Ahn Pan-seok (born November 1961) 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 ...

. Ahn directed the

Korean drama Korean drama (), also known as K-drama or Koreanovela, refers to Korean language, Korean-language television shows made in South Korea. These shows began to be produced around the early 1960s, but were mostly consumed domestically until the rise ...

s ''

Something In The Rain ''Something in the Rain'' () is a 2018 South Korean television series directed by Ahn Pan-seok and written by Kim Eun. It stars Son Ye-jin, Jung Hae-in and Jang So-yeon. The series marks Son Ye-jin's small screen comeback after a five-year brea ...

'' (2018), ''Roses and Bean Sprouts'' (1999), ''Ajumma'' (2000), '' Behind the White Tower'' (2007), ''

How Long I've Kissed ''How Long I've Kissed'' () is a 2012 South Korean television series starring Kim Hee-ae, Lee Sung-jae, Lee Tae-ran and Jang Hyun-sung. It aired on JTBC from February 29 to April 19, 2012. Synopsis The story of a struggling housewife who starts ...

'' (2012), ''

Secret Affair Secret Affair are a mod revival band, formed in 1978 and disbanded in 1982 during which period their work is predominantly best-known. They reformed in 2002 and have since then produced an album in 2012. Career Formed after the demise of th ...

'' (2014), and '' Heard It Through the Grapevine'' (2015). He also

directed Direct may refer to: Mathematics * Directed set, in order theory * Direct limit of (pre), sheaves * Direct sum of modules, a construction in abstract algebra which combines several vector spaces Computing * Direct access (disambiguation), a ...

the film '' Over the Border'' (2006).

Career

Ahn Pan-seok was born in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

in 1961. He graduated from

Sejong University Sejong University (SJU; ) is a private research university located in Seoul, South Korea, known for its standing in hospitality and tourism management, dancing, animation and rhythmic gymnastics. Founded as the Kyung Sung Humanities Institute, it ...

with a degree in English Language and Literature. In 1986, he and fellow cinephiles from Sejong collaborated on the 22-minute

short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...

''In Praise of Idleness''; the crew consisted of

Yoo Ha Yoo Ha (; or spelled Yu Ha; born 9 February 1963) is a Koreans, South Korean film director, screenwriter and a contemporary poet. He directed the critically acclaimed films ''Marriage Is a Crazy Thing'' (2002), ''Once Upon a Time in High School ...

as the director, Kim Sung-su as

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...

, Ahn handled the

lighting Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight. ...

, and poet Jin Yi-jeong wrote the screenplay. Ahn was hired by MBC's

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

production division in 1987, then worked as an

assistant director The role of an assistant director (AD) 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 ...

on ''Humble Men'' in 1991 and ''My Mother's Sea'' in 1993. He made his directorial debut in 1994 with ''Love Greetings'', part of the single-episode anthology ''MBC Best Theater''; he would go on to direct eight ''Best Theater'' episodes throughout the 1990s. His first series as a production director (or "PD") was the weekend morning drama ''Partner'' (1994–1998), which was followed by the popular family dramas ''Roses and Bean Sprouts'' (1999) and ''Ajumma'' (2000–2001), and the

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

''I Love You, Hyun-jung'' (2002). He resigned from MBC in 2003 and became a

freelancer ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

, working on ''A Problem at My Younger Brother's House'' for SBS. After fifteen years in television, Ahn

his first film in 2006. '' Over the Border'' (titled ''South of the Border'' in

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...

) was a

melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...

starring

Cha Seung-won Cha Seung-won (; born June 7, 1970) is a South Korean actor, who began his career as an in-demand model (person), fashion model in the 1990s. Cha achieved stardom through the hit comedy films ''Kick the Moon'' (2001), ''Jail Breakers'' (2002), ' ...

as an orchestra

horn Horn may refer to: Common uses * Horn (acoustic), a tapered sound guide ** Horn antenna ** Horn loudspeaker ** Vehicle horn ** Train horn *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various animals * Horn (instrument), a family ...

player from

Pyongyang Pyongyang () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the "Capital of the Revolution" (). Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. Accordi ...

who defects, then later re-encounters his

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

n sweetheart (

Jo Yi-jin Jo Yi-jin (; born December 26, 1982), birth name Jo Bo-hyun, is a South Korean actress. She is best known for the films '' The Aggressives'' (2005) and '' Over the Border'' (2006). Filmography Film Television series Music video Awards an ...

