Journalist
Choi Songhee
alfie312@ajunews.com
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BLACKPINK’s Jisoo wins rising star award at Cannes International Series Festival BLACKPINK’s Jisoo has won a rising star award at the 9th Cannes International Series Festival. Jisoo received the Madame Figaro Rising Star Award at the festival’s opening ceremony on April 23 (local time) in Cannes, France. In a statement posted on its website, the organizers said Jisoo is expanding her filmography by pursuing work across genres and formats while continuing her music career. Citing projects including the Netflix series “Monthly Boyfriend,” the festival said she was selected for her international influence, presence and artistic growth, calling her a promising figure drawing attention in Korea and the global entertainment industry. Jisoo debuted with BLACKPINK in 2016 and gained worldwide popularity with songs including “Whistle,” “Boombayah” and “Run.” She has also acted in dramas including “Snowdrop,” “Newtopia” and “Monthly Boyfriend.” “Monthly Boyfriend” is a romantic comedy about Mi-rae (Jisoo), a webtoon producer worn down by everyday life, who subscribes to and experiences romance through a virtual dating simulation. The series is directed by Kim Jung-sik, known for romantic comedies including “Work Later, Drink Now” and “No Gain No Love.” In the drama, Jisoo plays Mi-rae, an office worker too exhausted by real life to prioritize dating or love, while Seo In-guk plays Gyeong-nam, her co-worker and rival. After its release, “Monthly Boyfriend” topped global viewing rankings and drew strong support from drama fans. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 13:54:30 -
Three buzzed-about films move from theaters to IPTV and VOD this week Three films that drew audiences in theaters are moving to home viewing this week via IPTV and VOD services. They range from the 16.63 million-ticket hit “The Man Who Lives With the King” to Yoon Ga-eun’s festival favorite “Master of the World,” and “We Still Have Tomorrow,” which built word-of-mouth for its lingering ending. “The Man Who Lives With the King,” set in 1457 at Cheongnyeongpo, follows a village chief who volunteers to live at an exile site to revive his town and a young deposed king sent into exile. Blending humor and emotion, the film’s tragic storyline around King Danjong and the cast’s performances helped propel it to No. 2 on the all-time box office list, drawing 16.63 million moviegoers. The film will be released starting the 29th on major platforms including IPTV, cable TV VOD and OTT services. For the home version, some VFX from the theatrical cut have been enhanced, and the end credits add the OST song “Friend,” sung by Jeon Mi-do, who was praised for her role as Maehwa. The track and its music video, released earlier to mark the film passing 16 million admissions, drew strong reactions. Yoon’s “Master of the World” begins day-and-date IPTV and VOD service starting today. The film centers on Ju-in, an 18-year-old high school student whose motives are hard to read, as she alone refuses a schoolwide signature campaign and then begins receiving mysterious notes. It is Yoon’s third feature, following “The World of Us” and “House of Us,” and was screened as a world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival ahead of its release. The film went on to win major honors, including the grand prize at the 47th Nantes Three Continents Festival; the jury prize for the Roberto Rossellini Award and the audience award at the 9th Pingyao International Film Festival; and the International Federation of Film Critics prize at the 41st Warsaw International Film Festival. In South Korea, it won best picture and a new actor award at ceremonies including the Producers Guild Awards and the Chunsa International Film Festival. It is also nominated in six major categories at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards in May, including best picture, best director and best screenplay. After opening, it was the only Korean independent live-action art film released in 2025 to draw 200,000 admissions, earning praise for pairing artistry with