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Yoo Ah-in, last seen in the Netflix series ‘Hellbound’, as well as in ‘Burning’ and ‘The Throne’, was attacked by a disgruntled fan with a bottle of coffee after a court on Wednesday late night dismissed police requests for the formal arrest of the prominent Korean actor on drug use charges, reports ‘Variety’.

Yoo appeared at the Seoul Central District Court on charges that he used five different drugs, says ‘Variety’. Local media photos showed Yoo’s hands were tied with what appeared to be a blue cloth or cord before and during his 90-minute daytime court appearance.

Footage also showed that he was hit by a bottle of coffee thrown by a disgruntled fan, before being led away, unhurt, by bodyguards. Recreational drug use is illegal in South Korea and is heavily stigmatised.

Yoo, ‘Variety’ says, admitted to the recreational use of marijuana and claimed he took Propofol, Ketamine and Zolpidem,...

In late night proceedings on Wednesday, a Seoul court dismissed police requests for the formal arrest of prominent Korean actor Yoo Ah-in on drug charges.

The star of “Burning,” “The Throne” and Netflix series “Hellbound,” appeared at the Seoul Central District Court on charges that he used five different drugs.

Local media photos showed that Yoo’s hands were tied with what appeared to be a blue cloth or cord before and during his 90-minute daytime court appearance. Footage also showed that he was hit by a bottle of coffee thrown by a disgruntled fan, before Yoo was led away, unhurt, by bodyguards.

Recreational drug use is illegal in South Korea and is heavily stigmatized.

Before entering the court Yoo told media: “I will cooperate faithfully in the remaining processes and reveal all that I can. I regret [using drugs]. I don’t think it is a decision I can make [on whether he should be arrested]. I...

If you’re at all familiar with Korean revenge stories then you’ll know one thing is 99 out of 100 times an absolute certainty: that it will not end well for anyone involved. In the worlds of “The Vengeance Trilogy”, “I Am The Devil”, “A Bittersweet Life”, “The Villainess”, revenge is a merciless loop that always finds a way to complete its circuit, more often than not leaving a trail of death and broken souls in the process. This is what makes Korean revenge so endlessly interesting, watching filmmakers twist and play with the concept in ever-deeper, ever-visceral ways. With “Pieta”, Kim Ki-duk definitely takes influence from Park Chan-wook’s now-iconic bloody three-film revenge extravaganza, but also makes it his own by channeling the cross between disturbing and poetic that became somewhat of an expertise of his. His 18th film, “Pieta” was the first Korean film to take home the coveted...

While Venice Film Festival is currently underway, it’s a triumphant entry from last year’s event that is, at long last, being granted a theatrical release in the UK – as British audiences are finally being given the chance to make up their own minds on the controversial, opinion-splitting Ki-duk Kim drama Pieta – the film that took home the immensely prestigious Golden Lion award (amongst others) in Venice last Autumn.

Jeong-jin Lee plays Gang-Do; a vengeful and sadistic loan shark, collecting debts in a violent fashion across the city of Seoul, as he cripples his victims, before cashing in on their insurance claims to make up for the money owed. With little conscience or moral code, his life is shaken upside down with the arrival of a mysterious woman called Mi-Son (Min-soo Jo), who claims to be the delinquent’s long-lost mother, abandoning him when only a baby. With such a groundbreaking discovery,...

Ki-duk Kim (3-Iron) directs this violent South Korean drama about a brutal debt collector who seeks redemption from a woman claiming to be his long-lost mother. Pieta made its world premiere at the 69th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion. It is the first Korean film to win the top prize at one of the three major international film festivals (Venice, Cannes and Berlin) and is available for the first time in the U.K. from 14 October 2013. Synopsis: While working for ruthless loan sharks as an enforcer, Kang-do (Jeong-jin Lee) has built up a feared reputation amongst the debtors he threatens. Operating out of run-down factory premises, he employs gruesomely barbarous methods, including maiming, to retrieve handicap insurance from those who cannot meet their payments. When out of the blue he receives a visit from a middle-aged woman (Min-soo Jo) claiming to be the mother who abandoned him years previously,...

