By Kwak Yeon-soo A growing number of K-pop idols are taking up the challenge of appearing on the silver screen, but many are facing criticism over their poor acting skills. Red Velvet leader Irene ’s film debut in Double Patty , which hit cinemas on February 17, drew criticism for her unnatural acting. The feature attracted 4,450 cinema-goers during the period from last Friday to Sunday, raising total admissions to 11,268, according to box office data from the Korean Film Council. But the star, who previously had a lead role in the 2016 web drama Game Development Girls , reacted humbly, saying she “learned a lot” from her first movie role. Meanwhile, Park Jeong-hwa of girl group Exid returned to the silver screen in Dragon Inn Part 2: The Night of the Gods , which was released on February 10. The sequel to last year’s Dragon Inn Part 1: The City of Sadness again sees her in the lead role. The film is set in a Chinese restaurant called the Dragon Inn, where problem solvers get together to defeat villains. The first instalment sold only 3,038 tickets while the second instalment has sold about 1,700 so far. The singer-turned-actress expressed regret about her own acting skills, saying: “There are so many things I’m regretful about. Although I put a lot of effort into it, I’m not satisfied with the results.” Rainbow’s leader Kim Jae-kyung, and Kim Dong-jun, a member of the now defunct boy band ZE:A, starred in the melodrama A Way Station , which hit cinemas on February 18. The overarching plot involves a romance between a man named Seung-hyun who loses his memory because of Alzheimer’s disease and his girlfriend Ji-ah. It sold less than 1,000 ticket sales as of Monday. The idols’ failure to shine on the silver screen is not only attributed to poor acting skills. The changing landscape of the media industry is also playing a part, according to industry officials. Nowadays, viewers watch drama series on electronic devices, regardless of time and place. When people watch dramas on their phones, tablets or computers, observers say they often overlook flaws in acting as they don’t seriously hinder the storyline. Unlike television series that are able to respond to viewer feedback as they are shot using Korea’s “live-shoot” system, movies can only be evaluated once production is completed. This means that idols-turned-actors are only able to show improved acting skills in future projects. And if they aren’t cast in further projects, they will be stuck with their negative image. “Most idols start acting in low-budget or independent films because they want to establish their filmography from scratch and build an image as an actor. Their attempts are good as long as they have good acting skills,” a production company official said on condition of anonymity. Read the full story at the Korea Times