commercial appeal. Audience support remained steady, with endorsements from filmmakers Hirokazu Kore-eda, Jia Zhangke, Bong Joon Ho and Yeon Sang-ho, and actor Park Jeong-min. A “relay support screening” started voluntarily by Kim Hye-soo, Song Eun-i, Kim Tae-ri, Kim Eui-sung and Lee Jun-hyuk also drew attention. The film’s long theatrical run of more than six months was fueled by that word-of-mouth. Starting today, it is available on platforms including IPTV, Studio Choice, Skylife, Wavve, Apple TV and Coupang Play. “We Still Have Tomorrow” is also shifting to home viewing. The film follows Delia’s secret plan as she dreams of an ending more beautiful than a fairy tale, set against the historic moment in 1946 Italy when women were able to vote for the first time. The film swept audience awards at global ceremonies, including the 69th David di Donatello Awards, and drew praise such as “the most powerful ending in film history” and “a perfect twist — smart and moving.” It reached $50 million in global revenue, including in Italy as well as France, Germany, Spain and Poland. In South Korea, after opening March 4, it posted high audience ratings, and social media users shared accounts of spontaneous applause breaking out immediately after the end credits. The film is now available on IPTV and VOD platforms. With all three titles now leaving the big screen for living rooms, attention is on whether their box-office momentum, festival recognition and word-of-mouth will carry over to home audiences. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 11:25:15 -
'Salmokji' Tops Box Office Again as Audience Passes 1.64 Million 영화 '살목지'가 164만 관객을 돌파하며 박스오피스 1위를 이어갔다. The horror film 'Salmokji' stayed No. 1 at the box office as its total audience topped 1.64 million, according to the Korean Film Council’s integrated ticketing network on Thursday. The film drew 48,411 viewers the previous day, keeping the top spot. Its cumulative audience reached 1,640,309 — more than double its break-even point of 800,000. In its third week of release, it has continued to add viewers steadily. 'Salmokji' follows a film crew that heads to a reservoir for a reshoot after an unidentified figure appears on a road-view image, only to encounter something in the dark, deep water. The film is directed by Lee Sang-min and stars Kim Hye-yoon, Lee Jong-won and Kim Jun-han. The No. 2 spot went to 'Jjanggku,' which attracted 20,675 viewers the same day. Among films released around the same time, it ranked first on the daily box office and showed momentum heading into the weekend. The film has been gaining word-of-mouth support, driven by positive reactions from viewers, with a story that mixes humor and relatable moments and performances described as grounded in everyday life. 'Jjanggku' centers on an “audition genius” who keeps pursuing a dream of becoming an actor despite repeated setbacks. Jung Woo helped write the script and co-directed with Oh Sung-ho. No. 3 was 'Ran 12.3,' which sold 17,231 tickets over the same period for a cumulative 55,309. The film is a cinematic documentary by director Lee Myung-se about people who took to the streets to defend democracy in response to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Dec. 3, 2024, declaration of martial law.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 09:11:38 -
Actor Jung Woo Revisits ‘Jjanggu’ Character in New Film, Drawing on His Own Youth Actor Jung Woo is bringing back the face of youth with the film 'Jjanggu,' returning to a character now nearing the end of his 20s and confronting reality while chasing an acting dream in Seoul. By reviving the name Jjanggu from the film 'The Wind,' Jung Woo said he aimed to portray endurance and a youthfulness that does not break easily, with an autobiographical undercurrent. "If you ask why now, I didn’t start this thinking I had to do it at this exact time," he said. "It flowed naturally and felt more like a project I met by fate. That made me even more grateful — and I was thankful to work with good staff and actors." For 'Jjanggu,' Jung Woo went beyond acting, taking part in the screenplay and serving as a co-director. He said