Ryoo Seung Wan, arguably Korea’s top director of action packed blockbusters after the likes of “City of Violence” and “The Unjust”, returns with “The Berlin File”, one of the country’s biggest releases of 2013. The film sees Ryoo taking his cameras overseas to shoot in Germany for a complex, politically charged spy thriller that pits North and South Korean operatives against each other with Russian arms dealers, Mossad agents and terrorists thrown in for good measure. As well as going down well with critics and picking up several nominations at the Baeksang Arts Awards, the film proved extremely popular with audiences, pulling in over 7 million admissions at the Korean box office and enjoying an international release and screenings at festivals. Set in Berlin, the film opens with a team of South Korean agents led by veteran Jung Jin Soo (Han Suk Kyu, “White Night”) listening in on an arms deal between a Russian broker,...

Pieta Trailer. Ki-duk Kim‘s Pieta (2012) movie trailer stars Jeong-jin Lee, Cho Min-soo, Min-soo Jo, Eunjin Kang, and Jae-rok Kim. Pieta‘s plot synopsis: “Winner of the Golden Lion at the 2012 Venice Film Festival, Pieta is the acclaimed film from the celebrated and controversial Korean director Kim Ki-Duk (Bad Guy; Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… [...]

Continue reading: Pieta (2012) Movie Trailer: Loan shark Jeong-jin Lee meets His Mother...

“Pieta” marks the 18th film from Korean auteur and agitator Kim Ki Duk, following up on his exceptionally personal and enjoyably bizarre 2011 Cannes winning documentary “Arirang”, which he made as part of a 3 year self-imposed exile from the industry. The film sees Kim returning to the same grim territory in which he made his name, dealing with violence, perversion, anger and angst in a harsh tale of a brutal loan shark and a woman claiming to be his mother. With Lee Jung Jin (“Troubleshooter”) and Jo Min Su in the lead roles, the latter taking Best Actress at the Daejong Film Awards for her performance, the film saw Kim continuing his prize winning streak, picking up the prestigious Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, being the first Korean production to have done so. Lee Jung Jin plays Kang Do, a particularly unpleasant debt collector, who makes money by crippling...

aka “Wonderful Radio” As its title suggests, “Love On-Air” is a radio themed Korean romantic comedy, which revolves around popular actress Lee Min Jung (“Cyrano Agency”) as a DJ and former pop star juggling problems in life and love. Directed by Kwon Chil On (“Hellcats”), the film also features Lee Jung Jin (“Troubleshooter”) as her potential beau, with support from comedian Lee Kwang Soo (“City Hunter”), Kim Jung Tae (“He’s On Duty”), and Jung Yu Mi (“A Thousand Days’ Promise”), plus cameos from real life rocker Kim Tae Won, and Kim Jong Kook and Gary (Lee Kwang Soo’s co-stars on the Korean variety show “Running Man”). Lee Min Jung stars as Jin Ah, who in her younger years was a member of top idol group Purple, and who now works as a radio DJ on the show Wonderful Radio. With the program going through a rough patch and listener figures dropping off,...

“No Doubt” is a Korean suspense thriller revolving around the awkward subject of a sex offender in a small rural community being blamed for the disappearance of a young girl. The film was directed by independent helmer Park Soo Young (“Be My Guest”), and uses the premise to explore themes of mob mentality and persecution, tackling some challenging and uncomfortable issues while at the same time presenting a complex and involving mystery. Actor Lee Jung Jin (“Troublemaker”) takes the difficult role of the suspect, with Kim Tae Woo (“Hahaha”) as the tortured father trying to take revenge for his daughter’s death. The film begins with the quiet Se Jin (Lee Jung Jin) moving to the village with his mother and sister, opening a bike rental shop and keeping very much to himself. Tragedy strikes when a seven year old girl goes missing, shattering the world of her devoted father...

Although Korean thriller “Troubleshooter” marks the debut of writer director Kwon Hyeok Jae, the helmer already has an impressive pedigree in the genre, having worked on popular hits “The City of Violence” and “Dachimawa Lee” with Ryoo Seung Wan. Kwon has certainly picked up the tricks of the trade from Ryoo, who also co-wrote the film’s script, mixing hard hitting action with complex plotting and touches of wry humour. The film has an ace up its sleeve in the form of the “Public Enemy” himself, Sol Kyung Gu, who again finds himself as an outsider figure coming up against corruption, murder and political machinations. This time round he faces off against Lee Jung Jin (“Once Upon a Time in High School”) as the film’s chief villain, with support from Oh Dal Soo (“The Servant”) and Moon Jung Hee (from the television series “Oh! My Lady” and “Air City...

For Kbs, this kind of deja-vu should actually be pretty pleasant, as 주몽 (Jumong) started with a similar premise, and then ended up making over 80 million dollars in overseas DVD sales, broadcast rights and domestic ad revenue, closing its 8 month run with ratings over the 50%. The biggest drama of the season, which starts airing on September 10 and will air a preview special tomorrow night (Korean time), 바람의 나라 (Kingdom of the Wind) already sold out all the ad slots for the month of September, and after countless requests from oversea fans will air its press screening live on the net (again tomorrow), where a good 10 minute promo of the series will be aired. But that’s just the beginning: the real news is that Japan’s Pony Canyon, which earlier this year bought other Kbs sageuk from the past like 용의 눈물 (Tears of the Dragon) and 무인시대 (The Age...

Pardon my execrable vernacular but.... holy shit. That’s pretty.

We’re quite close to the start of this year’s most awaited sageuk, 바람의 나라 (Kingdom of the Wind), adapted from an insanely popular Kim Jin manhwa, and telling the story of Muhyul, who would later become King Daemushin. But that’s just history we can talk about later. The bone of contention is… these are the guys who made 해신 (Emperor of the Sea), and it will look good. Preliminary shoot in China will probably look a lot better, pump on the battles (I’ve heard 800 extras) to bring up the ratings, and then probably settle down. But, hey, I’ll take that over 식객 (Gourmet) any day, thanks. Visuals look a bit on the 卧薪尝胆 (The Great Revival) side, which is a nice sign, and there’s really nothing to worry about in the acting front, with Song Il-Guk,...

For better or worse, 주몽 (Jumong) changed the face of the domestic TV industry, especially for what concerns sageuk. It had a legendary start, one of the best of the last 10 years, and an equally legendary last four months, one of the very worst of the last 10 years, milking the cow until it got mad. It changed the landscape of big budget productions in Korea, and made its writer Choi Wan-Gyu a quasi Jerry Bruckheimer-ish “creator,” influencing way too many shows in the last two years. This is where Kbs’ 바람의 나라 (Kingdom of the Wind) made its start: a tremendously popular story to adapt, the manhwa by Kim Jin which sold millions and was even turned into a video game; the production team behind 해신 (Emperor of the Sea), and particularly the writing team. Choi played supervisor, but the ones writing the script are Jung Jin-Ok of...

It seems to be an obsession for Lee Joon-Ik, the maestro of cinematic pragmatism which brought us gems like 황산벌 (Once Upon a Time in the Battlefield), 왕의 남자 (The King and The Clown) and 라디오 스타 (Radio Star). Giving a voice to those outside the mainstream, a sort of revenge of the losers pulsating at 24 frames per second. Right as his latest 님은 먼 곳에 (Sunny) is continuing Lee’s amazing streak passing the 1 million admissions mark (particularly considering all his films dance with conventions, but they swim upstream for what concerns their message), we’re finally getting the chance to see 즐거운 인생 (The Happy Life), a sort of companion piece to Radio Star.

The film had its fans and detractors, and even lost a little money, uncharacteristic for a post 2003 Lee project, but it always screamed good old fun, with a band of losers flushing their stress...

Can’t possibly call this good news, but the actors’ safety is always paramount, so it’s not so bad either. Recently, on the set of the upcoming Kbs sageuk 천추태후 (Empress Cheonchu), veteran Chae Si-Ra injured herself falling from a horse during practice. Despite the injury Chae joined the script rehearsal session at the Kbs headquarters in crutches, not to delay proceedings any further. But the injury would get the better of her on her way home, and tests revealed the fracture is more serious than they expected, forcing the star of 해신 (Emperor of the Sea) to eight weeks of complete rest. This puts the drama in a tricky position. Usually weekend historical dramas on Kbs tend to take a good 4 months of headstart, to always find themselves shooting at least a month ahead of broadcast—the reason you tend to see exciting and elaborate battles almost only...