Latest news with #ParkJeong-min
Korea Herald
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Filmmaker Park Chan-wook to speak at Seoul International Book Fair
Cannes-winning director joins diverse lineup alongside author Bora Chung, actor Park Jeong-min, star chef Choi Kang-rok Filmmaker Park Chan-wook, renowned for his visually striking and psychologically complex films, will participate in the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair, the annual book fair's organizer announced Wednesday. Park has often drawn inspiration from literature, adapting several novels into screen productions including the HBO series "The Sympathizer" (2024) and the BBC series "The Little Drummer Girl" (2019). During his talk on June 20, titled Park Chan-wook's Literary Anchors, Park will discuss elements of novels that captivate him, the process of translating literature into cinema, and the books that have deeply influenced his creative vision, according to SIBF. The 2025 SIBF, organized by the Korean Publishers Association and held June 18-22 at Coex in Seoul, invites visitors to reflect on the idea of personal refuge in uncertain times under the theme, "The Last Resort." This year's fair will welcome over 530 publishers and literary organizations including 100 overseas publishers from 16 countries. A diverse lineup of Korean authors will be present, including Kim Ae-ran, Kim Cho-yeop, Kim Ho-yeon, Park Seo-lyeon, Sohn Won-pyung, Jang Ryu-jin, Cho Ye-eun, Cheon Seon-ran and Choi Jin-young. International Booker-shortlisted author Bora Chung of "Cursed Bunny," will debut her new release, "The Children's House," while Korean American author Kim Ju-hye of "Beasts of a Little Land" will discuss her latest novel, "City of Night Birds." Actor and publisher Park Jeong-min will also join the lineup, and star chef Choi Kang-rok from "Culinary Class Wars" will unveil his new book. Taiwan has been selected as this year's Guest of Honor. Featured events will include a conversation between Rex How, writer and publisher at Locus Publishing Company, and picture book artist Lee Suzy. Illustrator Bei Lynn and graphic novel artist Keum Suk Gendry-Kim will also have a book talk. Tickets are available at a 50 percent early bird discount (6,000 won) until May 27. From May 28 to June 17, a 30 percent discount (8,000 won) will apply. Standard adult admission is 12,000 won.
Korea Herald
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Why actor Park Jeong-min became a publisher and put audiobook first
Actor Park Jeong-min has introduced a new initiative as the head of his publishing company Muze, aiming to make literature more accessible to readers with visual impairments. The project, titled the 'Listening Novel Project,' launched with the release of Kim Keum-hee's new full-length novel "First Summer, Wanju" as an audiobook. Departing from the conventional practice of releasing print editions first, the audiobook version was completed and distributed ahead of the print release. On April 4, copies of the audiobook were donated to the National Library for the Disabled and other institutions serving visually impaired communities. It will be officially released on the audiobook platform Welaaa April 28, followed by the print edition, April 30. 'When my company's first book 'Saving Work' was published, my father had lost his eyesight,' he said explaining the motivation behind the project at a book talk held Thursday at the National Library of Korea in Seoul. 'It was disheartening that I couldn't show him the book. It led me to think about what kind of books he could still enjoy. That's how the idea of a 'listening novel' came about.' "First Summer, Wanju" follows Son Yeol-mae, a voice actor, who travels to the hometown of a once-close friend who had betrayed her. The audiobook was produced with actors participating gratis. They include Go Min-si, Yum Jung-ah, Choi Yang-rak, Kim Eui-sung, Park Joon-myeon and Ryu Hyun-kyung. Unlike standard audiobooks, the production was structured more like a radio drama, incorporating detailed sound effects and original music by singer-songwriters MRCH and Gureumy. Park added that the project is ongoing, with contracts already signed with additional authors. 'It felt like the characters I had written became clearer through their voices,' author Kim said. 'Usually, the characters spoke in 'my voice,' but this was the first time I realized how many distinct voices were in the story.' The Thursdy book talk was open to readers with visual impairments and their support aides. "In the case of movies, it's difficult to enjoy them without audio descriptions, so I've turned to books more often," said one attendee. 'This audiobook felt so special, (with the different actors and sound effects) it was like a movie to me, making visual impairments feel less like a barrier.' Park, known for his roles in "Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet," Netflix's "The 8 Show" and Coupang Play's "Newtopia," is no stranger to books. He has written a series of columns in a magazine, and published an essay collection titled "Useful Human" (2016). He also previously ran an independent bookstore before founding Muze and publishing its first book, "Saving Work," by journalist Park So-young in 2020. "If there are people who want to tell stories from overlooked places, I wanted to give them the chance to speak," Park said, explaining the reason for starting the publishing company.
South China Morning Post
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Newtopia, starring Blackpink's Jisoo, will appeal to fans of zombie humour, says director
Show's director talks up its 'vintage zombie' look and actress Jisoo's humour, and tips his hat to 70s zombie film maestro George Romero By Baek Byung-yeul Yoon Sung-hyun, director of Korean zombie drama Newtopia, has expressed confidence that the series will appeal to international viewers, particularly those who prefer a lighter approach to the zombie genre, blending humour with horror. 'There are many international fans who are familiar with the lighter zombie genre. Like [American-Canadian director] George Romero's zombie movies, our drama also has parts that show a narrative related to zombies with a lighter feel. 'I expect this work to be a nostalgic piece for global fans, as it has many scenes reminiscent of zombie movies that mix humour and horror that I've seen in the 1980s,' Yoon said this week. Newtopia is an eight-part series that will be released on Korean streaming platform Coupang Play and available globally through Amazon Prime Video on February 7. The series follows Lee Jae-yoon (Park Jeong-min), a soldier, and his girlfriend Kang Young-joo (Jisoo), as they navigate a zombie-infested Seoul to find each other. 'I think this series has a lot of elements that overseas fans who like zombie movies will enjoy. There are many zombies without eyeballs or missing body parts and I think fans of traditional zombie series will like this part,' the director said. K-Post By submitting, you consent to receiving marketing emails from SCMP. If you don't want these, tick here {{message}} Thanks for signing up for our newsletter! Please check your email to confirm your subscription. See more newsletters 'Of course, I also expect it to be a big draw for global fans who like Jisoo and Park Jeong-min.' Jisoo of Blackpink in a still from Newtopia. Photo: Bound Entertainment He praised Jisoo, who is a member of the K-pop group Blackpink, saying that the production could not have been completed without her. 'I felt lucky to work with Jisoo. I felt that the character of Young-joo could not have been done without her. There were points where she needed to express the character humorously, and Jisoo is a very humorous actress, so it was a good fit,' the director said. 'There are also many physically challenging action scenes and I am very grateful that she silently handled those scenes well.' Coincidentally, the series includes scenes of a plane crash and a government declaration of martial law, both of which are expected to draw attention because of their resemblance to recent events in Korea. Regarding this, the director expressed his surprise at these parallels, as the real-life events took place after post-production was completed. Park Jeong-min and Jisoo in a still from zombie K-drama comedy series Newtopia. Photo: Instagram/jisooyaachu 'I was also surprised when martial law was actually declared after the editing was finished. I only faithfully delivered what was in the script,' Yoon said. 'I thought it was important to remain truthful and show the core scenes that are the beginning of the series, so I decided to keep those in.' Yoon asked Korean and international viewers alike to focus on the unpredictable choices the characters make throughout the series. 'There are many unexpected parts about what choices the characters will make and how they will move forward, so there is a freshness about the characters. 'The zombies show the grotesque and slow-moving traits similar to vintage zombie films I saw in the 1970s and 1980s, different from the zombies of today,' he said. Read the original story at The Korea Times.