being involved throughout the process gave him a closer look at how a film is completed. "Actors sometimes don’t realize how much energy and care goes into postproduction," he said. "Experiencing it myself was fun, but it also reminded me how much effort it takes to finish a film." Jung Woo said he does not consider 'Jjanggu' a sequel to 'The Wind,' even though the character returns. "Strictly speaking, I don’t think it’s 'The Wind 2,'" he said. "It’s hard to call it that. If anything, since that character comes back, it can feel like a spinoff or a character movie. But it’s different from the kind of series people usually think of — it’s definitely not like 'The Roundup' 1 and 2, where it continues in that way." In the film, Jjanggu’s friends — including Jang-jae (played by Shin Seung-ho) and Kkangnaengi (played by Jo Beom-gyu) — are grounded characters with a lifelike feel. Jung Woo said they were not created from pure fiction but grew out of people he has known and observed. "Like with 'The Wind,' because I wrote this myself, I kept thinking of unusual friends I’d seen in real life," he said. "Jang-jae and Kkangnaengi look ordinary on the surface, but if you look closely, they’re not. I thought that sense of real life would be fun. I have even more unusual friends around me, and I’m a little disappointed I couldn’t fit them all into this film." Jung Woo also recalled how 'The Wind' built a reputation beyond its theatrical run. He said it achieved meaningful results as an independent film and later gained wider, longer-lasting attention through IPTV and VOD, earning the label of an "unofficial 10 million" film. "Back then, I didn’t even know what the break-even point was — how many people it was," he said. "To us, it was just a meaningful step. Once we went to Jeju for stage greetings and there were only four people sitting there. There were fewer audience members than us, so theater staff even filled seats. We still went around doing those greetings." He said the routine was exhausting at the time, including taking selfies and signing for each audience member after screenings. "Honestly, it was hard," he said. "I didn’t really know the idea of fan service, and I didn’t know how to enjoy that time. But now it’s different. This time in Busan, taking photos and making memories with people felt really fun and I was grateful. I can’t control the numbers, so I see it as a process of thanking each person." If 'The Wind' was based on Jung Woo’s story and turned into a screenplay by director Lee Seong-han, Jung Woo said 'Jjanggu' was a more direct effort to write out his own time. He said it began from the same autobiographical starting point, but this time he revised and refined the story more as a writer. "Putting my story into writing isn’t easy," he said. "'The Wind' had the autobiographical label, but I felt it was closer to a series of episodes. Still, because my real experiences — including my father’s story — were in it, I think it had its own arc. This film also started from my story, but I adapted it more. I rewrote it five or six times, and as many as seven, getting help from people around me as I polished it." Asked what changed most through the rewrites, Jung Woo said the process ultimately brought him back to the original direction. "It’s not that it changed a lot from the first draft — in the end, I went back to the beginning," he said. "Even after about six rounds of adaptation, I returned to that first draft. The production company heads said, 'We knew this would happen.' But you can’t just do nothing and jump in. Going through the process made what was rough at first feel smoother." Though he is credited as a co-director, Jung Woo said he is not treating directing as a firm plan or goal. "I don’t have a specific plan for directing," he said. "I just keep writing scripts. I don’t know which script will become a film, but I write when I can and enjoy it. I really enjoyed being on set. It was tough and I could have gotten hurt, but thankfully I didn’t." He said filming stayed within set hours, noting the importance of both cast and crew condition, and added that shooting in his hometown of Busan gave him more time with staff and actors. "So I think we filmed with a grateful heart," he said. 2026-04-24 00:05:44 -
