Kim Seong-hun (born February 20, 1971) is a South Korean film and

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 ...

. He directed ''

How the Lack of Love Affects Two Men ''How the Lack of Love Affects Two Men'' () is a 2006 South Korean film. Plot Dong Chol-dong is a widower who lives with his only son, Dong-hyun. Chol-dong makes his living by blackmailing companies for their immoral activities, and in his spar ...

'' (2006), '' A Hard Day'' (2014) and ''

Kingdom Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...

'' (2019–).

Career

Kim Seong-hun began his filmmaking career as an assistant director on the

romantic comedies 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 ...

''Oh! Happy Day'' (2003; starring

Jang Na-ra Jang Na-ra (; born March 18, 1981) is a South Korean singer and actress active in both the South Korean and Chinese entertainment industries since 2001. She rose to prominence with her hit studio album ''Sweet Dream'' in 2002, and starred in wel ...

and

Park Jung-chul Park Jung-chul (born Park Chul on November 5, 1976) is a South Korean actor. Park made his acting debut in 1997 through a talent search by the KBS network, and has since starred in the romantic comedy film ''Oh! Happy Day'' (2003) and television ...

) and '' He Was Cool'' (2004; starring

Jeong Da-bin Jeong Da-bin (March 4, 1980 – February 10, 2007) was a South Korean actress. Best known for the popular television series '' Cats on the Roof'', she died through suicide in 2007 at the age of 26. Career Born Jeong Hye-seon in Seongnam, Gyeong ...

and

Song Seung-heon Song Seung-heon (; born October 5, 1976) is a South Korean model and actor. He has acted in various television dramas, notably ''Autumn in My Heart'' (2000), '' ''East of Eden' (2008), '' ''My Princess' (2011), ''Black'' (2017), ''Player' ...

). In 2006, he directed his first feature film ''

'', which follows a widower and his son who both fall for and fight over their new basement tenant (played by

Baek Yoon-sik Baek Yoon-sik (born 16 March 1947) is a South Korean actor. He is known for his characteristic near-expressionless facial acting. Career Baek Yoon-sik made his debut in 1970 on KBS TV. In the coming years he would appear in four films, taking l ...

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 ...

and Lee Hye-young). It was a critical and commercial failure, and it would take eight years before he could get his sophomore film funded. Kim said, "It was so embarrassing to realize that was all I could do. ..I had the firm resolve to give myself one more try before I die." Inspired by

Pedro Almodóvar Pedro Almodóvar Caballero (; (often known simply as Almodóvar) born 25 September 1949) is a Spanish filmmaker. His films are marked by melodrama, irreverent humour, bold colour, glossy décor, quotations from popular culture, and complex narra ...

's ''

Volver ''Volver'' (, meaning "to go back") is a 2006 Spanish comedy-drama film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo, and Chu ...

'', Kim began writing a new screenplay in 2008, finished its first draft in 2009, and continued to edit it until 2013 when filming finally went underway. He cast

Lee Sun-kyun Lee Sun-kyun (born March 2, 1975) is a South Korean actor. After beginning his career in musical theatre, for many years Lee was relegated to minor and supporting roles onscreen, only getting to play lead characters in one-act dramas on KBS '' ...

as the

antihero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...

and Cho Jin-woong as his antagonist in a

black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discu ...

/ thriller about a corrupt homicide detective who hides the body of a hit-and-run victim in his mother's coffin only to find himself terrorized by a mysterious yet formidable blackmailer. '' A Hard Day'' (the

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 ** ...

title translates to "Take It to the End") premiered in the

Directors' Fortnight The Directors' Fortnight (french: Quinzaine des Réalisateurs) is an independent selection of the Cannes Film Festival. It was started in 1969 by the French Directors Guild after the events of May 1968 resulted in cancellation of the Cannes festiv ...

sidebar of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival where it drew unanimously positive reviews, with ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' praising Kim for "handling a taut yet elaborately plotted narrative with poise, control and near-faultless technical execution." Domestically, ''A Hard Day'' had a lackluster opening but strong

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 ...

propelled it to becoming a box office hit, with more than 3.4 million tickets sold. The film received numerous awards and nominations, and Kim won Best Director at the

51st Grand Bell Awards The 51st Grand Bell Awards (), also known as Daejong Film Awards, are determined and presented annually by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea for excellence in film in South Korea. The Grand Bell Awards were first presented in 1962 and have g ...

, the 1st Korean Film Producers Association Awards, the 6th KOFRA Film Awards, the 20th

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 ...

and 51st

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 ...

, as well as Best Screenplay at the 15th Busan Film Critics Awards and 35th Blue Dragon Film Awards.

Filmography

Film

*''Oh! Happy Day'' (2003) - 1st assistant director *'' He Was Cool'' (2004) - 1st assistant director, script editor *''

'' (2006) -

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 * ''D ...

, script editor *'' A Hard Day'' (2014) - director, screenwriter *'' The Tunnel'' (2016) - director, screenwriter

Television series

*''

'' (

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...

, 2019–present) - director *'' Kingdom: Ashin of the North'' (

, 2021) - director

Awards

*2014 51st Grand Bell Awards: Best Director ('' A Hard Day'') *2014 15th Busan Film Critics Awards: Best Screenplay ('' A Hard Day'') *2014

35th Military units *35th Fighter Wing, an air combat unit of the United States Air Force *35th Infantry Division (United States), a formation of the National Guard since World War I *35th Infantry Regiment (United States), a regiment created on 1 July 1 ...

Blue Dragon Film Awards: Best Screenplay ('' A Hard Day'') *2014 1st Korean Film Producers Association Awards: Best Director ('' A Hard Day'') *2015 6th KOFRA Film Awards: Best Director ('' A Hard Day'') *2015 20th

: Best Director (Grand Prix) ('' A Hard Day'') *2015 51st

: Best Director ('' A Hard Day'')

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Seong-hun 1971 births Living people South Korean film directors South Korean screenwriters Hankuk University of Foreign Studies alumni People from Gangwon Province, South Korea Best Director Paeksang Arts Award (film) winners