#answered [ saebyeok kang ]

[starliitstories]

"I'm here for you. No matter where or when I'll always be here for you." (Gi-hun and Saebyeok)

It warmed her heart to hear these kind of things from him. After all, Gihun was the only one she trusted. Saebyeok would easily trust her life to him again. Even outside of the games, they were still a team and she hoped it would never change. "I know." A woman stated almost casually, not really knowing how to properly show the level of appreciation she had for this man. It was little funny. He could almost be her father and he even sometimes referred her as a daughter. Maybe she little bit looked at him like that too. It had been forever since anyone took care of her so it felt odd whenever he came over and took care of her. Gihun often cooked for them and Saebyeok cherished these little moments when they were sitting and eating together. "I'm here for you too. Don't forget." Her almost scolding tone called out as she placed a big round fruit on a table for them to share. It looked and tasted almost like a watermelon. Despite her being really bad at showing and letting people see her caring side, she still wanted to make an effort for him. "Old man, if you have problems just come here and we'll figure it out."

[luvsae]

kang saebyeok masterlist . . ♡

♡ = fluff

☆ = angst

info about requests ;

i always answer requests, but it might take a while as I have school + other stuff in life, so i apologize in advance <3

i WILL write fluff, angst, blurbs, long fics

i WON'T write smut - i'm open to writing suggestive themes and intended smut, but i won't write full on smut (i'm not uncomfortable with it but i just don't really know how to write it + i prefer writing fluff and angst!) hope you understand :)

my pairings with saebyeok are always gn!reader, but if you request with a specific paring then i'll write for that !

i also apologize if some of my works are short !! sometimes i'm just unmotivated 😭

blurbs . . 💗

- passionate ♡

- sunlight ♡

- in love ♡

- everything to me ♡

longer fics . . 💗

- betrayal ☆

bullet point fics . . 💗

- saebyeok as your guitarist girlfriend [1] ♡

regular fics . . 💗

- nothing here yet..

[f4xy]

answering your prompts

[lesbianlotties]

genuinely can't tell if i want to rewatch squid game or just the scenes between kang saebyeok and jiyeong

[peachyuus-arc]

❝ stop. why the hell would you try do do that? ❞  - @investiigator​ 

The girl narrows her eyes, focusing in on the male standing before her. She’s on guard, used to being on the defense. He doesn’t seem malicious, but some of the cruelest people are the normal-looking ones. Doctors, businessmen, soldiers. The people children are taught to trust are often the ones who betray their kin. Saebyeok doesn’t trust anyone. There is only one person in the world that she trusts, and it is him that she’s come this far for. It’s for him that she’s killed risked her life.

“Why not?” She knows better than to entertain a man’s questions, and yet she finds herself answering him with another question. “Wouldn’t you do the same?”

[luvsellie]

NO ROOM TO CARE [k. saebyeok]

pairing kang saebyeok x fem!reader

warnings mentions of blood

wc 2.7k

note i apologize for how long this is but to be fair it took me a whole week to complete bc of school

you felt like you were back in high school; sitting alone and pretending to be preoccupied by absolutely anything in order not to draw attention to yourself.

after the lady on the pa announced to form groups of ten, you had felt your stomach drop. you hadn’t made any accomplices since you had joined the games and that was for one simple reason; you didn’t want to come to care whether another person died or not. there was no room to care about another person, not when everyone in here had a price above their heads.

so, you sat diligently at the top of the staircase, eyes wandering the perimeter of the room. sighing, you ran a hand through your hair, annoyed by the situation.

you had soon learned quickly that no one wanted girls on their team. player 101, whose name you learned was deoksu, and his band of goons practically growled at anyone who they didn’t recruit themselves, and you began to hope that if you did find a group to be a part of, you weren’t going against his.

looking down, you picked at your nails, counting your fingers over and over again just to pass the time. after a few minutes of wallowing in your own thoughts, another pair of dirtied white shoes stepped into view, making you look up at the owner of the shoes.

looking down, you picked at your nails, counting your fingers over and over again just to pass the time. after a few minutes of wallowing in your own thoughts, another pair of dirtied white shoes stepped into view, making you look up at the owner of the shoes.

number 67, who you recognized because of her little fight with deoksu, gazed down at you with nothing more than distaste. you raised your eyebrows, waiting for her to explain why she decided to approach you if she looked so disinterested.

when she stayed silent, you asked, “can i help you?”

her expression didn’t change as she spoke. “do you want to join our group for the third game?”

you pursed your lips, tilting your head to the side as you looked up at her. she didn’t seem to be joking. hell, she seemed like the girl to never joke at all. so, deciding you had nothing to lose, you nodded your head and stood.