) but he's already married to a South Korean wife (

Shim Hye-jin Shim Hye-jin (; born February 6, 1966) is a South Korean actress and model. She was one of the leading actresses of the 1990s in South Korea. Shim started her career as a model and achieved stardom with a Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, ...

). Ahn said, "Our society has greatly matured―enough not to ban the use of the

North Korean flag The national flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) consists of a wide horizontal red stripe bordered above and below by a thin white stripe and a broad blue stripe. The red stripe is charged near the hoist with a fi ...

or portraits of

Kim Il Sung Kim Il Sung (born Kim Song Ju; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he led as its first Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader from North Korea#Founding, its establishm ...

in movies. The audience should have fun watching images of a North Korea they've only heard about." ''Over the Border'' received good reviews, but was unsuccessful at the box office. Back on the small screen in 2007, Ahn next chose a Korean TV adaptation of the Japanese novel ''

Shiroi Kyotō is a 1965 novel by Toyoko Yamasaki. It has been adapted into a film in 1966 and then five times as a television series in 1967, 1978, 1990, 2003, and 2019. The 1966 film was entered into the 5th Moscow International Film Festival where it won a ...

'' by

Toyoko Yamasaki was a Japanese novelist. A native of Osaka, Yamasaki worked as a journalist for the Mainichi Shimbun from 1945 to 1959 after graduating from Kyoto Women's University in Japanese literature. She published her first story, ''Noren'' (1957), a st ...

, which had previously been adapted into a well-regarded Japanese film and two

Japanese television drama , also called or J-drama, are television programs that are a staple of Television in Japan, Japanese television and are broadcast daily. Format All major Television networks, TV networks in Japan produce a variety of Drama (genre), drama serie ...

s. Unlike typical contemporary Korean dramas, Ahn's

medical drama A medical drama is a Television film, television movie or film in which events center upon a hospital, clinic, doctor's office, a paramedic, or any other medical topic or environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic progra ...

'' Behind the White Tower'' eschewed any romance elements, focusing instead on the hospital politics and power struggles surrounding an ambitious and brilliant surgeon played by

Kim Myung-min Kim Myung-min (, born October 8, 1972) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the television series ''Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin'' (2004), ''White Tower (TV series), White Tower'' (2007), ''Beethoven Virus'' (2008), ' ...

. ''White Tower'' drew high ratings and critical acclaim, and Ahn won Best Television Director at 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 introduced in 1965 by Chang Key-young, the founder of the newspaper ''Hankook Ilbo'', ...

. In May 2007, he became the co-

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

of JoongAng Media Network's then-newly-launched production company Drama House. One of the inaugural dramas of newly launched cable channel

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

was Ahn's ''

'' in 2012.

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'' (201 ...

played the protagonist, a middle-aged housewife who struggles with the unforgiving expectations of her husband (

Jang Hyun-sung Jang Hyun-sung (; born July 17, 1970) is a South Korean actor. He started his acting career as a member of the ''Hakjeon'' Theatre Company, before transitioning to film and television. Jang is best known for starring in director Song Il-gon's a ...

) and his status-obsessed family, then finds a kindred spirit in her son's dentist (

Lee Sung-jae Lee Sung-jae (; born August 23, 1970) is a South Korean actor. Among his notable works include the films ''Art Museum by the Zoo'' (1998), ''Attack the Gas Station'' (1999), ''Kick the Moon'' (2001), and ''Public Enemy (2002 film), Public Enemy ...

). Praised for its richly drawn characters and the realistic depiction of affluent Korean parents' obsession with their children's academic achievements, the show was a hit, reaching 4% viewership ratings. In 2013, Ahn directed '' The End of the World'' based on Bae Young-ik's novel ''Infectious Disease'', about a Center of Disease Control and Prevention scientist (played by

Yoon Je-moon Yoon Je-moon (born March 9, 1970) is a South Korean actor. He appears in theater, film and television, notably in the movies ''The Man Next Door'' (2010) and '' Dangerously Excited'' (2012), and the TV series '' The End of the World'' (2013). ...

) who works to figure out a mysterious

pandemic A pandemic ( ) is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has a sudden increase in cases and spreads across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. Widespread endemic (epi ...

threatening mankind. Despite critical raves, the show's low ratings led to jTBC drastically reducing its episodes from 20 to 12. He reunited with ''

'' screenwriter Jung Sung-joo and lead actress Kim Hee-ae in 2014 with ''

''. Kim played an art foundation director who embarks on a passionate affair with a poor but talented pianist 20 years her junior (played by

Yoo Ah-in Uhm Hong-sik (; born October 6, 1986), known professionally as Yoo Ah-in (), is a South Korean actor, creative director, and gallerist. He is known for playing a diverse spectrum of roles in both television and film, where he often portrays dyn ...

), and the series also explored the hypocrisy and corruption amid the ranks of upper-class intellectuals. Ahn, Jung and the cast again received accolades, which included a second win for Best Television Director at the

. Ahn returned to network TV in 2015 with '' Heard It Through the Grapevine'', a

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

dissecting the class divide as the teenage son of a wealthy, powerful family brings home his pregnant girlfriend (played by

Lee Joon Lee Chang-sun (; born February 7, 1988), better known by his stage name Lee Joon (), is a South Korean actor, singer, model and DJ. He is best known as a former member of the South Korean boy band MBLAQ. He had notable roles in ''Gap-dong, Gapd ...

and

Go Ah-sung Go Ah-sung (; born August 10, 1992) is a South Korean actress. She began her career as a child actress, notably in '' The Host'' (2006). Her other notable works include ''Snowpiercer'' (2013), '' Thread of Lies'' (2014), '' A Resistance'' (2019 ...

Filmography

Television

*''Humble Men'' ( MBC, 1991) -

*''My Mother's Sea'' (MBC, 1993) - assistant director *''MBC Best Theater'' "Love Greetings" (MBC, 1994) *''MBC Best Theater'' "To Mr. Lee Jong-beom" (MBC, 1994) *''MBC Best Theater'' "He Lives in Nokcheon" (MBC, 1994) *''MBC Best Theater'' "Did Mom Love That Person?" (MBC, 1994) *''Partner'' (MBC, 1994–1998) *''MBC Best Theater'' "On Line 2's Platform" (MBC, 1997) *''Yesterday'' (MBC, 1997) *''MBC Best Theater'' "Subway Pervert Report" (MBC, 1998) *''MBC Best Theater'' "The King and I" (MBC, 1998) *''Living with the Enemy: Bear and Fox'' (MBC, 1998) *''Shy Lovers'' (MBC, 1998) *''MBC Best Theater'' "My Soulmate Park Soon-jung" (MBC, 1998) *''Roses and Bean Sprouts'' (MBC, 1999) *''Ajumma'' (MBC, 2000–2001) *''I Love You, Hyun-jung'' (MBC, 2002) *''A Problem at My Younger Brother's House'' ( SBS, 2003–2004) *'' Behind the White Tower'' (MBC, 2007) *''

'' (

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

, 2012) *'' The End of the World'' (JTBC, 2013) *''

'' (JTBC, 2014) *'' Heard It Through the Grapevine'' (SBS, 2015) *''

Something in the Rain ''Something in the Rain'' () is a 2018 South Korean television series directed by Ahn Pan-seok and written by Kim Eun. It stars Son Ye-jin, Jung Hae-in and Jang So-yeon. The series marks Son Ye-jin's small screen comeback after a five-year brea ...

'' (JTBC, 2018) *'' One Spring Night'' (MBC, 2019) *'' The Midnight Romance in Hagwon'' ( tvN, 2024) * The Art of Negotiation (JTBC, 2025)

Film

*''In Praise of Idleness'' (

, 1986) -

*'' Over the Border'' (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

Awards

*2007 43rd

: Best Director (TV) ('' Behind the White Tower'') *2014 50th

: Best Director (TV) (''

)'' *2015 4th CARI K Drama Awards: Best Director (TV) ('' Heard It Through the Grapevine'')

References

External links

Ahn Pan-seok
at

Naver Naver (; stylized as NAVER) is a South Korean online platform operated by the Naver Corporation. The company's products include a search engine, email hosting, blogs, maps, and mobile payment. History Naver was the first Korean web provide ...

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ahn, Pan-seok 1961 births Living people South Korean television directors South Korean film directors South Korean male screenwriters Sejong University alumni Mass media people from Seoul