Korean Actress Kang Soo Yeon Dies at 55

Broker, starring singer-actress IU, was given a 12-minute standing ovation at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.Broker, the first-ever Korean-language film by Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, recently premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival on May 27. Once the screening had concluded, the fil received a 12-minute-long standing ovation from those in-attendance, according to a report from Korean news outlet Edaily.The publication also claimed that the standing ovation began with Cannes Film Festival’s executive director, Thierry Frémaux.

“It’s rare when the thing that you’re working on so deeply reaches in your own life, your own history, your own family,” says director J.D. Dillard, whose forthcoming “Devotion” is as much a historical drama as it is an exploration of his own ancestry and childhood.

Forbes has officially unveiled the 2022 edition of its annual 30 Under 30 list for Asia, with acts such as aespa and Jung Ho-yeon making the entertainment and sports category.The annual list highlights 300 individuals below the age of 30 that have made significant strides and impact in their respective fields, categorised by entertainment and sports, science and entrepreneurship, among others.Included in this year’s 30 Under 30 list for Asia under the Entertainment And Sports category are K-pop girl group aespa, who are notably the only South Korean music act to be included on the list. Meanwhile, Squid Game actress Jung Ho-yeon was also featured on the list as the only South Korean thespian to be included this year.The 2022 list also included Indonesian 88rising rapper Warren Hue, Thai singer-songwriter Pyra, Singaporean hip-hop artist Yung Raja, Malaysian rap artist SYA, ‘Chicken Tendies’ singer Clinton Kane, New Zealand duo Broods, Sydney duo Seaforth and ‘Josh’ singer Peach PRC.Last year’s edition of the same Forbes list saw Hong Kong’s Jackson Wang of GOT7 fame featured on the list, alongside other South Korean musicians such as MAMAMOO’s Hwasa and IU.The entertainment and sports category of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list was judged by ONE Championship Group President Hua Fung Teh, Infinite Studios CEO Mike Wiluan and Caldecott Music Group’s founder and chief executive Kuok Meng Ru.

When the Cannes Film Festival lineup was announced on April 14, Twitter positively exploded with excitement over the news that Lee Ji-eun would make her Riviera debut with Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Broker in Competition. The Korean actress, singer and songwriter—popularly known as IU—has a legion of fans, including 26 million followers on Instagram, and has been described as a national treasure at home. She may now be well poised for crossover success with her first commercial film.

Kang Daniel recently offered his insight on the creative process behind his recent release, ‘The Album’.In a recent interview with Rolling Stone India, the soloist talked about taking more creative liberties on his first-ever studio album ‘The Story’, which dropped earlier this week, instead of leaning toward mainstream trends with his work, following the release of his ‘Color’ trilogy in 2021 and 2020.“I think that every artist who is appealing to mass culture comes across that dilemma every once in a while,” the singer explained. “I think it’s that intricate balance between creativity or the mainstream or the message of whatever the fans want, and what to give more weight to in terms of priority.”The singer elaborated that, this time around, he followed his “gut feeling and just went with the flow” while working on the record.

Kang Daniel is here!

EXCLUSIVE: has cast Alicia Hannah-Kim for Season 5 of the hit Netflix series as the formidable South Korean sensei Kim Da-Eun who factors into Terry Silver’s (Thomas Ian Griffith) plans for accelerating Cobra Kai’s expansion. Dallas Dupree Young, who joined the show last season as Kenny Payne, has been upgraded to a series regular.

Hirokazu Kore-eda‘s next directorial effort is the baby-napping (kidnapping for babies) drama “Broker” which stars Song Kang-ho, who previously played the patriarch in the Best Picture winner “Parasite” and is a fixture of South Korean cinema. Kore-eda, a Japanese filmmaker, made waves in the film awards circuit with his fantastic 2018 drama “Shoplifters” which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and even etched out a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nomination.

Kang Daniel has made his much-anticipated comeback with his first full-length studio album ‘The Story’, alongside a music video for title track ‘Upside Down’.In the new visual, the K-pop idol makes his way through a myriad of vibrant sets, accompanied by a team of dancers. His journey starts in neon-lit a barbershop, before he heads to a rooftop carpark, and stops by a laundromat for the dance break.“Just imagining it tires me out / Wanna know the reason, I don’t know / I feel like I’m the only one moving backwards / I need to change it back, turn everything around,” he sings on the new laidback track.‘The Story’ features ten new tracks, all co-written by Kang, alongside contributions from labelmate K-R&B singer Chancellor, who features on the song ‘Mad’.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefSurprising as it may sound, the Korean film industry has had a rough time over the past couple of years. Get ready for a comeback.Just at a moment when Korean film producers might have expected to capitalize on the unprecedented multi-Oscar success of “Parasite” (and the previous year’s Korean-language “Minari,” COVID closed down Korean cinemas , stifled production and extinguished Korean audiences’ willingness to venture into cinemas.

Sony Pictures International Productions (SPIP) is set to remake Ariel Winograd’s Argentinian comedy Mama Se Fue De Viaje (Ten Days Without Mom) in Turkey and South Korea.

Rebecca Souw Four films, “Decision to Leave,” “Broker,” “The Hunt” and “No Return” selected for this year’s Cannes Film Festival shed rays of hope for a positive uptake in the Korean film industry, severely damaged due to the COVID pandemic. Juxtaposed against a fruitful run in 2019, the year Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” won the Palme d’Or, the massive slow down of the industry saw box office sales plummeting, sizable shrinking of the business, theater closures and a backlog of unreleased filmsAt last year’s Busan Film Festival’s Asian Contents & Film Market veteran film director Park Chan Wook said the release date for “Decision to Leave” was uncertain and as no one is rushing, the team is constantly retouching parts of the film.

Peter Debruge Chief Film CriticOn Oct. 26, 1979, South Korean president Park Chung-hee was assassinated by the chief of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency — a coup that ended the autocrat’s 16-year grip on a country that has wrestled with corruption and scandal ever since.

First, there was Parasite, shaking up the global film sector and snatching Oscar glory. Then, there was Squid Game.

The International Film Festival Rotterdam has appointed its new team line up and structure as the festival revamps.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefEpic Pictures Releasing has licensed North American rights to Korean action film “Hot Blooded,” from leading Seoul-based film sales agency Finecut. The deal is one of several struck by the agency ahead of Cannes, where it is also launching sales on Critics’ Week title “Next Sohee.”Starring Bae Doona and Kim Si-eun, “Next Sohee” is directed by Jung July, whose acclaimed “A Girl at My Door” played in Un Certain regard in 2014.

B.I is back!

Marta Balaga “Face Off” helmer John Woo will receive a Career Achievement Award during Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival, about to celebrate its 26th edition. The Hong Kong filmmaker is currently working on “Silent Night,” starring Joel Kinnaman and Kid Cudi.“I defy anyone to watch ‘Bullet in the Head,’ ‘Hard Boiled’ or ‘The Killer’ and not walk away wanting to break down the shots and make a movie.

Oh Sae Bom is opening up to his following.

admitted to a hospital in Seoul on Thursday (May 5) following a sudden cardiac arrest.Kang’s memorial service has been set up at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul. Her funeral ceremony will be held on Wednesday (May 11) and will be broadcast live through the Korean Film Council’s YouTube channel, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter.The funeral committee will be led by Kim Dong-ho, former chairperson of the board of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).“Kang broke boundaries with her fearless performances.