“who brought you here?”

you turned to the man, number 218, and gestured to your right. even with one simple sentence, you felt unwelcomed in the group. “her.”

number 218 looked at 67. a look of frustration grew on his face as he said, “i told you that we’re only getting men.”

the statement made you scoff and look over at 67 with expectance for the second time in the span of five minutes. when she didn’t respond, again, you took it upon yourself to answer for her, looking back in the direction of 218. “things seem pretty tense over here. maybe i should go find another group.”

as you started to get up, the man next to you, player 456, held his arm out in front of you. “wait. just sit there.” he looked at 218 before continuing on. “we don’t even know what we’re going to play next.” he pointed at the clock ticking on the wall. “we don’t have much time either. let’s just find one more person and make it ten, alright?”

“who would volunteer to join this weak team? once everyone finds a group, we’ll end up with someone left out.” 218 countered, his voice starting to rise.

you shrugged to no one in particular, answering his rhetorical question in your head. desperate people, that’s who.

“i didn’t get left out!” an annoyingly familiar voice said from over to your right. looking over your shoulder, you cringed when player 212 stood just behind you, her high-pitched voice making you want to rip your ears off. from the start of the games you wanted nothing to do with her.

luckily, though, she seemed to be ignoring you and 67 since she went on to say, “boys, i’ll give you a special chance to join me, yeah? you boys are very lucky today, my gosh.

but as she finished her sentence she crouched and shoved her way in between you and 456, making sure to push you with an unnecessary amount of elbow.

“i’d be much more useful than these scrawny girls,” she continued with an upturned nose. “on top of that, i’m good at everything except for the things i’m not.”

your eyebrows furrowed at the last part as she giggled beside you, her head bobbing up and down as she nodded enthusiastically to the men around her.

“the time for deciding teams is over,” the lady on the pa declared. “all teams, form a line at the entrance of the game hall.”

just as everyone started to move, player 456 stuck his hands out again, making everyone look over at him.

“wait,” he said, turning to 218. “we aren’t playing in this room?”

the large yellow doors slide apart, and all you could do was hold your breath as you waited to see what was on the other side. you hoped this game wouldn’t be brutal. and you had high hopes since the other two games had been relatively, what some might consider, “easy” games.

that hope vanished, though, as everyone was instructed to move forward. on an opposite-facing platform, two identical terraces faced each other, a guillotine of sorts in the middle, hanging from the ceiling. it was then that the game came to mind; tug-of-war.

fuck. you were surely going to die, and as you looked around you, your lips turned downward in a frown. fuck my life.

“welcome to the third game,” the square-masked guard said from the front of the groups. “you are going to be playing tug-of-war.”

as the people around you started to stir in their place, the guard moved on to explain the rules to those who were unsure of how to play, which, in this case, was everyone. “you will pull a rope on that tower to drop your opponents down below to win. now, i will draw lots to decide which teams will play first. everyone, please sit down.”

letting out a sigh, you sat. the spot from where you were, very last in the fourth row, allowed you to see everyone and everything. you took the time to size up the other teams, deciding which ones you’d want to go against and which ones you were threatened by.

“i will draw the lot for the team on the left tower,” the guard announced. the circle-masked guard to his left reached his hand in the box in front of him. after a second of stressful anticipation, he pulled retracted his hand, exposing the black ball with a yellow one on it. “team one, please stand up.”

everyone looked to their left, the air still with tension at the very thought of going against deoksu’s team. you could sense that whoever the unlucky team was, they were going to lose. you just hoped it wasn’t yours.

“next, i will draw the lot for the team on the right tower.”

the guard to his right mimicked his equal’s action, drawing out another black ball, this time with the number seven. your shoulders sagged with relief.

“team seven, please stand up,” the guard said.

to your right, team seven stood, and you cringed for them as they looked at one another with anxiousness. they seemed helpless.

“team one and seven will play first. team one and seven please enter the towers.”

as the two teams headed towards their respected towers, you couldn’t help but feel bad for team seven. they were going up against a group of strong, bulky men. team one was practically guaranteed the win. but it was better them than you.

after a few minutes, when the teams had made their way to the platforms, everyone started to fidget, watching the people on the towers attentively.

the guard with the square on his mask faced the two teams and pulled out a pistol. he raised it to the sky and pulled the trigger, and you watched as teams one and seven began to violently yank at the rope in their hands, the game starting.

you could hear team one shouting incoherent words as they worked backwards, beginning to drag team seven with them. and, as you had predicted, you watched with a mildly disgusted face as team seven was pulled all the way to the edge. they stumbled over their feet as they began to fall, clinging to the rope for dear life.

the guillotine’s blade then dropped, and your eyes followed the players as their bodies and their half of the rope fell far below. after a minute of silence, there was the sound of beeping, and you assumed it was the clean-up crew coming to package up the corpses now lying at the bottom of the pit.

