September box office to be dominated by men

It was the summer of women in Korean cinema, with heavyweights like Jun Ji-hyun (Gianna Jun), Uhm Jeong-hwa, Jeon Do-yeon and Lee Jung-hyun all returning to the screen around the same time. Now, the men are poised to take over for September. 

Here’s a look at some of the Korean films coming up in September.

Deep Trap (Sept. 10)
Directed by Kwon Hyung-jin

Ma Dong-seok (Don Lee), a fan favorite who often provides balance and comic relief to otherwise heavy action movies, returns to the screen as the single lead role in “Deep Trap.” The film follows a young couple as they go on vacation to a remote island, where danger awaits. People who know Ma from his adorable role in 2013’s “Marriage Blue” or his easygoing part in this year’s “The Chronicles of Evil” should be forewarned: The movie is very graphic, and you may never see him the same way again.

The Throne (Sept. 16)
Directed by Lee Joon-ik

“The Throne” is easily one of this year’s most anticipated films, helmed by the director of “King and the Clown” and featuring an all-star cast. Song Kang-ho of “Snowpiercer” and “Thirst” plays Yeongjo, the 21st king of Joseon, through 40 years of his life. The film delves into the conflict between the king and his crown prince Sado (Yoo Ah-in, whose last movie “Veteran” surpassed 10 million tickets sold), which ultimately led to the young prince’s death. “The Throne” is this year’s Korean submission to the Academy Awards for the Foreign Language Film category.

The Long Way Home (Sept. 24)
Directed by Cheon Sung-il

“The Long Way Home,” one of two films to open for the Chuseok weekend, is the story of two soldiers during the Korean War -- one from North Korea, and one from South Korea -- who have no interest in ideology, and just want to find their way home. Sul Kyung-gu of “Hope” and “Haeundae” plays a South Korean farmer who is dragged into war and suddenly finds himself responsible for a top secret document. That document is stolen by a young North Korean soldier (Yeo Jin-gu, of TV show “Orange Marmalade” and film “Hwayi: A Monster Boy,”) who has to somehow safely drive a tank home.

The Accidental Detective (Sept. 24)
Directed by Kim Joung-hoon

The other film to open for Chuseok weekend is “The Accidental Detective,” a comedy about a veteran homicide detective (Sung Dong-il) and a mystery blogger (Kwon Sang-woo of “Pain” and “71- Into the Fire”) who become an unexpected team as they try to discover the truth behind a murder cover-up. The hardened detective is annoyed at every turn by the overambitious blogger, but in the end he knows that they must join forces to find the actual culprit.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)