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Asian cinema: Korean films

Asian cinema: Korean films

From the stylish blockbusters of Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho to art-house gems by Hong Sang-soo and Kim Ki-duk, this is the place to go for reviews, interviews and features about movies both classic and new from South Korea.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM

Zizi, a Chinese participant performing fire spinning at “Shambhala in Your Heart” festival. Photo: David Frazier

Chinese youths swap the rat race for fun and freedom at Thailand’s hippie Shambhala festival

At a hippie festival in northern Thailand, mainland Chinese youths are swapping involution for personal freedom.

Reading Time:9 minutes

The summit of Norman Foster’s HSBC Main Building in relief against The Peak, 1986. Photo: Ian Lambot

The building that rewrote architecture – 40 years ago

Reading Time:7 minutes

Stephen Buckle, from Aspect, a global landscape architecture company, says that the most successful way to strike a balance between commercial and design aspirations is to make ecologically minded greening the focal point of any project, including this, The Roof, a Shanghai lifestyle complex, designed in collaboration with French architect Jean Nouvel. Photo: Courtesy Aspect

From Hong Kong’s Taikoo Square to Seoul’s Gangnam forest and Chengdu’s Hyperlane, nature is reshaping Asia’s cities

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Hintegro founder Keith Chan’s Sha Tin retreat. Photo: Keith Chan

An interior designer on finally designing for his own home

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Innocent and Chihiro Mutanga on the rooftop of Chungking Mansions, in Tsim Sha Tsui, the spot where they got engaged. Photo: Tracy Wong

The cross-cultural love story that forms the heart of the Africa Centre

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New Zealand’s Dallas Seymour powers his
way through the mud
as his team faces
Hong Kong at the
1992 Cathay Pacific-Hongkong Bank Invitation Sevens at Hong Kong Stadium. The All Blacks won, obviously. Photo: SCMP Archives

In pictures: 50 years of mud, sweat and beers at the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens

Reading Time:1 minute

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Byeon Woo-seok (left) and IU in a still from Perfect Crown. Photo: Disney+.

Profile | Who is Byeon Woo-seok, IU’s co-star in romance K-drama Perfect Crown?

Coming to prominence in shows like Record of Youth and Strong Girl Nam-soon, Byeon Woo-seok returns this weekend in a hotly anticipated role.

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The 10 most-watched Korean films of all time, including The King’s Warden

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Profile | Who is Seo In-guk, star of Netflix K-drama Boyfriend on Demand?

From his musical beginnings to his breakout role in Reply 1997 to his turn in Boyfriend on Demand, Seo In-guk stands out for his versatility.

14 Mar 2026 - 4:15PM

Korean singer-turned-actor Seo In-guk recently starred in the K-drama series Boyfriend on Demand. Photo: Ji Sang Chung/Netflix

Profile | Who is Shin Hye-sun, star of Netflix K-drama The Art of Sarah?

Breaking out in 2016’s Five Enough, Shin Hye-sun has gone on to make her mark in series including Mr. Queen and Welcome to Samdal-ri.

14 Feb 2026 - 5:15PM

What is it like to win the lottery? These 10 Asian movies have the answers

Winning the lottery can change your life forever, for good or bad. These 10 films from across Asia explore luck, wealth and greed.

11 Feb 2026 - 6:15PMvideocam

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The 10 most successful Korean art-house films of all time

As Yoon Ga-eun’s The World of Love hits Hong Kong cinemas, we look at Korean indie films that conquered the box office as well as festivals.

27 Jan 2026 - 4:15PMvideocam

Seo Su-bin in a still from The World of Love. Korean director Yoon Ga-eun’s acclaimed film is scheduled to hit Hong Kong cinemas on January 29.

Why M+ and Chanel are bringing rare Asian avant-garde films to Mubi

Streaming platform Mubi teams up with Hong Kong’s M+ museum and Chanel to put the spotlight on 10 films, including a John Woo short.

22 Jan 2026 - 4:51PM

Profile | Who is Go Youn-jung, rising star of Netflix’s Can This Love Be Translated?

After starting out as a model, Go rose to K-drama stardom in series such as Alchemy of Souls and Moving. Now she leads her first romcom.

17 Jan 2026 - 5:15PM

Loved Back to the Past? 10 Asian time travel gems you may also enjoy

After the success of Louis Koo’s Back to the Past, here are 10 other Asian time-travelling movies that are well worth checking out.

15 Jan 2026 - 7:15PMvideocam

Louis Koo in a still from Back to the Past. In celebration of the film’s success, here are 10 more of the best examples of big-screen time-travel escapism from across Asia.

Korean film icon Ahn Sung-ki remembered: 5 of his best films

Known affectionately as ‘The Nation’s Actor’, South Korea’s Ahn Sung-ki starred in more than 100 feature films during his long career.

5 Jan 2026 - 7:45PMvideocam

Ahn Sung-ki poses on the red carpet during the opening ceremony of the 26th Busan International Film Festival in 2021. Photo: AFP

South Korean ‘nation’s actor’ Ahn Sung-ki dies at 74

Ahn collected over 40 major movie awards in his lifetime, including winning the Grand Bell Awards for best actor five times.

