Cho Seung-Woo Movies

The 1970s marked an unusual period in Korea - one marked by repressive, autocratic dictatorship, but also by a tremendous surge in youth culture and a youth-driven renaissance in pop music. As directed by Choi Ho, the Korean-language musical drama Go Go 70s transports viewers back to that very specific time and place. Jo Seung-woo and Cha Seung-woo star, respectively, as vocalist Sang-kyu and guitar player Man-sik, who after wandering through a run-down American military camp decide to form their own rock band, "The Devils." The group scores an immediate, smashing success with their first gig, and even greater popularity with the addition of a fashion-conscious dancer, Mimi (Sin Min-ah). This proves all too short-lived, however, when one of the members dies in a fire at the local club and the group members receive the devastating news that the government is planning to shut down many of the local nightclubs. Undaunted, the musicians resolve to continue singing and playing. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

An autistic boy develops a love of long-distance running in writer/director Jeong Yun-cheol's feature debut, the surprise blockbuster hit South Korean drama Marathon. Cho Seung-woo (of The Classic and Chunhyang) plays Cho-won, an autistic teen who seems to find a sense of calm when he's running. His doting mother (Kim Mi-suk) recognizes his enthusiasm, and hires a coach for him. Yun Jung-won (Baek Seong-hyeon) is a lazy, alcoholic, broken-down former accomplished marathon runner who teaches gym at Cho-won's special school as part of his community service for unnamed crimes. He's initially reluctant to coach the boy, but Cho-won's mother is insistent, even going so far as to clean Yun's squalid apartment with her son to convince him. Yun doesn't take much of an interest in his coaching duties, preferring to sleep on a nearby bench while the boy runs, occasionally getting up to pilfer Cho-won's snacks. Eventually, the two form an unexpected bond, and Yun begins to teach Cho-won something, but Cho-won's mother can't deal with Yun's bad manners, and fires him. Facing criticism of her mothering skills from all sides, from Yun to her absent husband to her resentful younger son, she begins to question her motives for pushing Cho-won to run. With his first major race coming up, Cho-won's mother begins to feel that Cho-won only runs because he thinks it pleases her. Marathon, based on actual events, had its international premiere at Subway Cinema's New York Asian Film Festival in 2005. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Renowned Korean filmmaker Im Kwon Taek offers his own unique take on a classic romantic fable with this 13th century tale of a stunningly beautiful young woman torn between the man she loves and the governor she's obligated to marry. The film uses the framing device of a present-day narrator who, accompanied by a drummer, sings the story of Chunhyang in front of a responsive audience. The film flashes back and forth between the singer's presentation and scenes of Mongryong (Cho Seung Woo), a young nobleman who falls captive to the beauty of the commoner Chunhyang (Yi Hyo Jeong). They profess their undying love to each other and elope, soon after which, Mongryong is forced to accompany his father to Seoul for three years. In the interim, a tyrant named Byun (Lee Jung Hun) comes to power in Chunhyang's province and demands that the beauty marry him. She refuses, and Byun schedules her for execution -- just as Mongryong returns to the province to reclaim his true love. Chunhyang made its North American Premiere at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide