Korean Entertainment News 2012 - 2013

katt

March 15, 2013

Jang Nara returns home from China

By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily



Singer and actress Jang Nara has returned to Korea to meet with local fans after filming the Chinese drama “Red Palanquin” for a month.

She will hold an event in early May to meet with those who have been eagerly awaiting her return.

Also in the works is a “Jang Nara Film Festival” to celebrate her 12-year career in the entertainment industry. At the event, scenes from her movies and dramas will be played, according to local media reports.

“Jang Nara is preparing to do many different activities to thank Korean fans that have supported her for the past 12 years,” said her agency.

Until the morning of her return on Thursday, Jang spent most of her time on set for the drama in China.

“Jang Nara has put her best effort forward during the shoot to thank her Chinese fans and has successfully finished filming,” the agency added.

In the new drama, Jang plays a lead character named Riti who is born with six fingers. She is a member of a family that hosts wedding ceremonies in the early 20th century.

katt

March 16, 2013

Actress Hwang Jung-eum Isn't Afraid of Criticism

The ChosunIlbo



Actress Hwang Jung-eum seems to be in her element in "Incarnation of Money," having received high praise for her role in the drama about a fat woman transformed by whole-body plastic surgery.

In early episodes, the actress had to pad her face with silicon and scarf down food in front of the camera. But she wasn't fazed.

"I'm not afraid of looking ugly," she said. "Personally, I'm more at ease with a light character than a serious one."

Hwang made her debut as a member of the girl group Sugar and took up acting in 2005. Her popularity as an actress blossomed when she played a cheerful role in the highly successful sitcom "High Kick Through the Roof" in 2009 but after that she has mostly taken on serious characters in dramas such as "Giant," and "Golden Time."

"For some time, people were keep saying that I could only do sitcoms," Hwang recalled. "So I wanted to prove them wrong. I feel like I learned a lot from veteran actors whom I met through 'Giant' and 'Golden Time.'"

And indeed, her efforts seem to be paying off as Hwang said she has received her first praise for her acting skills in eight years.

"Through thick and thin, I tried very hard. Harsh online comments about my poor acting skills pushed me to practice harder," she said. "I think there is still a long way to go before I can confidently call myself an actress, but I'm sure I'm on my way there."

katt

March 17, 2013

Fantasy thriller series to be rebooted in film

By Baek Byung-yeul The Korea Times


Choo Sang-mi in “The Seoul Guardians” (1998)

Best-selling author Lee Woo-hyuk hated "The Soul Guardians,’’ the 1998 movie that was the film adaptation of his fantasy thriller, "Toemarok.’’ It ate into his soul so much that now, 20 years after the novel’s debut, Lee is moving to reboot "Toemarok” as a movie series and plans to dictate the process himself from start to finish.

"I am not ready to talk about the specifics yet, but there has been considerable progress on filming my novels,’’ Lee said.

"I will write the draft scripts. I know there are a lot of talented screenwriters out there and I am not disrespecting any of them. But no one understands my novels better than myself.’’

It remains to be seen, however, whether film studios and investors will be eager to commit to a material dating back to the first year of the Kim Young-sam presidency. Lee is not ready to talk too much about the new movie he claims to be in the works, but says it will be a trilogy, just like the movie versions of the most famous fantasy novel of all time, ''Lord of the Rings.’’

Lee started writing “Toemarok,” which revolved around ''demon repellers’’ fighting evil supernatural beings in Korea’s urban back allies, on the Internet in 1993. The series quickly gained immense readership and publishers were soon competing to massage Lee’s ego for the rights for the paperback version, which was released in 1994 and has sold nearly 10 million copies since. The four-volume series was finished in 2001, but the books were released in new designs last year.

Lee believes “The Soul Guardians” dented the legacy of the “Toemarok” series and is eager to correct that. Starring an A-list cast of Ahn Sung-ki, Choo Sang-mi and Shin Hyun-joon and a then-unprecedented budget of 2.4 billion won, the movie was a colossal flop at the box office, where it managed to sell only 400,000 tickets. Lee, who said he was at a loss for words after the screening, claims the movie was bad because he wasn’t involved in it.

