Kim Kyu-tae is a South Korean

television director A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for decisions about the editorial content and creative style of a program, and ensuring the prod ...

and producer. He directed the

Korean drama Korean dramas (; RR: ''Han-guk deurama''), more popularly known as K-dramas, are television series in the Korean language, made in South Korea. They are popular worldwide, especially in Asia, partially due to the spread of Korean popular cultu ...

s ''

A Love to Kill ''A Love to Kill'' () is a 2005 South Korean television drama series, starring Rain, Shin Min-a, Kim Sa-rang, and Lee Ki-woo. It aired on KBS2 from October 31 to December 20, 2005, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 16 episodes. Synopsis Kang ...

'' (2005), ''

Iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...

'' (2009), ''

Padam Padam ''Padam Padam'' () is a 2011 South Korean television series starring Jung Woo-sung, Han Ji-min, and Kim Bum. The romance / fantasy series was written by Noh Hee-kyung, and the title is a reference to a 1951 French song by Edith Piaf, an onom ...

'' (2011), ''

That Winter, the Wind Blows ''That Winter, the Wind Blows'' () is a 2013 South Korean romantic melodrama television series starring Jo In-sung and Song Hye-kyo. A gambler and con man (Jo) pretends to be the long-lost brother of a blind heiress (Song), but these two damag ...

'' (2013), ''

It's Okay, That's Love ''It's Okay, That's Love'' () is a 2014 South Korean Korean drama, television series starring Jo In-sung, Gong Hyo-jin, Sung Dong-il, Lee Kwang-soo, and D.O. (singer), Do Kyung-soo. It aired on Seoul Broadcasting System, SBS from July 23 to Sept ...

'' (2014) and '' Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo'' (2016).

Career

Kim Kyu-tae joined the KBS network in 1996, where he first worked as an

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 ...

then as a

second unit director Second unit is a discrete team of filmmakers tasked with filming shots or sequences of a production, separate from the main or "first" unit. The second unit will often shoot simultaneously with the other unit or units, allowing the filming stag ...

, notably for ''Yellow Handkerchief'' (2003). For the single-episode anthology ''

Drama City Drama City (''Deurama Siti'', 드라마 시티) is the KBS to broadcast via KBS2TV in a collection of usually single episode short dramas, shown weekly. Each episode is a different story, and the cast changes every week. 1984's "Drama Game" ...

'', Kim drew critical acclaim in 2004 for two low-budget but visually stylish and experimental episodes: ''Anagram'' (starring

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

Ku Hye-sun Koo Hye-sun (; born November 9, 1984) is a South Korean actress, singer-songwriter, director and artist. She gained widespread recognition in the television dramas ''Pure in Heart'' (2006), ''The King And I'' (2007), ''Boys Over Flowers'' (2009) ...

) and ''Blue Skies of Jeju Island'' (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 ...

and Kim Yoon-seok). ''

'' (2005) was Kim's first miniseries as the main director. Written by

Lee Kyung-hee Lee Kyung-hee (born 26 July 1969) is a South Korean television screenwriter. Career Early works Lee Kyung-hee began her television drama writing career penning star vehicles, among them ''Model'' (1997) with Kim Nam-joo and Jang Dong-gun, ...

, the

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

starred

Rain Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...

and

Shin Min-a Shin Min-a (; born 5 April 1984) is a South Korean model and actress best known for starring in television dramas ''A Love to Kill'' (2005), ''My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox'' (2010), ''Arang and the Magistrate'' (2012), ''Oh My Venus'' ...

as a K-1 fighter and the actress he targets for revenge but unexpectedly falls for. ''A Love to Kill'' was not as well-received ratings-wise as Lee's previous dramas, but Kim won Best New Television Director at the

42nd Baeksang Arts Awards The 42nd Baeksang Arts Awards ceremony took place on April 14, 2006 in Seoul. It was presented by IS Plus Corp. and broadcast on SBS. Nominations and winners Complete list of nominees and winners: (Winners denoted in bold) Film Television ...

in 2006. In 2009, he and

Yang Yun-ho Yang Yun-ho (born November 11, 1966) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. His feature film debut ''Yuri'' (1996) screened at the Critics' Week of the Cannes Film Festival. Among the films Yang has directed since are '' Libera Me'' ( ...

co-directed ''

'', the popular espionage

action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

series starring

Lee Byung-hun Lee Byung-hun (; born July 12, 1970) is a South Korean actor. He has received critical acclaim for his work in a wide range of genres, most notably ''Joint Security Area'' (2000); ''A Bittersweet Life'' (2005); ''The Good, the Bad, the Weird'' ...

and

Kim Tae-hee Kim Tae-hee (; born 29 March 1980) is a South Korean actress. Considered one of South Korea's most beautiful actresses, she is best known for her roles in Korean dramas such as ''Stairway to Heaven'' (2003), ''Love Story in Harvard'' (2004), '' ...

. Kim said, "We approached ''Iris'' like it was a

spy film The spy film, also known as the spy thriller, is a genre of film that deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way (such as the adaptations of John le Carré) or as a basis for fantasy (such as many James Bond films) ...

, so viewers will get to watch movie-like scenes along with the emotional details that have made Korean drama so popular over the years at the same time. ..We feel great responsibility and excitement at bringing such a genre based on the world's last divided country. While men will be attracted to the action scenes, along with the friendship and revenge between fellow agents and enemies, women can connect with the emotional details between the lovely and handsome characters, torn between love and their duties." Cast member

Kim So-yeon Kim So-yeon (born November 2, 1980) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for starring in a number of well-known television dramas, notably ''All About Eve'' (2000), ''Iris'' (2009), ''Prosecutor Princess'' (2010), '' Happy Home'' (2 ...

said the two different crews were called "Team K" and "Team Y," describing Kim's team as having "a warm charisma and is always filled with quiet laughter. When you shoot in that kind of atmosphere, you feel like you're soaking into that as well." Kim first worked with screenwriter

Noh Hee-kyung Noh Hee-kyung (born March 21, 1966) is a South Korean television screenwriter and essayist. Career Noh Hee-kyung has become renowned in South Korea for her realistic, cerebral and in-depth portrayals of the lives and relationships of ordinary p ...

when he was the second unit director on ''

The World That They Live In ''Worlds Within'' () is a 2008 South Korean television series starring Hyun Bin and Song Hye-kyo. It centers on the personal and professional lives of those in the broadcasting industry, offering a realistic look at Korean drama production throug ...

'' (also known as ''Worlds Within'') in 2008. He reunited with her in 2011 for '' Padam Padam... The Sound of His and Her Heartbeats'', a romance-fantasy about a man who gets released from prison after serving a 16-year sentence for a crime he didn't commit. It was

Jung Woo-sung Jung Woo-sung (born March 20, 1973) is a South Korean actor and the first Korean UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. Jung started his career as a fashion model, rising to stardom and teenage cult status with the gangster movie ''Beat'' (1997), for which ...

's television comeback and the inaugural drama of newly launched cable network

jTBC JTBC (shortened from ''Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company'' (; stylized as jtbc) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on 1 December 2011. JTBC ...

. Kim said he was "in awe" of Noh's work and wanted to effectively depict her "difficult writing" onscreen. ''

'', a 2013

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...

of the

Japanese television drama , also called , are television programs that are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, jidaigeki, thriller ...

''Ai Nante Irane Yo, Natsu'' ("I Don't Need Love, Summer") in which a con man pretends to be the long-lost brother of a blind heiress, was Kim's third collaboration with Noh and his first time to work for SBS. Kim said, "To help viewers better understand the characters' emotions, I used ultra

close-up A close-up or closeup in filmmaking, television production, still photography, and the comic strip medium is a type of shot that tightly frames a person or object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium and long s ...

shot Shot may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Shot'' (album), by The Jesus Lizard *''Shot, Illusion, New God'', an EP by Gruntruck *'' Shot Rev 2.0'', a video album by The Sisters of Mercy * "Shot" (song), by The Rasmus * ''Shot'' (2017 f ...

s," a visual technique that accentuates even the smallest movement in actors' faces or the twinkle in their eyes. He went on, "The reason we are able to create beautiful shots is because both

Jo In-sung Zo In-sung (, born July 28, 1981) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the Korean television dramas ''Something Happened in Bali'' (2004), '' Spring Day'' (2005), ''That Winter, the Wind Blows'' (2013), and ''It ...

and

Song Hye-kyo Song Hye-kyo (; born November 22, 1981) is a South Korean actress. She gained international popularity through her leading roles in the television dramas ''Autumn in My Heart'' (2000), '' All In'' (2003), ''Full House'' (2004), ''That Winter, th ...

are beautiful people whether we do a

full shot In photography, filmmaking and video production, a wide shot (sometimes referred to as a full shot or long shot) is a shot that typically shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surro ...

or a tight shot. ..The tone of the drama itself is very heavy that viewers may get frustrated. So I thought the only way to soften up and relax the drama is to capture beautiful scenes. ..I'm just able to film beautiful things as much as I want." He then used post-production

editing Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

to bring out the colors and textures he wanted. Kim was praised for the drama's cinematography, and later won Best Television Director at the

49th Baeksang Arts Awards The 49th Baeksang Arts Awards ceremony was held at Kyung Hee University's Peace Palace Hall in Seoul on 9 May 2013, and broadcast on jTBC. Presented by IS Plus Corp., it was hosted by announcer Oh Sang-jin, actress Kim Ah-joong, and actor Joo Won ...

. In 2014, Kim directed ''Secret Love'', starring the

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...

KARA Kara or KARA may refer to: Geography Localities * Kara, Chad, a sub-prefecture * Kára, Hungary, a village * Kara, Uttar Pradesh, India, a township * Kara, Iran, a village in Lorestan Province * Kara, Republic of Dagestan, a rural locality in Da ...

. It aired on cable channel DRAMAcube and had five different episodes, one for each member of KARA. Scenes from ''Secret Love'' were also featured in the

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

for the KARA song " Runaway." Later that year, Kim worked with Noh for the fourth time in ''

'', a romance that explored mental illness, starring Jo In-sung and

Gong Hyo-jin Gong Hyo-jin (born April 4, 1980) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading role in the film '' Crush and Blush'' (2008), as well as for her popular television series '' Sang Doo! Let's Go to School'' (2003), ''Thank You'' (20 ...

as a mystery novelist and a psychiatrist, respectively. Kim called it "a necessary drama," saying he wanted to break away from the traditional genre of a

medical drama A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic programming go beyond the events pertaining to the chara ...

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

by making ''It's Okay, That's Love'' into "a hybrid" that puts more weight on breaking the social prejudices toward the minority groups. Kim added, "Ms. Noh, the writer, has the seriousness and the weight and I have the lightness and mass-friendliness. Together we make a great synergy. ..I personally found it hard to keep the balance between a rom-com and a conventional (melodrama). Every one scene would contain both features. So long as this balance stays unbroken, the drama will be close to perfection." Kim directed '' Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo'', a Korean remake of the Chinese television series, ''

Scarlet Heart ''Scarlet Heart'' (, lit. ''Startling by Each Step'') is a 2011 Chinese television series based on the novel ''Bu Bu Jing Xin'' by Tong Hua. It premiered in China on Hunan Broadcasting System (HBS) on 10 September 2011. The series tells the st ...

''. The 20-episode drama, budgeted at $13 million, premiered on August 29, 2016. The drama is a critical and commercial failure domestically but it drew a more favorable response in other parts of Asia.

Filmography

As assistant director

*''Colors'' (

KBS2 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, a ...