5 Jan 2026 - 3:58PM

The 12 best Asian films of 2025: Ne Zha 2, Kokuho and more

Our pick of the best Asian films of the past year includes a record-breaking animation and a movie that is nothing short of breathtaking.

30 Dec 2025 - 4:15PMvideocam

Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | Two Seasons, Two Strangers: a hypnotic ode to writing and travel

Starring Shim Eun-kyung and Yuumi Kawai, Japanese drama Two Seasons, Two Strangers is both fascinating and beautiful.

15 Dec 2025 - 8:15PMvideocam

Yuumi Kawai in a still from Two Seasons, Two Strangers

Profile | Who is Kim Woo-bin, star of K-dramas Our Blues and Genie, Make a Wish?

Kim Woo-bin, who is marrying fellow K-drama star Shin Min-a this month, has proved he has the acting chops to match his good looks.

13 Dec 2025 - 12:15PM

Korean actor Kim Woo-bin has starred in hit films and TV series including The Heirs, Twenty, Uncontrollably Fond, Our Blues and Genie, Make a Wish. He will marry his fellow K-drama star Shin Min-a this month. Photo: Instagram/kimwoobin

Want to find solace in film? 10 movies that may offer catharsis and hope

Following last week’s tragic fire at a Tai Po estate in Hong Kong, we look at films in which humanity endures through the darkest of hours.

1 Dec 2025 - 6:15PMvideocam

Profile | Who is Ahn Eun-jin, the late-blooming star of K-drama Dynamite Kiss?

Korean actress Ahn Eun-jin made the big time in Hospital Playlist and with her role in romantic drama My Dearest. We look back at her career.

15 Nov 2025 - 8:30PM

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No Other Choice? Why Park Chan-wook and Lee Byung-hun made a comedy

Park Chan-wook’s film reunites the director with Lee Byung-hun after more than 20 years for a darkly funny tale with social commentary.

14 Oct 2025 - 7:15PMvideocam

Lee Byung-hun in a still from No Other Choice.

Profile | Who is Choi Woo-shik, the handsome star of Parasite and romance K-dramas?

Appearing now in Would You Marry Me, the young-looking, goofy Choi Woo-shik is best known for his roles in Parasite and Train to Busan.

11 Oct 2025 - 5:15PM

12 of the best movies at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival 2025

Highlights of the 22nd HKAFF include local film Another World, Japanese period epic Kokuho and South Korea’s The World of Love.

1 Oct 2025 - 12:45PMvideocam

Review | The People Upstairs: cheeky sex comedy directed by and starring Ha Jung-woo

Ha shows skill on both sides of the camera in his movie with Gong Hyo-jin and Kim Dong-wook as a prim couple seduced by swinging neighbours.

23 Sep 2025 - 11:29AMvideocam

Lee Hanee (left) and Ha Jung-woo as noisy neighbours in a still from The People Upstairs (category TBC), a Korean film directed by Ha Jung-woo, and co-starring Gong Hyo-jin and Kim Dong-wook.

Can the Busan International Film Festival help Korean cinema stay on top?

BIFF’s new director sees the festival as an antidote to shrinking cinema audiences and a beacon for where Asian cinema is headed.

22 Sep 2025 - 6:22PM

South Korean director Park Chan-wook (right) reacts with actress Son Ye-jin on the red carpet at the 30th Busan International Film Festival in Busan in September 2025. Photo: AFP

Review | The Great Flood: Kim Da-mi can’t save bewildering Netflix sci-fi fantasy

Kim Da-mi stars in what begins as a disaster movie then spins off into science fiction, a move that will surely leave viewers floundering.

22 Sep 2025 - 4:15PMvideocam

Review | Good News: hilarious Korean farce based on a real-life 1970s hijacking

Byun Sung-hyun’s riotously entertaining black comedy coming to Netflix features a whip-smart script and deftly judged humour.

19 Sep 2025 - 12:15PMvideocam

Review | The Ugly: Yeon Sang-ho’s dark mystery is both intriguing and frustrating

Park Jeong-min, Kwon Hae-hyo and Han Ji-hyeon star in Train to Busan director Yeon’s first cinematic release in five years.

15 Sep 2025 - 7:05PMvideocam

Park Jeong-min in a still from The Ugly.

Profile | Who is Kim Da-mi, the enigmatic star of Itaewon Class and Nine Puzzles?

The reserved Kim, who this year appears in Nine Puzzles, A Hundred Memories and The Great Flood, is a role model for aspiring actors.

20 Sep 2025 - 11:21AM

Kim Da-mi in a still from Nine Puzzles. Photo: Disney+

American cinema

10 of the best movies from the 2025 Venice Film Festival

You won’t find the Golden Lion winner on this list, which includes harrowing Palestinian drama The Voice of Hind Rajab and British film Ish.

9 Sep 2025 - 5:23AMvideocam

Review | No Other Choice: Park Chan-wook takes on corporate culture in dark comedy

Lee Byung-hun stars in this Korean black comedy as a family man who is laid off after 25 years and goes on a desperate quest for a job.

1 Sep 2025 - 10:50AMvideocam

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