“eliminated players are numbers 245, 120, 37, 408, 27, 237, 58, 243, 327, and 241,” the lady on the pa declared.

after the bodies had been taken care of, and a new rope was set into place, the same guard turned to face the remaining groups.

“i will now draw lots for the second round,” he said. the same cycle repeated itself, and you felt your breath hitch when you saw a bright yellow four on the black ball this time. “team four, please stand.”

gnawing at the inside of your cheek, you stood with the rest of your pathetic excuse for a team as the second number was announced.

“team five, please stand.”

the row of men beside you stood as well, and it was hard not to meet any of their eyes. you feared what you’d find in them if you did. your gut told you cockiness.

“team four and team five please enter the towers.”

you stared at the back of 67’s head as you and your team made way to the left tower. as you walked, team one passed by you all.

“what a shame. i wanted to kill you guys myself,” you heard deoksu say to no specific person.

frowning, you decided to look their way. you immediately locked eyes with the middle-aged man, who flicked his eyebrows upwards in a sad attempt to intimidate you as he passed. you just raised yours back in response, relaying a bored expression on your face, walking by him and his team.

as you all stepped into the elevator, you found a spot in the far corner and leaned against the yellow wall.

“don’t be so dispirited,” the old man, player 1 said. he caught the attention of everyone in the tiny box. “tug-of-war isn’t really about strength.”

rolling your eyes, you leaned back further against the wall, watching as everyone bristled at the old man’s words.

player 196 was the first one to question it. “then what? can we win by talking?”

“in tug-of-war, with a good strategy and good teamwork, you can win even if your team is weaker,” the old man said, unfazed by what 196 had said.

it was 144’s turn to jump in. “the only one who can save us now is the lord.”

you scoffed with a quick laugh, earning a sour look from the priest.

“you’re barely standing, old man. stop talking nonsense and save your strength,” player 196 said.

456 was quick to jump in, looking from 196 to the elder. “let’s just hear him out, okay?”

“i played my share of tug-of-war in my hometown when i was young, and i rarely ever lost,” the older man began. “even when there was a ssireum athlete on the other team, that put the odds very much against us.” he paused, taking a moment to look around at all of you. “listen closely, and i’ll tell you how i beat them back in my day.

first off, the leader is very important. that person is closest to the leader of the opposition, and the rest of the team looks at the back of their leader. if the leader seems weak or dispirited, then the game is already over. you’ve practically already lost.

then, at the end of the rope, you’ll need someone dependable, like the anchor of a ship...placing people is also important. place the rope in the middle, and people go on alternating sides. place your two feet straight forward, and stick the rope between your armpits. that way, you can put forward all of your strength.

and lastly, this is the most important thing. when the game starts, for the first ten seconds, you just have to hold out. you should practically lie down. push your lower abdomen up to the sky, and push your head back to the point you can see the groin of the person behind you. if you do that, the other team won’t be able to pull us to their side. hold out for just ten seconds like that. then the opposite team will get frustrated thinking, ‘why won’t they even budge?’ because they would have believed that they were much stronger. if you can hold out for that long, there will be a moment when the opponents’ rhythm breaks.”

the elevator was silent after the old man finished his long instruction.

“well then,” you started, making everyone turn towards you. “who’s gonna be our leader and anchor?”

the ceiling was a dark grey. your eyes followed the black vents lining the cement as you breathed heavily. how your team had just won tug-of-war, you had no idea. but what you were sure of, was the fact that you were alive. you had completed another game.

your hands stung as you balled them up, and you brought them up to your face and stared at the cuts on your palms. what game would it be if you didn’t walk out with more blood on you than you started with?

after the guards had unshackled you and the rest of your team, they led you to the elevator you had come up in. everyone was silent for the first few moments until player 244 dropped to the floor and began saying prayers under his breath. his sudden eagerness to praise the lord irritated you.

