Mount Namhan Fortress on the outskirts of Seoul harbors one of the most shameful memories in Korea's history. In the winter of 1636, King Injo of Joseon Dynasty sought refuge inside the bulwark fleeing an invasion by the Qing Dynasty.     "The Fortress," a new film released Tuesday, illuminates the embattled king's 47 days of hiding which ended in a humiliating surrender to a conquering Chinese general.   Directed by Hwang Dong-hyuck and adapted from a best-selling novel, the movie is not simply

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (UK)Opened Sept. 27Action, adventure. Directed by Matthew VaughnThe headquarters of Kingsman, hidden inside a tailors shop, has been destroyed and the fate of the planet is at risk once more. Eggsy (Taron Egerton), now a full agent with a year of experience under his belt, and Merlin (Mark Strong) follow the Doomsday protocol and seek the help of Kingsman’s American counterpart Statesman, located in a Bourbon whiskey distillery in Kentucky. The elite agents from both

Actor Kim Soo-hyun will enlist on Oct. 23, his agency said Thursday.“Since (Kim) is just fulfilling his duties as a Korean citizen, he wishes to enlist quietly without a fan event or a press conference,” Keyeast Entertainment said in a press release. (CJ E&M)All able-bodied Korean men are required to serve in the military for around two years, with some being allowed to serve in non-combat positions.While he had originally pledged to enlist this year, there has been speculation that his plans ma

The British-American spy comedy "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" had the biggest opening day for an R-rated film in South Korea, data showed Thursday.According to the real-time box-office tally from the Korean Film Council, the Fox movie sold 481,891 tickets on 1,686 screens across the country, taking the box-office crown on its first day.It surpassed the first-day record of 475,482 set by the South Korean crime action film "Asura: The City of Madness" last year.  (21st Century Fox Korea)The "Kings

Veteran actor says ‘The Fortress’ is ‘uncompromising,’ authentic period piece

South Korea's largest film studio complex equipped with state-of-the-art facilities formally opened its doors for film and drama productions on Monday after two years of construction.The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and its affiliate the Korea Creative Content Agency celebrated the opening of Studio Cube in a ceremony attended by central and local government officials led by Culture Minister Do Jong-whan and film industry figures.Located in the EXPO Science Park in Daejeon, 164 kilom

The setting is North Korea. The day is Christmas in an unspecified near future. The notorious hermit kingdom has collapsed from a coup d’etat.This is the premise of upcoming film “Steel Rain,” set to hit local theaters in December. 　The film stars actor Jung Woo-sung as Uhm Cheol-woo, a top North Korean special agent who flees to South Korea with the North’s leader to escape the uprising. 　 Jung Woo-sung stars in “Steel Rain.” (NEW)The film is written and directed by Yang Woo-seok, who previousl

A roster of top Korean actors including Lee Byung-hun and Kim Yoon-seok and director Hwang Dong-hyuk tackle a painful historical event in the upcoming film “The Fortress.” The film is a period piece that deals with a Chinese invasion which took place in 1636, prompting Joseon’s King Injo to take refuge in Namhansanseong, a mountain fortress located some 25 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Within the fortress’ walls, Joseon officials desperately debated the course of action -- whether to surrender

Award-winning film director Song Hae-sung was charged Sunday with verbally abusing a handicapped female taxi driver while under the influence of alcohol, police said Monday. Song hurled abuse at the taxi driver when she pressed the “extra charge” button on the taxi’s meter at around 11 p.m. Friday while traveling to Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, from Yeouido in Seoul, according to the taxi driver’s testimony, police said.  Director Song Hae-sung (Yonhap)“He saw that my left arm was a prosthetic and

I Can Speak(Korea)Opened Sept. 21Comedy, drama. Directed by Kim Hyun-seokNa Ok-boon (Na Moon-hee) is the elderly neighborhood busybody whose greatest hobby is to file complaints on nearby residents and businesses to the borough office. Park Min-jae (Lee Je-hoon) is a new civil servant at the office, a strict by-the-books worker. The two bicker over Na’s copious complaints when one day, Na discovers that Park is fluent in English. Due to a painful past and a desire to right terrible wrongs, Na is

Colin Firth, Taron Egerton and Mark Strong discuss second film in comedy-action series

A local magazine showed actor Yoo Ji-tae and director Park Chan-wook in an ad campaign for Italian luxury fashion brand Ermenegildo Zegna on Wednesday. Yoo Ji-tae (left) and Park Chan-wook pose in Ermenegildo Zegna. (Namoo Actors)Yoo and Park spoke about their 10-year friendship during the interview that followed the photo shoot. The two also discussed how working together on Park’s renowned 2003 neo-noir film “Oldboy” shaped their careers. The two men are part of the brand’s global campaign tit

Firth proclaims love for Korean food in first-ever visit to Korea

Choi Min-sik and Park Shin-hye are set to star in the upcoming thriller “Silence,” which is slated to hit local theaters in November. Acclaimed actor Choi will star as Im Tae-san, the chairman of a conglomerate who possesses wealth, honor, power and love but is at risk of losing it all. “What kind of choice can a person make when faced with the possibility of losing your loved ones?” Choi said in a press release Wednesday.  Choi Min-sik (left) and Park Shin-hye (CJ Entertainment)Park will play a

Busan International Film Festival on Tuesday announced 10 nominees for its new Kim Ji-seok award, honoring the longtime program director of the festival who passed away in May.　Kim began as a programmer of Asian films at BIFF in 1996, and in 2007 went on to serve as the head programmer of Asia’s largest film festival. 　Kim passed away during a trip to France’s Cannes Film Festival. 　The award celebrates the late Kim’s passion for Asian cinema and the discovery of emerging directors. 　The nominat