Hwang Jeong-min Movies

A string of serial murders rock Seoul, Korea, forcing a medical physician and an aspiring detective to undertake their own amateur investigation, in this offbeat period mystery-thriller. The year is 1910, the place, the heart of the Joseon Dynasty. Hong Jin-Ho (Hwang Jeong-min) longs to establish himself as a private detective - and sees a move to America as his ticket out of Korea. Meanwhile, a local medical intern, Kwang-soo (Ryoo Deok-hwan), discovers a corpse in the woods and steals it to practice routine dissection - but it so happens that the body in question belongs to the son of the most powerful figure in Seoul. For this reason, Kwang-soo's possession of the body soon puts him at risk for being tagged as the murderer. Kwang-soo contemplates stealing away in the dead of night, but his path soon criss-crosses with that of Hong, and Kwang-soo asks him to find the murderer. Soon, a second body turns up, murdered in exactly the same way; the gentlemen then team up and use a cloth found in one victim's hand as a clue to track down the killer. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

An ambitious Korean producer who strives to become the next Oprah Winfrey discovers the quirky human-interest story that could make her career when she is saved from a violent robber by a stranger who claims to be Superman. Producer Song Soo-jung is heading into her third year with a small production company, and she has yet to discover the story that will propel her career to the next level. It's been months since she's been paid, and as a result Soo-jung's pride has taken a serious hit. Frustrated, Soo-jung borrows a camera and sets out to produce a story that will truly compel the public. When a robber confronts Soo-jung on the streets and a man wearing a Hawaiian shirt comes to her rescue, the perplexed producer is fascinated to learn that her savior believes himself to be Superman. According to "Superman," he is no longer able to tap into his powers due to the fact that his enemies have implanted Kryptonite into his brain. Despite this small obstacle, however, Superman is determined to continue saving lives even if it means putting his own in great danger. Recognizing the potential of such a fascinating story, Soo-jung crafts a documentary about the man entitled "Superman Saves the World." While the show is an immediate hit, the self-serving reporter subsequently makes a discovery that causes her to reevaluate her priorities in life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A disillusioned cop haunted by the execution of his partner and a midlevel drug dealer combine forces to take down the powerful kingpin who holds Busan port in the palm of his hands in director Choi Ho's violent post-noir thriller. It's two years before the turn of the century, and the South Korean economy is struggling in the wake of the International Monetary Fund crisis. The local district attorney is looking to clean the streets of the criminal element, and fearless narcotics cop Do (Hwang Jeong-min) is eager to make a name for himself on the force. In exchange for his own protection, local second-generation dealer Lee Sang-do (Ryu Seung-beom) has agreed to become an informant for Do. When word comes down that the DA's office wants to assume control over all drug-related investigations, Do convinces Sang-do to turn in his supplier with the understanding that Sang-do will be spared in the subsequent sweep. Unfortunately for both the cop and the dealer, the raid hits an unexpected hitch. Now, with Sang-do suspended from the force and Do given a stiff prison sentence, the Busan port comes under control of ruthless drug lord Jangchul (Lee Do-gyeong) -- the very man responsible for killing Do's former partner. Years later Sang-do is released from prison and Do has been reinstated on the force, drawing the pair into an uneasy alliance in which Do will watch over the informant as he works his way through the criminal ranks and gains access into Jangchul's inner circle. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Writer/director Kim Jee-woon followed up his hit horror film, A Tale of Two Sisters, with this violent crime drama, A Bittersweet Life. Sun-woo (Lee Byeong-heon of Joint Security Area) is a devastatingly effective, but businesslike enforcer for Mr. Kang (Kim Young-cheol), a mob boss who owns La Dolce Vita, the Seoul nightclub where Sun-woo employs the sloppier, less reliable Mun-suk (Kim Rwe-ha of Memories of Murder) to keep things running smoothly. Kang is involved in a developing feud with another boss, President Baek (Hwang Jeong-min), when he goes on a business trip, leaving Sun-woo in charge, and discreetly asking him for a special favor. There's a "special" young woman he's been seeing, Hee-soo (Shin Min-ah of Volcano High). He suspects she's been seeing another man, and he asks Sun-woo to look after her while he's gone, and find out if she's cheating on him. If Sun-woo catches them together, Kang tells him, he should either phone Kang and tell him, or "finish them off yourself." But Sun-woo finds himself fascinated with Hee-soo, a cellist, and his inability to follow Kang's orders soon brings a world of trouble down on his head. Of course, Sun-woo is fully capable of making some trouble of his own. A Bittersweet Life was shown at the 2006 New York Asian Film Festival, presented by Subway Cinema. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

A conservative South Korean girl who thinks she's got her life fully under control slowly begins to unravel in director Lee Yoon-ki's melancholic drama. Jeong-hae (Kim Ji-su) is a rock. Pretty, neat, and punctual, she takes regular lunches with her colleagues at a Seoul post office and returns to her quiet but well-equipped apartment. Then, a stray cat wanders into Jeong-hae's life, throwing her completely off balance. Later, after catching a glimpse of her dead mother out of the corner of her eye, Jeong-hae crosses paths with her ex-husband, who's about to remarry. A visit to the hospital only reminds Jeong-hae more about losing her mother, and an awkward encounter with an over-enthusiastic show salesman leaves her wondering if she can ever form another human connection. Desperate for companionship, she reaches out to an author who frequents the post office, though her social awkwardness only leads to more disappointment when he stands her up for dinner. Later, Jeong-hae is attempting to steer a drunk away from suicide when she swipes his knife. Sitting on a park bench alone, she ponders the possibility of using it on herself. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The genre-bending black comedy sci-fi thriller Save the Green Planet! marks the feature debut of writer/director Jang Jun-hwan. Shin Ha-kyun of Joint Security Area stars as Byun-gu, an eccentric beekeeper who, with the help of his tightrope walker girlfriend, Sooni (Hwang Jeong-min), kidnaps a powerful and successful businessman, Man-sik (Baek Yun-shik). Byun-gu believes that Man-sik is an alien from the planet Andromeda, one of many hiding among us and plotting to destroy the Earth in a few days. Amphetamine-popping Byun-gu sees himself as the planet's last hope, and sets about torturing Man-sik with relish, trying to convince him to contact the "Royal Prince" and call off Armageddon. A battle of wits and wills ensues, with Man-sik trying to convince his captors that he's human and attempting to escape. Man-sik recognizes Byun-gu as a disgruntled former employee whose comatose mother suffers from a mysterious illness. It begins to seem that Byun-gu's true motivation may be personal, but he's still ruthlessly determined to get Man-sik to confess and cooperate, even if he has to risk killing him. Meanwhile, a disheveled detective, Chu (Lee Jae-yong), and his young acolyte, Inspector Kim (Lee Ju-hyeon), discover that the person who kidnapped Man-sik may have struck several times before, always with deadly results. The distinctly offbeat Save the Green Planet! was a box-office flop in South Korea, but it won some acclaim on the festival circuit. The film had its U.S. premiere at the 2004 New York Korean Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide