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Gat returns as ‘it’ item with viral cultural moments
When "Kingdom," Netflix’s first original K-drama series, was released in 2019, the sight of zombie-fighting noblemen wearing a variety of hats sparked global curiosity, with “Joseon hats” even showing up in Amazon shopping carts. The Joseon-era thriller ignited a fascination with "gat" — an umbrella term for traditional Korean hats. Historically, gat came in a wide range of styles, each tailored to the wearer’s social status, profession and occasion. What’s commonly recognized today as a gat — t
July 5, 2025 -
Director breaks down Saja Boys' soul-stealing performance of 'Your Idol'
With traditional gat, glowing eyes and a lethal dose of K-pop attitude, the performance of Saja Boys’ soul-stealing “Your Idol” in Netflix’s breakout hit "Kpop Demon Hunters" is the moment that keeps both hypnotized audiences and viewers obsessed, just like the lyrics say. From the candy-colored energy of “Soda Pop” to a dramatic turn into sleek, jet-black silhouettes, the fictional boy band’s transformation reveals their true selves in full demon form. The villain anthem’s music video has racke
July 4, 2025 -
Movies in theaters this week
"Jurassic World: Rebirth" (US) Opened July 2 Sci-fi/Adventure Directed by Gareth Edwards A covert operative (Scarlett Johansson) and her team encounter mutated dinosaur experiments that have thrived in isolation for decades during their expedition to a forbidden island. "F1: The Movie" (US) Opened June 25 Sports/Drama Directed by Joseph Kosinski Former Formula One driver Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) comes out of retirement to mentor a rookie prodigy (Damson Idris) for a struggling team. "Noise" (Sout
July 4, 2025 -
Heo Ga-young didn’t expect to get on course —then she won at Cannes
When Heo Ga-young applied to the Korean Academy of Film Arts with a bare-bones seven-minute film about sweet and sour pork, she figured she'd blown it. The school was Korea's most prestigious film program, the kind of place where industry veterans compete for spots alongside wannabe auteurs hoping to follow alumni like Bong Joon-ho. Her portfolio consisted of two amateur actors arguing over the ubiquitous Korean-Chinese dish — specifically, whether to pour the sauce on top or dip each piece. Tot
July 3, 2025 -
What you need to know about Saja Boys, Korea’s grim reapers in K-pop form
When the Saja Boys appeared on screen for the first time, dressed in floor-length black hanbok and wide-brimmed hats casting shadows over pale, painted faces, Kang Chan-mi, a 32-year-old office worker in Seoul, immediately recognized the look. “I knew instantly what they were,” she said. “If you’re Korean, it’s almost impossible not to.” The Saja Boys, a fictional K-pop group in Netflix's new animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” may appear to be just another stylish boy band debuting for a global
July 3, 2025 -
‘The King of Kings’ arrives in Korea after record-shattering US run
Joy to the world, the Lord has come to offer eternal salvation, Christian tradition tells us. What He likely never foresaw was becoming the star of a South Korean animated feature that just swept the US box office and is now coming home on a wave of buzz. Created by VFX specialist-turned-rookie director Jang Seong-ho, "The King of Kings" was the outsider no one had on their tracking sheets. In a 17-day sprint, the film leap-frogged "Parasite" to become the top-grossing Korean title ever released
July 2, 2025 -
Korean film veterans share insights on cinema’s growth and freedom at Da Nang Film Fest
DA NANG, Vietnam -- Leading figures in Korean cinema gathered at the Da Nang Asian Film Festival on Monday to reflect on the evolution of Korean cinema and how film festivals have supported its rise over the decades. The special panel discussion featured Kim Dong-ho, former chairman of the Busan International Film Festival; Park Kwang-su, filmmaker and current BIFF chair; Kim Hong-joon, director of the Korean Film Archive; Kim Han-min, director and screenwriter; Choi Seung-jin, director of the K
July 2, 2025 -
'K-pop Demon Hunters' soundtrack makes strong showing on global, Korean music charts
