Kim Hyun-seok (born June 7, 1972) is a South Korean

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

. Kim wrote and directed ''

YMCA Baseball Team ''YMCA Baseball Team'' () is a semi-historical 2002 South Korean comedy film. In 1905, there was a confluence of international events leading to the loss of Chosŏn Korean sovereignty, and by 1910, Japan formally annexed Korea outright. The Japan ...

'' (2002), ''

When Romance Meets Destiny ''When Romance Meets Destiny'' (; lit. "Gwang-sik's Younger Brother Gwang-tae") is a 2005 South Korean romantic comedy about two brothers and their different approaches to love. Plot Gwang-sik has never been particularly good at talking to wom ...

'' (2005), ''Scout'' (2007), ''

Cyrano Agency ''Cyrano Agency'' (; lit. "Cyrano Dating Agency") is a 2010 South Korean romantic comedy starring Uhm Tae-woong, Park Shin-hye, Choi Daniel, Park Chul-min and Lee Min-jung . It is a modern take on Edmond Rostand's 1897 play ''Cyrano de Bergerac' ...

'' (2010), and ''

C'est Si Bon "" (; ) is a French popular song composed in 1947 by Henri Betti with the lyrics by André Hornez. The English lyrics were written in 1949 by Jerry Seelen. The song has been adapted in several languages. History In July 1947, Henri Betti w ...

'' (2015). He also directed '' 11 A.M.'' (2013), and wrote ''

If the Sun Rises in the West ''If the Sun Rises in the West'' () is a List of South Korean films of 1998, 1998 South Korean film, and was the commercial directorial debut of Lee Eun. Plot Beom-soo is a traffic control officer who aspires to become a Umpire (baseball), baseb ...

'' (1998) and ''

Joint Security Area The Joint Security Area (JSA, often referred to as the Truce Village or Panmunjom) is the only portion of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where North Korea, North and South Korean forces stand face-to-face. The JSA is used by the two Ko ...

'' (2000).

Career

Born in 1972, Kim Hyun-seok was a college student studying business administration at

Yonsei University Yonsei University (; ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea. As a member of the "SKY" universities, Yonsei University is deemed one of the three most prestigious institutions in the country. It is particularly respected in the ...

when he wrote the screenplay for ''A Good Day to Fall in Love''. It was instantly turned into a 1995 film directed by Kwon Chil-in. His second screenplay ''Agency'', written while Kim was doing his

mandatory military service Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...

, won him Best New Screenwriter at the prestigious

Grand Bell Awards The Grand Bell Awards (), also known as the Daejong Film Awards, is an awards ceremony presented annually by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea for excellence in film in South Korea. The Grand Bell Awards retains prestige as the oldest co ...

, but it was never made into a film. After that, Shim Jae-myung welcomed him to her production company

Myung Films Myung Film Co., Ltd. (Hangul: 명필름) is a South Korean film production and distribution company. Established in the Republic of Korea by Shim Jae-myung, the company has distributed films throughout South Korea since its founding in September ...

, and he wrote ''

'' (1998), which was directed by

Lee Eun Lee Eun (born July 10, 1961) is a director and producer of films in South Korea. Filmography ;As director *''The Night Before Strike'' (1990) *'' If the Sun Rises in the West'' (1998) *''Oh! Land of Dream'' (1989) ;As producer *''Hello, Brother' ...

and starred

Im Chang-jung Im Chang-jung (; born November 30, 1973) is a South Korean singer-songwriter and actor. He is often referred by Koreans as "the original multi-entertainer" for being active in all three fields: music, film and entertainment. He made his acting ...

and

Ko So-young Ko So-young (; born October 6, 1972) is a South Korean actress and model. Early life Ko was born in Seoul, South Korea. She attended an all-female high school before gaining early admission to Chung-Ang University, where she studied computer sci ...

as a

baseball umpire In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is ...

and an actress who fall in love. Kim also worked as

assistant director The role of an assistant director on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have to tak ...

on that film and

Kim Ki-duk Kim Ki-duk ( ; 20 December 196011 December 2020) was a South Korean film director and screenwriter, noted for his idiosyncratic art-house cinematic works. His films have received many distinctions in the festival circuit, rendering him one of ...

's ''

The Isle ''The Isle'' is a 2000 South Korean film written and directed by Kim Ki-duk, his fifth film, and the first to receive wide international acclaim for his now recognizable style. The film has gained notoriety for gruesome scenes that caused some vi ...

'' (2000), as well as co-screenwriter on

Park Chan-wook Park Chan-wook ( ; born 23 August 1963) is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. He is considered as one of the most prominent filmmakers of South Korean cinema as well as world cinema in 21st century. H ...

's ''

'' (2000). Despite his screenwriting success, Kim wanted to pursue directing, so he majored in filmmaking at the Graduate School of Advanced Imaging Science, Multimedia & Film at

Chung-Ang University Chung-Ang University (CAU; ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea. It is widely regarded as one of the best universities in South Korea. The university operates two campuses: main campus located in Dongjak District, Seoul, and a ...

. He then made his directorial debut in 2002 with ''

'' starring

Song Kang-ho Song Kang-ho (born January 17, 1967) is a South Korean actor. Song made his film debut in ''The Day a Pig Fell into the Well'' (1996), and came to national prominence with a series of critically acclaimed performances, including ''No. 3'' (1997) ...

Kim Hye-soo Kim Hye-soo (; born September 5, 1970) is a South Korean actress. Kim was one of the most popular teen stars in the 1980s and 1990s. She is known for her headstrong independence and regularly playing strong-willed, sophisticated women. Kim bega ...

, and

Kim Joo-hyuk Kim Joo-hyuk (3 October 1972 – 30 October 2017) was a South Korean actor. He was known for his leading roles in the films ''My Wife Got Married'' (2008), ''The Servant (2010 film), The Servant'' (2010), and ''Yourself and Yours'' (2016), his s ...

. About Korea's very first

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

team, which was formed in 1906 against the backdrop of

Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

's waning years and the onset of

Japanese imperialism This is a list of regions occupied or annexed by the Empire of Japan until 1945, the year of the end of World War II in Asia, after the surrender of Japan. Control over all territories except most of the Japanese mainland (Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyus ...

, it won the top prize at the 17th Fukuoka Asian Film Festival in Japan, and Kim won Best New Director at the

Chunsa Film Art Awards The Chunsa Film Art Awards (also known as the Icheon Chunsa Film Festival) have been presented in South Korea since the founding of the prize by the Korea Film Directors' Society in 1990. The awards take their name from the pen name of the early ...

in 2002 and the

Baeksang Arts Awards The Baeksang Arts Awards (), also known as the Paeksang Arts Awards, are awards for excellence in film, television and theatre in South Korea. The awards were first introduced in 1965 by Chang Key-young, the founder of the Hankook Ilbo newspap ...

in 2003. In 2005, Kim wrote and directed his second film, ''

'' starring Kim Joo-hyuk,

Bong Tae-gyu Bong Tae-gyu (born 19 May 1981) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Film Television series Television show Hosting Radio shows Music video appearances Theater Awards and nominations References External links Bong ...

Lee Yo-won Lee Yo-won (born April 9, 1980) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Queen Seondeok in the eponymous hit period drama. Career Lee Yo-won was a sophomore in high school when she won a modeling contest and first appe ...

and

Kim Ah-joong Kim Ah-joong (born October 16, 1982) is a South Korean actress, model and singer. She is best known for playing the main character in the romantic comedy '' 200 Pounds Beauty''. Education Kim graduated from Korea University with a master's degr ...

. Titled "Gwang-sik's Younger Brother, Gwang-tae" in

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

, it focused on the romantic challenges of two brothers who are polar opposites: one is a photographer who's too shy to confess his feelings to the girl he's loved for seven years, and the other is a commitment-phobic playboy who finally meets his match. The film drew a solid 2.4 million admissions at the box office. Kim returned to a period setting and baseball with ''Scout'' (2007), in which an assistant

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, sectio ...

played by

is sent to

Gwangju Gwangju () is South Korea's sixth-largest metropolis. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister. The city was also the capital of South Jeolla Province until the provincial office ...

in May 1980 (amidst the escalation of demonstrations against the dictatorial government) to convince a young pitching phenomenon named

Sun Dong-yeol Sun Dong-yol (; or ; born January 10, 1963) is a South Korean retired baseball pitcher and former manager. He was a pitcher in the KBO League and Nippon Professional Baseball, and the former manager of the Samsung Lions and the Kia Tigers ...

to sign with his team. Kim not only directed and wrote ''Scout'', he was also the film's

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...

; it was also his third film related to baseball. The film was unsuccessful at the box office with 315,187 admissions, but critics praised how Kim ambitiously intertwined painful history and sports in his narrative, and he won Best Screenplay at the Baeksang Arts Awards and the

Buil Film Awards The Buil Film Awards () is a South Korean film awards ceremony hosted by the ''Busan Ilbo'' newspaper. It began in 1958 as one of the earliest film awards in the country. During the 1950s and 1960s, it was the biggest film awards event in the B ...

in 2008. He then reworked his old script ''Agency'', changing almost everything in the first draft but the film's basic framework. Comparing the original draft to the final script, Kim said "(What) changed the most was that in my 20s I had a fantasy of love—like I believed if I lived well, then I could meet a beautiful woman. But years later, when I began the movie, my idea of love changed. It's not that you trust someone and therefore fall in love, but that you trust someone because you love them." Upon the suggestion of director

Bae Chang-ho Bae Chang-ho (born May 16, 1953) is a South Korean director and screenwriter. Filmography *''People of Kkobang Neighborhood'' (1982) - director, screenwriter *''Iron Men'' (1983) - director, screenwriter *''Flower on the Equator'' (1983) - dir ...

, Kim overtly referenced ''

Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th cen ...

'' into a contemporary Korean setting, as a struggling theatre troupe turned dating agency helps a dorky fund manager court the woman of his dreams, not knowing that she's the troupe director's ex-girlfriend. Starring

Uhm Tae-woong Uhm Tae-woong (born April 5, 1974) is a South Korean actor. He made his acting debut in 1998, but initially struggled to emerge from under the shadow of his older sister, popular singer-actress Uhm Jung-hwa. After several years of small roles an ...

Choi Daniel Choi Daniel (born 22 February 1986) is a South Korean actor, DJ and model. He is best known for his television roles in ''The Ghost Detective'', ''Jugglers'', ''High Kick Through the Roof'', Baby Faced Beauty, ''School 2013,'' and rom-com film ...

and

Lee Min-jung Lee Min-jung (; born February 16, 1982) is a South Korean actress. She began her career in Jang Jin's stage plays, and for a few years appeared in supporting roles on film and television. She became known after her appearance in ''Boys Over Flow ...

, Kim's fourth film ''

'' became a critical and commercial success; a

sleeper hit In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit is a film, television series, music release, video game, or some other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release but became a success later on. A sleeper hit may have little promo ...

at 2.7 million admissions, it further cemented his reputation for making intelligent, character-driven romantic comedies told from a male perspective. Kim won Best Screenplay at the

Blue Dragon Film Awards The Blue Dragon Film Awards () is an annual awards ceremony that is presented by ''Sports Chosun'' (a sister brand of the ''Chosun Ilbo'') for excellence in film in South Korea. The Blue Dragon Film Awards considers only blockbusters and popula ...

. Kim tackled a new genre in 2013, with the

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and co ...

'' 11 A.M.''. It starred

Jung Jae-young Jeong Jae-yeong (born Jeong Ji-hyeon; November 21, 1970) is a South Korean actor. He's best known for his roles in the critically acclaimed films ''Silmido'' (2003), ''Right Now, Wrong Then'' (2015), and ''On the Beach at Night Alone'' (2017). F ...

and

Kim Ok-bin Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese fo ...

as scientists who

time travel Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a w ...

24 hours into the future as a test run of the time machine they've developed, but find to their horror that in that intervening time, the

CCTV Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signal is not openly t ...

files reveal chaos and dead colleagues in their deep-sea laboratory. Kim said he had no idea how much energy and expense went into a single action sequence, calling the experience "daunting" and that he now "understood (why) Korean filmmakers have steered clear of the genre." Instead of trying to understand the science and philosophy behind time travel, he said he focused instead on depicting the characters' emotional truths. ''11 A.M.'' was Kim's first directorial effort where he didn't use his own script, and the film received mixed reviews. Following ''11 A.M.s less than positive reception, Kim returned to more familiar terrain with ''

'' in 2015. A

biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudra ...

of the

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

duo Twin Folio set in the eponymous iconic music lounge where acoustic singers performed live, the screenplay added a third fictional member who falls for the group's

muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...

