Yeon Sang-ho's latest zombie film draws 5 million in about a month SEOUL, June 15 (AJP) - Director Yeon Sang-ho's film "Colony" has attracted more than 5 million since it hit local theaters last month. According to data from the Korean Film Council on Monday, the zombie film drew about 301,000 moviegoers over the weekend, bringing its cumulative theater attendance to 5.21 million after topping the box office for the fourth consecutive week since its release on May 21. It became this year's second film to reach the milestone, fo June 15, 2026

Netflix rolls out mobile-first updates to make content discovery easier SEOUL, June 11 (AJP) - Streaming giant Netflix on Tuesday showcased new product and technology updates designed to help users find content more easily, with a focus on mobile viewing, personalized curation and gaming. The company unveiled the updates at an online Product and Technology Innovation Showcase for media in the Asia-Pacific region. Elizabeth Stone, Netflix's chief product and technology officer, said the company's mission is "to entertain the world" June 11, 2026

K-zombies are fast, vivid — and in "Colony," finally thinking SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - Summer heat in Korea brings horror season, and this year's bar-raiser is "Colony," Yeon Sang-ho's latest zombie thriller, which drew more than 2.1 million admissions in its first six days. The film claimed 39.9 percent of advance reservations across 1,858 screens nationwide, prompting inevitable comparisons to Yeon's 2016 breakout "Train to Busan," which sold 11.5 million tickets and pushed Korean zombie cinema onto the global May 27, 2026

YouTuber faces arrest warrant in defamation case against Kim Soo-hyun SEOUL, May 26 (AJP) - Kim Se-eui, the head of YouTube channel Garo Sero Institute, also known as HoverLab, is facing an arrest warrant over defamation allegations and other charges involving actor Kim Soo-hyun. Kim appeared at the Seoul Central District Court at around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, where he denied all charges, adding that he would file a complaint against the police officers and prosecutors handling the case. "I do not admit to any of them," Kim said before en May 26, 2026

Yeon Sang-ho's new zombie film draws 2 million moviegoers in less than a week since release SEOUL, May 26 (AJP) - Director Yeon Sang-ho's latest film "Colony" has drawn over 2 million moviegoers less than a week since its release last Thursday. According to the Korean Film Council, the zombie film surpassed 2 million in cumulative theater attendance as of Monday, reaching the milestone faster than any other film released this year and outpacing previous box-office hits such as "The King's Warden" and "Salmokji: Whispering Water" in May 26, 2026

South Korean student filmmaker wins award at Cannes SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - Filmmaker Jin Mi-song has won a gong at this year's Cannes Film Festival which wraps up this weekend, organizers said on Friday. Jin took home second prize with her short film "Silent Voices" in the La Cinef section, the prestigious festival's student film competition featuring short live-action and animated works by emerging filmmakers from universities around the world. This year's lineup included 14 live-action and five animated sh May 22, 2026

France honors South Korean director Park Chan-wook with top cultural order SEOUL, May 18 (AJP) - France has awarded South Korean film director Park Chan-wook the Commandeur in the Order of Arts and Letters, the highest rank of its cultural merit. French Culture Minister Catherine Pégard presented the medal Sunday in Cannes. The ceremony took place during the 79th Cannes Film Festival, where the 62-year-old is currently serving as the first South Korean filmmaker to preside over the festival jury. Established in 1957 by the French Ministry of Cu May 18, 2026

Avignon Festival to spotlight Korean language and contemporary performing arts SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - The Avignon Festival, one of the world’s leading performing arts festivals, will spotlight the Korean language and contemporary Korean productions during its 80th edition in July, marking the first time an Asian language has been selected as the festival’s official invited language. The Korean-language spotlight program coincides with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and France, highlighting the growing cultural e May 12, 2026

Annual Cannes Film Festival opens with South Korean cinema in spotlight SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - This year's Cannes Film Festival kicked off its 11-day run in the southern French city on Tuesday, with South Korean films among the highlights. Widely regarded as one of the world's most prestigious film festivals, alongside those in Berlin and Venice, the festival, now in its 79th year, is known for recognizing auteur-driven, bold, and artistic films. Its top prize, the Palme d'Or, also known as Golden Palm, is considered one of the highest hon May 12, 2026

'The King's Warden' dominates 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards with grand prize win SEOUL, May 09 (AJP) - The historical blockbuster "The King's Warden" swept the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards on Friday, with lead actor Yoo Hae-jin securing the Grand Prize (Daesang) in the film category. The film, which recently became the second highest-grossing South Korean production of all time with 16.8 million admissions, took home four awards at the ceremony held at COEX in Seoul. Beyond the night’s top honor, the production earned the Gucci Impact Award, w May 9, 2026