"I was totally excluded from the production process from the very beginning,” said Lee, adding that the movie became a source of his nightmares for years.

katt

March 17, 2013

Kang has roles on two reality shows

Korea JoongAng Daily

SBS and KBS will introduce new reality shows with comedian Kang Ho-dong as the lead, according to local media reports.

SBS, after its survival audition program “K-pop Star” finishes its second season run next month, will introduce a reality show outside of the studio.

The new show will be produced by director Jang Hyuk-jae, who had the hit show “Family Outing.”

Jang and other members of the production staff have left the country to do research in Southeast Asia, said an SBS official, and there is a good chance the first episode of the new show will be filmed overseas.

The new program has not been named.

KBS, which recently canceled the talk show “Moonlight Prince” only two months after it debuted in January, will also deliver an outdoor reality show.

Kang who led the canceled show until this week will stay with KBS for the new program.

“Moonlight Prince,” with regulars Tak Jae-hoon and Changmin of boy band TVXQ, failed to attract a large viewership.

katt

March 17, 2013

Actor takes director's chair Sunday

By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily

Actor Park Joong-hoon starts filming his own movie - “Top Star” - March 24, he said on Twitter last week, making his debut as a director.

Uhm Tae-woong, a regular member of the KBS reality show “1 Night 2 Days” and actress So Yi-hyun, who starred in the TV drama “Cheongdam-dong Alice” that ended in January, will take a leading roles.

Kim Min-joon from the 2012 movie “The Concubine” also recently agreed to take part as a lead character. Kim, who announced his plan to stop acting in December, decided to return to the entertainment scene after only three months.

Kim received a call from Park last year and just recently decided to join the team.

The movie “Top Star” will depict the life of a personal manager for a top star, who later becomes a star himself.

Uhm will play the manager-turned-star, while Kim will be the already-famous celebrity for whom Uhm works.

katt

March 17, 2013

Psy has a big decision to make soon

Korea JoongAng Daily

Psy’s next song will be either in the “Gangnam Style” or a complete departure from it.

“Preparation for a new song is complete,” Psy, who real name is Park Jae-sang, told reporters upon arriving from Malaysia at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul.

“I am deciding between two songs,” said the 35-year-old phenom. “One feels similar to ‘Gangnam Style’ and the other is a totally different feel. We have done the choreographing [for the two songs] and we are deciding [which song to go with]”

Early this month, YG Entertainment said Psy will announce his first new song since “Gangnam Style” on April 12. Psy will perform the song during a concert titled “Happening” at Seoul World Cup Stadium on April 13, with worldwide release scheduled for the same day.

It will be his first concert in Korea since he rocked Seoul City Plaza in October.

The entire upcoming concert at 50,000-seat World Cup Stadium will be shown free on YouTube, according to the agency.

katt

March 17, 2013

Shin recalls it was love at first sight

By Moon Gwang-lip Korea JoongAng Daily



Shin Hyun-joon says it that his bride-to-be was love at first sight.

“I was entering a building and she was stepping out of it. I immediately turned around and she was looking at me too,” Shin told KBS2’s “Entertainment Weekly” on Saturday, a show where he is one of the hosts, describing the first encounter with his fiancee.

“I felt as if she had been a longtime friend,” he said.

“I thought I would regret it for the rest of my life if I let go of her.”

Earlier Saturday, his agency said that 44-year-old actor would marry a woman 12 years his junior May 28 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Their first encounter occurred six months ago, and Shin denied media speculation that he set the marriage date early because she is pregnant.

“It is nothing like pregnancy at all,” Shin said. “I am a bit old and my father is sick.”

His future wife has been studying music in the United States since she was “young,” Shin said.

katt

March 15, 2013

'Movieweek' magazine goes out of business

By Claire Lee The Korea Herald

Local film weekly Movieweek is going out of business this month, leaving Cine21 as the last Korean movie weekly standing.

The magazine announced the news through their official Twitter account on March 12.

“Our upcoming 571st edition, which will be out on March 22, will be our last issue,” the weekly said via Twitter.

The film magazine was founded in 2001, and has been considered one of the two most influential movie weeklies for the last 12 years, along with Cine21.


The second to last issue of local film weekly Movieweek, which will discontinue its publication on March 22. (Movieweek)

From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, a number of movie weeklies were founded. Movieweek was one of them, along with Film 2.0 and Premiere.