(played by

Jung Woo Jung Woo (born Kim Jung-guk on January 14, 1981) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the drama ''Reply 1994'' (2013) and ''You're the Best, Lee Soon-shin'' (2013). Career Jung Woo made his acting debut in 2006, and began ...

and

Han Hyo-joo Han Hyo-joo (Korean: 한효주; born February 22, 1987) is a South Korean film and television actress, model and singer. She is best known for her leading roles in television series such as ''Heaven & Earth'' (2007), '' Iljimae'' (2008), ''Brill ...

in the 1970s, and by

Kim Yoon-seok Kim Yoon-seok (born January 21, 1967) is a South Korean actor, film director and screenwriter. Kim began his career in theater and it subsequently led him to be cast in minor roles in films and television dramas. His breakout role came as the vi ...

and

Kim Hee-ae Kim Hee-ae (born April 23, 1967) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading roles in Korean dramas such as ''Sons and Daughters'' (1992), ''Perfect Love'' (2003), ''My Husband's Woman'' (2007), ''How Long I've Kissed'' (2012), ...

30 years later). Kim said, "When writing the script, I considered their music as the protagonists and just used some parts of their lives as the film's basis." Despite a rich soundtrack and visuals, ''C'est Si Bon'' failed to amass

word of mouth Word of mouth, or ''viva voce'', is the passing of information from person to person using oral communication, which could be as simple as telling someone the time of day. Storytelling is a common form of word-of-mouth communication where one pe ...

and had a lackluster theatrical run.

Filmography

*''A Good Day to Fall in Love'' (1995) -

*''

'' (1998) - screenwriter,

*''

'' (2000) - assistant director *''

'' (2000) - screenwriter *''

'' (2002) -

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

, screenwriter *''Mr. Gam's Victory'' (2004) - cameoHe played the role of Kim Sung-han. *''

'' (2005) - director, screenwriter *''Scout'' (2007) - director, screenwriter,

*''

'' (2010) - director, screenwriter *'' 11 A.M.'' (2012) - director, script editor *''INGtoogi: The Battle of Internet Trolls'' (2013) -

producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

*''

'' (2015) - director, screenwriter *''

I Can Speak ''I Can Speak'' is a 2017 South Korean film based on a true story of comfort women directed by Kim Hyun-seok and distributed by Lotte Entertainment. The genre of the film are both comedy and drama. The film depicts the story of the resolution of ...

'' (2017) - director

Awards

*1995 33rd

: Best New Screenwriter (''Agency'') *2002 10th

: Best New Director (''

'') *2003 39th

: Best New Director (''

'') *2008 44th Baeksang Arts Awards : Best Screenplay (''Scout'') *2008

17th Buil Film Awards The 17th Buil Film Awards () ceremony was hosted by the Busan-based daily newspaper Busan Ilbo. It was held on October 9, 2008 at the Haeundae Grand Hotel's Grand Ballroom in Busan. Nominations and winners Complete list of nominees and winners: ( ...

: Best Screenplay (''Scout'') *2010

31st Blue Dragon Film Awards The 31st Blue Dragon Film Awards ceremony was held on November 26, 2010, at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul. It was broadcast on KBS2 and was hosted by actors Lee Beom-soo and Kim Hye-soo Kim Hye-soo (; born September 5, 1970) is a South ...

: Best Screenplay (''

'') *2010 6th University Film Festival of Korea: Best Screenplay (''

'') *2017

38th Blue Dragon Film Awards The 38th Blue Dragon Film Awards () ceremony was held on November 25, 2017 at Kyung Hee University's Peace Palace Hall in Seoul. It was live broadcast on SBS and hosted by Kim Hye-soo and Lee Sun-kyun. Organized by Sports Chosun (a sister brand ...

: Best Director (''

'')

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Hyun-seok 1972 births Living people South Korean film directors South Korean screenwriters Yonsei University alumni Chung-Ang University alumni