downstairs neighbor (Yoona), only to discover she transforms into a demon every night. "My Da

Aug. 29, 2025

'KPop Demon Hunters' becomes Netflix's most-watched movie of all time

It's official: The demon-hunting K-pop idols have conquered Netflix. "KPop Demon Hunters" has become the streaming platform's most-watched film of all time as of Wednesday, according to Netflix's internal viewership data. The animated hit has amassed 236 million views since its June 20 debut, surpassing the 230.9 million logged by "Red Notice," the Dwayne Johnson-Ryan Reynolds-Gal Gadot action spectacle that sat at the top for more than three years. The Sony Pictures Animation production pulled

Aug. 27, 2025

Why is 'Demon Slayer' so popular in Korea?

“Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” is poised to become Korea’s biggest box office hit of the year, with the franchise posting some of its strongest global numbers in the market despite colonial-era controversies — momentum experts link to Japan-Korea animation ties and the series’ themes that strike a deep chord with Korean audiences. According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated box office system, the film crossed 2 million admissions on Tuesday, just five days after its release. That makes it

Aug. 27, 2025

Busan International Film Festival unveils competitive future at Seoul press event

The Busan International Film Festival on Tuesday laid out plans for its historic transformation, detailing its shift to a competitive format after 29 years as a noncompetitive event. The festival's inaugural competition section will feature 14 Asian films vying for five awards, including best film, best director and special jury prize. Ten of the selections are world premieres, with five coming from debut directors and six from women filmmakers. Among the competition titles, Chinese director Bi

Aug. 26, 2025

Cannes-winning 'It Was Just an Accident' to open Oct. 1 in Korea in world premiere

Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi's Palme d'Or winner "It Was Just an Accident" will hit Korean theaters Oct. 1, the earliest theatrical release worldwide alongside France. The film, which claimed top honors at this year's 78th Cannes Film Festival in May, follows a group of former political prisoners who kidnap a man they believe tortured them during an interrogation. It is scheduled for North American release Oct. 15 via distributor Neon. Local distributor Green Narae Media locked in the rights duri

Aug. 26, 2025

Netflix banks on '90s nostalgia with 'Love Untangled'

With seven Korean features in its 2025 pipeline, Netflix is betting big on local content as multiplexes continue to hemorrhage audiences. This time, the platform mines Generation X nostalgia with a high school romance. At Monday's production briefing for "Love Untangled" at a hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul, the streaming giant showcased its latest crowd-pleaser — a teen rom-com set in 1998 that marks an intriguing pivot for both the platform and the filmmaker. The film follows 19-year-old Park Se-ri (S

Aug. 25, 2025