In 2008, Premiere and Film 2.0 stopped publishing, leaving Movieweek and Cine21 as the last local film weeklies.

One of the major reasons behind their disappearance was the emergence of free entertainment papers and magazines in the late 2000s.

Movieweek in fact is turning into a free entertainment magazine “magazine M” next month ― a publication jointly founded by major local daily Joongang Ilbo and its subsidiary Megabox ― a large chain of movie theaters here.

Movieweek was incorporated into Joongang Entertainment and Sports Publishing Inc., another subsidiary of the Joongang Ilbo, in 2007.

“We are not sure how magazine M will be different from Movieweek in terms of content,” Movieweek writer Baek Jong-hyeon told The Korea Herald. “We’ll have to wait till next month to find that out.”

A number of popular figures in the film industry have expressed their regret at the news, including film director-producer Kim Jho Gwang-soo, actress Kim Hye-na, and screenwriter Kim Do-hoon.

Among them, film producer Shim Jae-myung, whose works include last year’s hit “Architecture 101” and Park Chan-wook’s 2000 drama “Joint Security Area,” said she was “saddened” by the news.

“This shows the dark side of today’s local film industry where the market share of homegrown films are rising to nearly 80 percent,” she said via her Twitter account on March 13.

“The role of film criticism is being ignored and film journals are losing their ground. This is the era that only praises films that are box office hits.”

katt

March 18, 2013

Psy becomes first Asian million seller in Britain

YonhapNews

SEOUL, March 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korean rapper Psy's mega hit "Gangnam Style" has become a million seller in Britain, making him the first Asian artist to reach the milestone, his local management firm said Monday.

   "'Gangnam Style' has become the 129th track to sell over a million copies in the 60-year history of the U.K. Charts," YG Entertainment said, citing the country's Official Charts Company that compiles various "official" record charts.

   Psy is the first Asian artist to hit the milestone in the European country, the charts company said.

   "Gangnam Style" jumped to No. 1 on the U.K. Official Singles Chart on Sept. 30, only two weeks after debuting at No. 37, making it the first Korean song to top the chart.

   Boosted by such popularity, the song was sixth on the country's singles sales ranking, selling 878,000 copies, last year.

   It has stayed in the top 40 on the U.K. Singles Chart for 30 weeks and was at No. 37, a notch up from the previous week, on the chart updated on Sunday.

   Psy is to officially unveil a follow-up to the mega hit single on April 13 and celebrate the release with a concert at a soccer stadium in Seoul.

   

katt

March 18, 2013

Shin Hyun-jun to Tie the Knot in May

The ChosunIlbo



Actor Shin Hyun-jun will marry his girlfriend of six months on May 26, he announced on his television show Saturday.

"As my father is sick, we're in a bit of a hurry to get married," Shin added. The bride-to-be is 12 years younger and studying for a doctorate in music overseas.

The couple's first encounter was like a scene from a movie. Shin bumped into the woman in the doorway of a building and they almost fell in love at first sight.

Shin was predominantly active in movies but more recently appeared in a couple of TV series since last year. He also teaches acting at Induck University.

katt

March 18, 2013

Korean star Lee Byung-hun plays ninja bodyguard in G.I. Joe 2
Korean actor Lee Byung-hun makes another mark in Hollywood

The Star Online


Hero: Lee Byung-hun reprises his role as ninja bodyguard Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe 2: The Retaliation.

Director Park Chan-wook has been there, and so has director Kim Jee-woon. Hollywood may not be an undiscovered place for Korean directors as of this year: They’ve made their debut films there, released them, and experienced the red- carpet glamour.

Hollywood, however, still remains foreign to most Korean actors. One of the few exceptions is top actor Lee Byung-hun, whose performance in his 2009 Hollywood debut G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra left a mark.

The actor is now ahead of the opening of the sci-fi flick’s sequel, G.I. Joe 2: The Retaliation, where he returns as Storm Shadow – the famous heroic character who works as a ninja bodyguard doing epic stunts. Lee, who enjoyed much success with the Korean period drama Masquerade released last year – the film remains the third-highest grossing Korean film of all time – says it was his “curiosity” that drew him to Hollywood.

“It was more of curiosity (than ambition),” said the 42-year-old actor during an interview in Seoul, South Korea, recently.

“Even after my second movie, I am still curious. I still wonder what I can actually offer in Hollywood and how much farther I can go with my career there. I’m up for new challenges and opportunities.”

Shooting his second Hollywood film required a number of things, including mastering every script line in perfect American English and getting used to the Hollywood filmmaking system – which is vastly different from the one in South Korea.

Both directors Park and Kim have shared their difficulties getting used to the system, which they experienced while shooting Stoker and The Last Stand, respectively. Unlike the Korean film industry, where all the crew members work on the set until the director is satisfied with the shoots, working in Hollywood strictly requires start and finish, each day’s work is done on time. Director Kim said the experience was “lonely” and “extremely challenging.” Lee said it was “efficient but intimidating, sometimes”.

“Director Park and Kim were all in the US while I was shooting this film,” said Lee.

“Both of them would often text me (when they were frustrated) and say, ‘I am going nuts’ or ‘I could just pack everything and go home now’. I’d giggle whenever I received the texts.

“But seriously speaking, I think getting used to the system must have been much harder for them than it was for me. From what I’ve seen, being a film director in South Korea is just totally different from being a film director in Hollywood.”

Unlike Park and Kim, Lee got himself out there without an interpreter. Throughout the shooting process, Lee communicated with all of the US crew members without any help from a third party.



Director Jon Chu, who worked with Lee on the film, in fact said the actor surprisingly spoke “perfect English”.

“I remember him coming into the project and everyone was like, ‘Oh, he doesn’t speak that much English’,” Chu said.

“So I thought this would be interesting how we would interact with each other. But then he came in for a meeting and he spoke perfect English. There he talked about how he wanted the character to be more emotional and real. He wanted to create a rawer, rage-filled character rather than just a cartoon character. It was great. We could talk about the things below the surface.”

Lee is undoubtedly one of Korea’s most celebrated film stars, having starred in more than 40 films and TV drama series. He is noted for his strong presence and nuanced acting style.

“I loved that he could be really strong and powerful but at the same time have a sense of humour about himself,” Chu said about Lee’s performance in Kim Jee-woon’s 2008 film The Good, The Bad, The Weird, where the actor appears as a villain.

“I loved that you were scared of him but also felt for him. That combination was very rare for me because usually I think in American action movies you are either a villain or a hero. The in-betweens are tough. And what I loved about Lee Byung-hun’s performance in all these movies is that he plays the line very well. He plays it and goes back and forth. And that takes a real artist.”

Lee’s character in the G.I. Joe movies, Storm Shadow, is a Japanese-American who used to serve in the US Army’s special operations group.

“He seems cold and cynical, mostly because of this traumatic experience he had in the past,” Lee said. “And there is this scene in the movie where he simply explodes with all the suppressed emotions. That’s one of the scenes that I considered the most important.”

Lee’s co-stars have nothing but respect for him. “His acting style is very strong and he can be very intense,” said Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who stars in the movie with Lee. The actor said he was unaware of Lee’s stardom in Asia until director Chu “educated him” about it.

“One of the most impressive things about Lee is that he is a very, very disciplined actor who takes his job incredibly seriously. Even in our world of cosmic mythology, he brings a very nice way to perform (his role). I’m very impressed with the guy. A nice guy, too.” – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network

■ G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation opens in cinemas nationwide on March 28.

katt

March 18, 2013

Hong Suk-chun says he’s not rolling in the dough

By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily



Hong Suk-chun revealed that he is often asked for loans during a filming of the talk show “King of Anger” on cable network Channel A yesterday.

“So many people have contacted me asking for money as they assume that I have a lot from the seven restaurants I run in Itaewon,” said Hong.

He contradicted the notion by saying that he doesn’t make as much money as people assume.

“I often get letters from prison and many from all across the country visit the restaurants to borrow money,” he said. “I get angry looking at people who just sit there.”

He also added that some celebrities have borrowed money and never paid him back.

katt

March 18, 2013

Rain faces lawsuit over business investment

By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily



Singer and actor Rain may face another legal fight as an investor surnamed Lee filed suit at the Seoul Central District Court yesterday, according to local media reports.

Lee argued that he lost his investment in fashion projects after being cajoled into providing funding for J.Tune Creative. He is asking for 2 billion won ($1.8 million) in damages.

Lee, who introduced himself as a fabric supplier, said that one of the executives at the company approached him in January 2008 and suggested they work together on some fashion projects.

Lee said Rain, who is the majority shareholder, did not sincerely run his business but was simply interested in selling more shares.

katt

March 18, 2013

Ji Jin-hee moves to HB

By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily



Actor Ji Jin-hee of much-loved TV drama “Dae Jang Geum” will sign with HB Entertainment next month, which manages schedules for actor Lee Beom-soo of ongoing KBS TV drama “Iris 2” and others.

As soon as his contract with current agency Fantasio expires this month, he will start working with HB Entertainment, which is known for its drama and movie production as well as its management service for celebrities.

“He is not changing agencies because he had any problem with it, but because each looks out for what’s best for each other,” a source close to Ji told Ilgan Sports, affiliated with Korea JoongAng Daily.

The new agency with which Ji is signing has contributed in directing the SBS drama “Forty-nine Days,” “Marrying a Millionaire,” and just-finished KBS drama “My Daughter Seo Young.” It also produced movie “Only You” last year starring actor So Ji-sub and actress Han Hyo-joo.

katt

March 18, 2013

After outcry, KBS alters drama poster

By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily



KBS released an updated version of its main poster for “You’re the Best, Lee Soon Shin” yesterday after a youth group condemned the broadcasting company for defaming Adm. Yi Sun-sin last week.

In the original poster, some of the actors and actresses stand or sit on a pile of 100 won coins that have an image of Admiral Yi. The staff has changed the coins to a plain gold platform.

As the name of the troublesome main character played by singer IU sounds the same as Admiral Yi, the youth group DN requested a ban on using the name of Korea’s historic naval commander at the Seoul Central District Court.

Although the drama’s production team is said to have no plans to change the name, it decided take out some of the elements that could hurt the respected image of the admiral.

In the drama, characters will also refrain from calling clumsy Lee “only worth 100 won.”

Yi is famed for his victories against the Japanese Navy during the Joseon Dynasty.

katt

March 18, 2013

MBC to launch weekend reality show

By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily



All three terrestrial channels in Korea will compete for higher viewership on the weekends with reality shows as MBC has decided to schedule one to coincide with its competitors, according to local media reports yesterday.

Followed by KBS’s and SBS’s decisions to introduce reality shows, MBC announced its plans for a new show based on a soldier’s army life.

The new show, tentatively named “Real Man,” will be a segment in the long-running entertainment program “Sunday Night” starting in April.

It will feature seven or eight celebrities visiting local army bases who will experience daily life there.

The staff for the new show has asked actor Kim Su-ro to join the new program, and he is reportedly checking his schedule.

As soon as all the celebrity members are selected, the production team will start filming at a military base in Goyang, Gyeonggi.

This could happen as early as next week, according to the local media reports.

katt

March 19, 2013

Ticket sales for 'New World' pass 4 million mark

YonhapNews

SEOUL, March 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korean movie "New World" has exceeded 4 million tickets sold in local cinemas, official box-office data showed Tuesday.

   The star-studded noir-action film had sold about 4.17 million tickets as of Monday, 26 days after opening in local cinemas, according to the Korean Film Council that tracks the box-office figures.

   A film drawing an audience of 4 million is normally considered a commercial success in South Korea with a population of 50 million.

   Starring Lee Jung-jae, Choi Min-shik and Hwang Jung-min, the flick is about a young police detective sent to infiltrate an organized crime ring as a mole. After eight years of living a double life as a member of the ring, he succeeds in gaining the trust of the organization's No. 2 man but soon lands in trouble as police begin an operation to bust the gang members.

   It was written and directed by Park Hoon-jung who made his directorial debut with "The Showdown" in 2010. He is best known as the script writer of "I Saw the Devil" (2010) by director Kim Jee-woon and "The Unjust" (2010) directed by Ryoo Seung-wan.

   

katt

March 18, 2013

Actor Shin to wed in May

By Julie Jackson The Korea Herald


A screenshot of actor Shin Hyun-joon making his wedding announcement on KBS’ “Entertainment Weekly” (KBS)

Actor Shin Hyun-joon is to be married in May.

Shin, 44, made the announcement of his engagement on the KBS program “Entertainment Weekly.”

Shin’s bride-to-be, whom he met about six months ago, is a Korean-American music graduate student who is 12 years his junior. He explained that she was born in Korea but has been studying in the U.S. since she was a kid. He also said she will stay in Korea for a short while after the wedding but must eventually return to the U.S.

The two will marry on May 26 at the Grand Hyatt Seoul Hotel.

katt

March 18, 2013

The breakup of a 'Very Ordinary Couple'
Director Roh Deok’s debut an intriguing character study

By Claire Lee The Korea Herald

One cannot be sure why film director Roh Deok calls this young couple “very ordinary,” but it is the “ordinary” post-break-up behavior that is on her mind ― or at least in her feature debut: The two get into a physical fight while drinking with their coworkers, obsessively check each other’s Facebook accounts, secretly follow their ex on their dates, and swear at each other in public.

The film, “Very Ordinary Couple,” seems to be arguing that this is what most of us, the “ordinary,” go through after a nasty break-up. While some may agree and some may not ― it’s hard to think that an average person with the least bit of common sense would purposely smash her ex’s laptop and mail it to his house ― the film manages to be an interesting expos of a romantic relationship and the repeated mistakes that gradually make it unrecoverable.


A scene from director Roh Deok’s “Very Ordinary Couple.” (Lotte Entertainment)

The film follows young bank clerks Dong-hee (played by actor Lee Min-ki) and Young (played by actress Kim Min-hee) who have just broken up with each other. They work at a local branch of Standard Chartered, and their seemingly nasty split turns scandalous in the office. After going through a period of irrational behavior, including physical fights and Dong-hee’s impulsive one-night stand with a mutual colleague at work, the two decide to give their relationship another try. Once again, they are madly in love.

The real story of the film begins as the two begin to date again, in spite of their shared doubts and fears. As the second honeymoon phase ends, the same problems ― those that had led to their initial break-up ― surface: the boredom, the trust issues, and the mutual dishonesty about what they really want. The hot-tempered Dong-hee seems like he needs an anger management class, while Young tries to avoid conflicts by telling small lies ― unaware of how lies, regardless of the motivations, can destroy trust.

Above all, the couple’s shared experience of the break-up gradually makes them insecure about their relationship. This eventually leads to a suffocating disaster: Dong-hee tries very hard to pretend that he is interested in the things Young suggests doing, only to please her and save their relationship ― although he’d really rather sleep in than go to an amusement park on his day off. Young, on the other hand, gets extremely self-conscious of everything she tells Dong-hee, as she is worried that she will upset him off by “saying something wrong” ― just like how she did before the first break-up.

There is a sadness that fills the screen as the two desperately try to save their relationship, pretending nothing is wrong and trying to believe that things will work out in the end. “I will be good to her,” Dong-hee repeatedly says in the film. “I’ll try harder to make this work.”

But watching them forcing on a smile while obviously annoyed by each other’s company, the audience can instinctively tell that the two will soon part ways ― in spite of their genuine efforts and affection for each other. The movie reaches its climax as the two flawed characters realize that they’ve messed it up again, that they can no longer be in denial, and there are some things in life that cannot be controlled no matter how hard they try.

Actress Kim Min-hee, who enjoyed much success for her role as the serial killer in last year’s thriller “Helpless,” is particularly impressive as the vulnerable Young, bringing an extraordinary depth and complexity to the character.

What is “ordinary” or universal about this film is not the post- break-up behavior: It is the repeated mistakes in relationships, helpless denials, as well as the wounding power of love ― those strange, sad, bizarre moments that transform lovers into who they are, even after they part ways.

katt

March 19, 2013

Pieta's Cho Min-soo awarded for role

By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily



Actress Cho Min-soo, who starred in director Kim Ki-duk’s “Pieta,” received a People’s Choice for Favorite Actress Award at the 7th Asian Film Awards.

At Monday’s event, organized by the Hong Kong International Film Festival, Cho went to podium to receive the award wearing a black and white color mermaid dress.

In the movie, Cho plays the role of a woman who pretends to be the mother of a cold-blooded contract killer.

Meanwhile, none of the other Korean actors and actresses, producing staff nor the film won any awards at the event.