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

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

and

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

. Kim wrote and directed '' YMCA Baseball Team'' (2002), '' When Romance Meets Destiny'' (2005), ''Scout'' (2007), ''

Cyrano Agency ''Cyrano 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'', which focuses on a dating a ...

'' (2010), and '' C'est Si Bon'' (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 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 baseball umpire. By chance he meets Hyun-joo, a theatre m ...

'' (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 Koreas ...

'' (2000).

Career

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

Yonsei University Yonsei University () is a Private university, private Christian university, Christian research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Yonsei is one of the three most prestigious universities in the country, part of a group referred to as SK ...

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 known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...

, 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. () is a South Korean film production and distribution company. It has produced and distributed many films since 2002. History The company was established in South Korea by Shim Jae-myung, and has distributed films throughout ...

, 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, Broth ...

and starred

Im Chang-jung Lim 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 and an actress who fall in love. Kim also worked as

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 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 Idiosyncrasy, idiosyncratic Art film, art-house cinematic works. His films have received many distinctions in the festival circuit ...

's ''

The Isle ''The Isle'' is a 2000 South Korean film written and directed by Kim Ki-duk, his fourth 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 v ...

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

Park Chan-wook Park Chan-wook (; born 23 August 1963) is a Koreans, South Korean film director, screenwriter, Film producer, producer, and former film critic. He is considered one of the most prominent filmmakers of Cinema of South Korea, South Korean cinema a ...

'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. The university operates two campuses: main campus located in Dongjak District, Seoul, and an additional campus in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province. CAU consists of 1 ...

. He then made his directorial debut in 2002 with '' YMCA Baseball Team'' starring

Song Kang-ho Song Kang-ho (; born January 17, 1967) is a South Korean actor. Regarded as one of the most influential actors in Korean cinema, he has appeared in critically acclaimed films across various genres. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, i ...

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 began ...

, 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), and '' Yourself and Yours'' (2016), his supporting roles in '' C ...

. About Korea's very first

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

team, which was formed in 1906 against the backdrop of

Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

's waning years and the onset of

Japanese imperialism The territorial conquests of the Empire of Japan in the Western Pacific Ocean and East Asia began in 1895 with its victory over Qing China in the First Sino-Japanese War. Subsequent victories over the Russian Empire (Russo-Japanese War) and the ...

, 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 earl ...

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 introduced in 1965 by Chang Key-young, the founder of the newspaper ''Hankook Ilbo'', ...

in 2003. In 2005, Kim wrote and directed his second film, '' When Romance Meets Destiny'' starring Kim Joo-hyuk,

Bong Tae-gyu Bong Tae-gyu (; born May 19, 1981) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Film Television series Television shows Hosting Radio shows Music video appearances Stage Theatre Awards and nominations References External li ...

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 ...

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 d ...

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

, 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, sect ...

played by

is sent to

Gwangju Gwangju (; ), formerly romanized as Kwangju, is South Korea's list of cities in South Korea, sixth-largest metropolis. It is a designated Special cities of South Korea, metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home ...

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 production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...

; 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 ...

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) - di ...

, 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 ce ...

'' 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 ...

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 fi ...

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 play, 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 refers to a film, television series, music release, video game or other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release, but eventually became a surprise success. A sleeper hit may have ...

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 (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a Film genre, genre combining the thriller (genre), 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 ...

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

Jung Jae-young Jeong Jae-yeong (born Jeong Ji-hyeon; November 21, 1970) is a South Korean actor. He is known for starring in the films '' Guns & Talks'' (2001), '' Silmido'' (2003), '' Someone Special'' (2004), '' Welcome to Dongmakgol'' (2005), '' Public Enem ...

and

Kim Ok-bin Kim Ok-vin (; born 3 January 1987), also known as Kim Ok-bin, is a South Korean actress. She made her debut in an online beauty contest in 2004, and began her acting career with a role in the 2005 film ''Voice (2005 film), Voice''. She appeared ...

as scientists who

time travel Time travel is the hypothetical activity of traveling into the past or future. Time travel is a concept in philosophy and fiction, particularly science fiction. In fiction, time travel is typically achieved through the use of a device known a ...

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 closed-circuit television cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signa ...

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 '' C'est Si Bon'' in 2015. A

biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or group of people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudrama films and histo ...

of the

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...

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 Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

(played by

Jung Woo Kim Jung-guk (; born January 14, 1981), known professionally as Jung Woo (), is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the drama '' Reply 1994'' (2013) and '' You Are the Best!'' (2013). Career Jung Woo made his acting debut ...

and

Han Hyo-joo Han Hyo-joo (; born Han Ji-yeong, February 22, 1987) is a South Korean actress. She gained wide recognition with the back-to-back successes of '' Brilliant Legacy'' (2009) and ''Dong Yi'' (2010), both of which were massive hits with high viewe ...

in the 1970s, and by

Kim Yoon-seok Kim Yoon-seok (; born January 21, 1968) 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 v ...

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'' (201 ...

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 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 person tells others a ...

and had a lackluster theatrical run.

Filmography

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

*''

'' (1998) - screenwriter,

*''

'' (2000) - assistant director *''

'' (2000) - screenwriter *'' YMCA Baseball Team'' (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 * ''D ...

, screenwriter *''Mr. Gam's Victory'' (2004) - cameoHe played the role of Kim Sung-han. *'' When Romance Meets Destiny'' (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 *'' C'est Si Bon'' (2015) - director, screenwriter *''

I Can Speak ''I Can Speak'' is a 2017 South Korean comedy-drama 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 r ...

'' (2017) - director

Awards

*1995 33rd

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

: Best New Director ('' YMCA Baseball Team'') *2003 39th

: Best New Director ('' YMCA Baseball Team'') *2008

44th Baeksang Arts Awards The 44th Baeksang Arts Awards ceremony took place on April 24, 2008 at the Hae Main Hall of the National Theater of Korea in Seoul. It was presented by IS Plus Corp. and broadcast on SBS. Nominations and winners Complete list of nominees and wi ...

: 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 Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Kor ...

: 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 Sout ...

: 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 br ...

: 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