) *''Purity'' (KBS2, 1998) *''Paper Crane'' (KBS2, 1998-1999) *''Invitation'' (KBS2, 1999) *''Tough Guy's Love'' (KBS2, 2000) *''Orient Theatre'' (KBS2, 2001)

As second unit director

*''Yellow Handkerchief'' (

KBS1 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, a ...

, 2003) *''

Loveholic Loveholics (Hangul: 러브홀릭스; previously known as Loveholic (Hangul: 러브홀릭)) was a South Korean modern rock group founded in April 2002 who released their first album in 2003. The band successfully released six albums, including a s ...

'' (KBS2, 2005) *''

'' (KBS2, 2008)

As director

*''

'' "After Love" (KBS2, 2004) *''

'' "Our Ham" (KBS2, 2004) *''

'' "Anagram" (KBS2, 2004) *''

'' "Blue Skies of Jeju Island" (KBS2, 2004) *''

'' "Oh! Sarah" (KBS2, 2005) *''

'' (KBS2, 2005) *''

'' (KBS2, 2009) *'' Padam Padam... The Sound of His and Her Heartbeats'' (

, 2011-2012) *''

'' ( SBS, 2013) *''Secret Love'' (DRAMAcube, 2014) *''

'' (SBS, 2014) (also credited as producer) * '' Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo'' (SBS, 2016) (also credited as producer) * ''

Live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music *Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of albums ...

'' (

tvN TVN may refer to: * TVN (Australian TV channel), a former horse racing channel * Televisión Nacional de Chile, a public broadcaster * TVN (Indonesia), a former television station; predecessor of Rajawali Televisi * TVN (Norway), or TVNorge, a comm ...

, 2018) (also credited as producer) * ''

Our Blues ''Our Blues'' () is a 2022 South Korean television series starring Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-a, Cha Seung-won, Lee Jung-eun, Uhm Jung-hwa, Han Ji-min, and Kim Woo-bin. The series revolves around the sweet and bitter lives of people at the end, ...

'' (

, 2022)

As producer

* ''

Dear My Friends ''Dear My Friends'' () is a South Korean television series starring Go Hyun-jung, Kim Hye-ja, Na Moon-hee, Go Doo-shim, Park Won-sook, Youn Yuh-jung, Joo Hyun, Kim Young-ok and Shin Goo. It aired on cable network tvN on Fridays and Saturdays at ...

'' (tvN, 2016) * ''

The Most Beautiful Goodbye ''The Most Beautiful Goodbye'' () is a 2017 South Korean television series starring Won Mi-kyung, Choi Ji-woo, Kim Young-ok and Choi Min-ho. It is a remake of the drama of the same name by Noh Hee-kyung that aired in 1996 on MBC. The series air ...

'' (tvN, 2017) * ''

The Crowned Clown ''The Crowned Clown'' () is a 2019 South Korean television series starring Yeo Jin-goo, Kim Sang-kyung, and Lee Se-young. A remake of the 2012 film '' Masquerade'', the series centers on the tale of a Joseon King and his doppelganger, a clown w ...

'' (tvN, 2019) * ''

Hotel Del Luna ''Hotel del Luna'' () is a 2019 South Korean television series, starring Lee Ji-eun and Yeo Jin-goo as the owner and manager, respectively, of the eponymous hotel that caters only to ghosts. Produced by GT:st, written by the Hong sisters and di ...

'' (tvN, 2019)

Awards

*2006

42nd 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...

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 ...

: Best New Television Director (''

'') *2010

3rd Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (d ...

Korea Drama Awards The Korea Drama Awards () is an awards ceremony for excellence in television in South Korea. It was established in 2007, and is held annually in October in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province as the official main event of the annual Korea Drama Fe ...

: Best Production Director for a Miniseries (''

'') *2013 49th

: Best Television Director (''

'')

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Kyu-tae South Korean television directors Living people South Korean television producers Year of birth missing (living people)