Lotte Cultureworks Revamps ‘Inside the Play’ With Immersive Show Tied to Yeon Sang-ho’s ‘Gunche’ Lotte Cultureworks is relaunching its immersive, interactive performance brand, INSIDE THE PLAY, starting with a new production created in collaboration with director Yeon Sang-ho's film 'Gunche'. The brand is designed to pull audiences into a story world beyond the screen. Viewers take part directly, interacting with actors in real time and helping complete the narrative, rather than watching from the outside. The project is built around 'Gunche,' which was officially invited to the Midnight Screenings section of the 79th Cannes International Film Festival. The film centers on survivors trapped inside a sealed building during an unidentified outbreak, facing infected people who evolve in unpredictable ways. Thierry Fremaux, the festival's executive director, previously introduced Yeon's 'Gunche' as “a horror zombie genre film set inside a sealed building,” noting that audiences would imagine “various narrative devices and storytelling possibilities” within that setup. Lotte Cultureworks said it aims to expand the film's world into an offline space, blurring the line between cinema and live performance. By translating the story's claustrophobic fear and psychological pressure into an immersive format, the audience becomes a participant inside the incident. Unlike productions that follow a fixed route, this show uses a multi-ending system in which each audience member's choices and movement can affect the outcome as situations change in real time. 'Inside the Play: Gunche' opens May 21 at Lotte Cinema Sindebang. Tickets go on sale at 5 p.m. April 24 through Ticketlink and Naver Booking. “We planned this performance to build a fully immersive show in which the audience leads the narrative,” said Yoon Se-in, head of Lotte Cultureworks' live business division. “'Inside the Play' with the film 'Gunche' will be a chance to deliver thrills audiences have not experienced before.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 17:13:11 -
Director Maggie Kang Signs Exclusive Deal With The Present Company, Expands Korea Work Maggie Kang has signed an exclusive contract with The Present Company. The Present Company said on 23 that it plans to develop a range of projects with Kang based in South Korea and that it expects strong synergy with a director known for creativity and a global sensibility. The company added that Kang is a symbolic figure who has demonstrated the global potential of Korean content and will continue that work as a creator representing South Korea. Kang, a Korean Canadian director born in South Korea and raised in Canada, began her career as a story artist at global studios. She later drew worldwide attention directing Netflix’s “K-Pop Demon Hunters.” The title has surpassed 500 million cumulative streams, delivering one of Netflix’s top-level performances, and also earned international recognition, including two wins at the 98th Academy Awards and the feature animation prize at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards. Kang has also been noted for stylish visuals and fine detail, expanding her influence into fashion, including appearing on magazine covers and establishing herself as an artist watched by high-end brands. “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” which blends K-pop with a Korean-inspired universe, has been credited with helping set a new trend in the global content market. Kang received the Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit in recognition of her contribution to expanding Korean content. The Present Company is a management agency representing actors Ahn Hyo-seop, Shin Se-kyung, Kim Seol-hyun and Park So-dam. Ahn previously connected with Kang by participating in “K-Pop Demon Hunters” as a voice actor. Kang plans to broaden her work with The Present Company with South Korea as her base while continuing overseas activities in partnership with global agency UTA.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 15:42:16 -
BIGBANG Opens Official b.stage Fan Community Ahead of August World Tour 그룹 빅뱅(BIGBANG)이 데뷔 20주년을 맞아 글로벌 팬덤 플랫폼 비스테이지(b.stage)에 공식 팬 커뮤니티를 열고 팬들과의 소통 강화에 나섰다. 오는 8월 월드투어를 앞두고 그룹 활동의 구심점을 마련한 셈이다. 22일 YG엔터테인먼트에 따르면 빅뱅은 지난 21일 데뷔일인 8월 19일을 상징하는 오후 8시 19분에 맞춰 비스테이지에 공식 팬 커뮤니티와 사회관계망서비스(SNS) 채널을 동시에 오픈했다. YG 측은 “오는 8월부터 월드투어를 예정하고 있는 만큼 팬들과 소통하며 더욱 뜻깊은 20주년을 만들어 나가고 싶다는 멤버들의 의지가 컸다”며 “이 채널을 통해 빅뱅이라는 이름으로 팬들의 마음에 더욱 가까이 다가설 것”이라고 밝혔다. 이번 커뮤니티는 멤버들이 그룹 활동 소식과 콘텐츠를 팬들에게 직접 전하고, 팬들 역시 게시판을 통해 자유롭게 소통할 수 있는 공간으로 운영된다. 향후 글로벌 투어를 비롯한 20주년 프로젝트 관련 공식 소식과 다양한 혜택도 순차적으로 공개될 예정이다. 빅뱅 멤버 지드래곤, 태양, 대성은 이미 각자의 솔로 활동을 통해 비스테이지에서 공식 팬 커뮤니티를 운영해왔다. 이번 그룹 커뮤니티 역시 같은 플랫폼에 오픈하면서 솔로 활동과 그룹 활동을 하나의 공간에서 이어갈 수 있게 됐다. 소통을 위한 첫 콘텐츠로는 새로운 로고 모션 영상이 공개됐다. ‘BIGBANG’과 ‘20TH ANNIVERSARY’ 문구를 담은 영상에는 코첼라 현장에서 촬영한 세 멤버의 뒷모습도 포함됐다. 빅뱅은 지난 12일과 19일(현지시간) 미국 캘리포니아에서 열린 ‘2026 코첼라 밸리 뮤직 앤드 아츠 페스티벌’ 무대에 올라 약 67분간 17곡을 선보였다. ‘뱅뱅뱅’, ‘판타스틱 베이비’, ‘하루하루’ 등 대표곡과 함께 태양의 ‘링가 링가’, 지드래곤의 ‘파워’, 대성의 ‘한도초과’ 등 솔로 무대도 펼쳤다. 해외 매체도 호평했다. 빌보드는 “관객들을 K팝의 황금기로 완벽히 소환했다”고 했고, 포브스는 빅뱅을 “K팝의 황제”라고 치켜세우며 귀환을 반겼다. 특히 빅뱅은 지난 19일 공연에서 오는 8월부터 월드투어를 시작한다고 공식 발표했다. 2017년 ‘라스트 댄스(LAST DANCE)’ 이후 9년 만에 빅뱅이라는 이름으로 선보이는 공연이다. YG엔터테인먼트는 “완벽한 공연을 만들기 위해 스태프 모두 최선을 다하겠다”고 밝혔다. 한편 비스테이지 관계자는 “K팝의 역사를 써온 빅뱅과 솔로에 이어 그룹 활동까지 비스테이지를 팬 소통 거점으로 제공하게 돼 기쁘다”며 “20주년이라는 특별한 해에 전 세계 팬들이 하나의 공간에서 모이고 앞으로 펼쳐질 글로벌 투어와 다양한 프로젝트를 함께 경험할 수 있도록 최선을 다해 지원하겠다”고 전했다. 2026-04-22 16:22:30 -
HYBE Latin America to Launch Low Clika Drama Series Ahead of New Album HYBE Latin America is rolling out a new project that pairs artists’ music with a storyline, applying what it calls a K-pop-style approach to expanding fan experiences in the Latin market. The company said on the 21st that band Low Clika will return with a new album in the second half of this year. The group drew attention through the band audition program “Pase a la Fama” and debuted in November 2025, promoting a sound that blends traditional Mexican folk music with trap, urban and pop elements. Ahead of the comeback, a short drama series titled “Low Clika: La Serie” will be released. Starting on the 23rd, one episode will be posted each week on the global superfans platform Weverse, as well as YouTube and TikTok. The drama follows the members as they face a crisis amid betrayal and intrigue, then overcome it and grow. It is structured around four main episodes, and a related new song will be released each time an episode concludes over about a month. Myrna Perez, general manager of SIENTO Records, a HYBE Latin America label, said building a connected universe in which music-centered content and narrative are organically linked is “one of HYBE and Chairman Bang Si-hyuk’s core philosophies.” She added, “Through this project, fans will experience the artists’ story, not just listen to the music.” 2026-04-22 15:21:17 -
BTS' song tops Billboard global charts for fourth straight week SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - K-pop juggernaut BTS' latest song has held the top spot on Billboard's global charts for four consecutive weeks. According to the American music chart, "Swim," the title track from their fifth full-length album "ARIRANG" remained at the top of the Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts for the week ending this Saturday, extending its run to a fourth straight week. Their album also held steady on the main U.S. charts, remaining in the top three of the Billboard 200 albums chart, while "Swim" has stayed on the Hot 100 since its worldwide release on March 20. The momentum extends to their global tour, which kicked off in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province on April 9. They are scheduled for some 85 shows across 34 cities around the world, with more than half already sold out, the most dates ever for a South Korean act on a single tour. Following their successful concerts in Tokyo, Japan, last week, they are set to perform in Tampa, Florida for three days starting this Saturday, as they ramp up the North American leg of the tour. Separately, BTS will also hold gigs along with other programs to meet fans, as part of projects stopping in cities including Las Vegas next month and Busan in June. 2026-04-22 11:31:00 -
Film Review: 'Jjanggu' Revives a 'The Wind' Character 16 Years Later "It feels romantic. The lighting, the temperature, the humidity ..." a cast member said on a variety show. The point was that place, weather and even how you feel can add up to a mood. Movies are no different. A viewer’s emotions and experiences can become the yardstick for judging a film. In that spirit, "Choi Family Review" introduces films through the writer’s own perspective, in a more relaxed, everyday tone. <Editor’s note> Some films do not end when the theater lights come up. Lines and expressions linger, replaying in the memories of people who lived through that time. The 2009 film 'The Wind' was one of them. Its box-office numbers did not tell the whole story, but it later gained the label of an "unofficial 10 million" hit through IPTV and VOD, becoming a phenomenon. 'Jjanggu' (directed by Jung Woo and Oh Seong-ho) expands that world and brings back a figure from those memories 16 years later. Rather than leaning only on nostalgia, it looks straight at the harsh reality of youth that can feel stuck in place. After taking off his school uniform and moving to Seoul, Jjanggu does not find a breakthrough but a long, grinding stretch of endurance. The film’s engine is the reality of young people who cannot give up on their dreams, yet must get through today and line up again for tomorrow. In 2010, Jjanggu (played by Jung Woo), a young man from Busan, heads to Seoul on a single hope: to become an actor. He cannot even pay the electric bill and gets by on a bowl of ramen, but in front of friends back home he mixes in Seoul slang and puts on a show of confidence. Living with his younger roommate, Kkangnaengi (Jo Beom-gyu), Jjanggu bounces from audition to audition, where life is not a spotlight but a cycle of rejection and trying again. As with 'The Wind,' Jung Woo’s autobiographical story anchors 'Jjanggu.' The sense of peeking into a page of his youth is reinforced through audition scenes tied to major works that shaped his career, adding a sharper feeling of reality. That is why Jung Woo is often described as the film’s identity. Viewers are positioned like longtime friends watching Jjanggu’s struggle up close, laughing and hurting with him as they sink into his inner life. Jung Woo’s performance does not simply recreate a character; it lays out, plainly, both the brightest and most humiliating parts of his past, forging a strong bond with the audience. Though the story flows around Jung Woo, its energy is completed by the people around Jjanggu. The back-and-forth among Jjanggu, Jjangjae (Shin Seung-ho) and Kkangnaengi is the film’s strongest draw. These are recognizable, everyday characters who add momentum while sharpening the texture of Busan as a place. The film leans on the sense that it is showing real Busan people, not a polished imitation, along with views from around the city. The actors’ raw performances, paired with Busan’s night air, pull viewers quickly into the period’s atmosphere. The handling of female characters, however, leaves room for criticism. Minhee (Jung Soo-jung), who is paired with Jjanggu in a romance, is drawn in a familiar "male fantasy" mold, and the way the relationship unfolds can feel out of step with today’s sensibilities. Because the film is strongest when it focuses on Jjanggu’s pursuit of acting, his day-to-day struggle and his lived-in rhythm with friends, it raises the question of whether more weight there would have helped. Even so, 'Jjanggu' remains funny, bittersweet and, in the end, intense, because the characters’ sincerity is embedded throughout and ultimately persuades the viewer. Echoing a line in the film — "It’s darkest before dawn" — it aims to accompany those moving through their own dark tunnel, offering presence rather than easy comfort. Following behind Jjanggu like someone watching a best friend’s growing pains, viewers may find themselves looking back on their own past seasons. The film opens April 22. Running time is 95 minutes, and it is rated for ages 15 and up.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 11:06:53