The soundtrack to Netflix's hit animation "K-pop Demon Hunters" is making major waves on music charts worldwide. As of Wednesday, two songs from the film — “Your Idol” and “Golden” — ranked on Billboard’s Hot 100, landing at No. 77 and No. 81, respectively. The album also scored the highest-charting debut for a soundtrack in 2025 on the Billboard 200, opening at No. 8. It marks the first soundtrack to debut in the top 10 since the "Wicked" film soundtrack bowed at No. 2 on the chart for Dec. 7,
July 2, 2025 -
Scarlett Johansson discusses fighting tennis ball on a stick for 'Jurassic World Rebirth'
With dinosaurs stomping back onto the big screen this summer, the stars of "Jurassic World Rebirth" made a promotional stop in Korea. Actors Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend and director Gareth Edwards landed in Seoul on Tuesday to meet fans and press ahead of the film’s theatrical rollout the next day. The new installment — the seventh in the "Jurassic Park" franchise — follows an expedition into remote equatorial zones, where a team seeks to extract prehistoric DNA in a bid t
July 1, 2025 -
Da Nang Asian Film Fest returns with broader scope
DA NANG, Vietnam — The third edition of the Da Nang Asian Film Festival kicked off Sunday under this year’s slogan, “Bridging Asia,” with aims to celebrate cinematic works rich in humanism. Jointly organized by the Da Nang People’s Committee and the Vietnam Film Development Association, the weeklong festival runs through Saturday across major venues, resorts and theaters the coastal city. This year’s edition marks an expansion in both scale and substance, featuring a more diverse selection of fi
July 1, 2025 -
Summer's zombie fare banks on family feels
Summer movie season calls for crowd-pleasers, and “My Daughter is a Zombie” pitches something unexpectedly offbeat — a zombie comedy that swaps gore for giggles, turning the undead apocalypse into a heartwarming family romp. On Monday, director Pil Gam-seong and cast introduced the film at a press conference at Seoul’s CGV Yongsan, offering a first look at their family-friendly spin on the zombie genre. Based on a web comic that ran from 2018 to 2020, the film follows Jung-hwan (Cho Jung-seok),
June 30, 2025 -
Why these novels? Park Chan-wook’s literary anchors
Celebrated filmmaker Park Chan-wook is widely known to be an avid reader. Many of his acclaimed films were adapted from novels, making his appearance at last week’s Seoul International Book Fair all the more fitting. Park shared his “literary anchors,” offering personal anecdotes and insights into the books that have inspired him. The following are some of the highlights from his talk. 'Joint Security Area' (2000) In a 2023 reissue of Park Sang-yeon's novel "DMZ," Park Chan-wook wrote, “I don’t
June 28, 2025 -
Director Yu Hyun-mok's long-lost 'Im Kkeok-jeong' unearthed in US
Renowned South Korean film director Yu Hyun-mok's 1961 film "Im Kkeok-jeong" has finally surfaced again at the US Library of Congress after being lost for over six decades. The historical film was screened at the Cinematheque KOFA in Seoul on Thursday as part of a special retrospective celebrating the 100th anniversary of the filmmaker's birth. "The US Library of Congress had a film titled 'General Rim Kog Jung,' which I thought could be a North Korean film. But it turned out to be director Yu's
June 27, 2025 -
Movies in theaters this week
"F1: The Movie" (US) Opened June 25 Sports/Drama Directed by Joseph Kosinski Former Formula One driver Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) comes out of retirement to mentor a rookie prodigy (Damson Idris) for a struggling team. "Noise" (South Korea) Opened June 25 Horror/Thriller Directed by Kim Soo-Jin Joo-young (Lee Sun-Bin) searches for her missing sister in a high-rise apartment building where mysterious sounds drive residents to violence and paranoia. "Elio" (US) Opened June 18 Sci-fi/Adventure Directe
June 27, 2025 -
FX artist Lee Jae-jun makes waves at Pixar
"Characters perform human emotions through acting, but I convey the film's atmosphere and feelings through natural phenomena and landscapes," says Lee Jae-jun, describing his role as a special effects technical director at Pixar. Speaking via video call from Los Angeles on Tuesday, Lee discussed his contributions to the studio's latest release, “Elio.” The film follows a quirky 11-year-old who dreams of alien abduction, only to be mistaken for Earth’s ambassador to a cosmic council. While audien
June 25, 2025