“hey,” you started, bending down to his level. “who are you praying to right now? to god? do you really think you’re alive because of him? you’re only still breathing and moving that tongue of yours because of that old man and the guy over there who came up with that last-minute save. so i suggest you stop thanking someone who isn’t real and start thanking the people who really saved your ass.”

player 244 opened his eyes and looked up at you with a scowl. “you poor lost sheep. can’t you hear the cries of those who were nailed to the cross today? we lived to see another day thanks to their blood and sacrifice. on behalf of all us sinners, i gave thanks to the lord’s decision of their sacrifice and said a prayer.”

“bullshit. you killed them yourself. you were part of the winning team; the team that dragged another ten people to their deaths,” you snapped. how could this guy be so persistent to praise someone who did nothing?

the priest ignored what you said and closed his eyes again, starting another round of prayers.

you clapped your hands together. “do we all go to heaven if we say a few prayers? well shit, then i have to say a few too.”

closing your eyes, you started to speak. “heavenly father, we worked very hard today to send a bunch of people to your side. please help us in sending more people to your side from now on-”

“be quiet.”

the command came from player 67.

you opened your eyes, dropping your arms to your side, and looked over at her, a hint of a smile on your face. “me? or that guy?”

“both of you,” she said, her head tilted back as she gazed upwards.

you looked at player 67. really looked at her as she continued to ignore your stare. her hair was stuck to the corners of her forehead, which was slick with sweat. but, even being worn out, you thought she was the prettiest girl you had ever seen. you didn’t know why you had just now noticed. and as you continued to watch her, elevator coming to a stop at the bottom of the tower, you realized maybe you had found someone who deserved to be cared about, even if she barely showed any interest in you.

[24hlevi]

Unlasting

Kang Sae-Byeok (Squid Game) X Gn!Reader

Genre: Angst

Summary: Saebyeok and Y/n have been dating for a few months and end up participating in the games together. Y/n ends up dying while saying “I love you.” for the first time. But by the time Saebyeok replies, Y/n is already gone.

Warnings: Language, Major Character Death

Word Count: 1.1k

Now Playing:

Neither of you thought that the second to last game would be this brutal. Unlike getting shot, this was much worse. Being forced to kill one of the remaining players that was only you, Saebyeok, Sangwoo, and Gihun. At this point, you wished you hadn’t joined anymore.

You, Gihun, Sangwoo, and Saebyeok were the last ones left, and each of you had one knife that would be used either for self defense or for killing. You didn’t know what to do, not when the two people you cared about most in this place could either kill you, or end up dying and leaving only you.

You sat beside Saebyeok on the bed that she was on, her head leaning on your shoulder as you held onto the knife so tight that your knuckles were turning white, which the girl noticed and she grabbed onto your hand.

“We’ll be okay, I promise.” She reassured you.

Truthfully, Saebyeok didn’t know if it was going to end okay, and that was her worst fear at the moment. She just hoped that it wouldn’t end here and that she would have to go back home without you by her side.

It may have only been a few months that you two had been dating, but Saebyeok had completely fallen in love with you, which was why she was so scared at this time as she wouldn’t be able to go back to a normal life if she won and you died.

“I know.” You responded quietly, lying through your teeth.

You knew that one person was going to die, then another. You just had to determine who would die and who would end up winning. Which was going to be hard.

That was until an idea popped into your head.

“Hey, can we make a deal?” You said to the girl next to you.

“Depends on the kind of deal.” Saebyeok answered.

“Well, if one of us dies, we need to promise to take care of each other’s family.” You told her, looking down at her.

“That’s not needed when we’re both getting out of here.” She replied.

“Just promise me, please.” You said.

Saebyeok looked up at you and nodded her head, “Of course I promise you that.”

You gave her a small smile as you leaned down a little and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be right back, okay? I need to talk to Gihun for a second.”

The short-haired girl nodded again and you got off the bed, walking over to where Gihun was and standing in front of him.

“Hey, I need to talk to you.” You said to the older man.

“What is it?” He responded.

“You and Saebyeok won’t have to kill anyone. I can make sure of that.” You told him.

“How?” He asked.

“By using this.” You started, pulling out the knife from your jacket pocket and holding it. “To kill myself instead of us killing one another.”

Gihun looked at you with a shocked expression, not believing your words. “What? Why would you do that? You have to be with Saebyeok.”

“One of us has to die. Both of you have your own reasons to live much more than me. And you both could use the money for good instead of spending it on stupid shit like I would. But promise me something, please.” You explained.

“Of course, what is it?” Gihun asked.

“If Saebyeok ends up dying too then I need you to promise me that you’ll take care of our families, especially her little brother.” You proposed the promise.

Gihun immediately nodded, “Of course. I would never deny something like that.”

“Thank you, Gihun.” You smiled at him, patting his shoulder. “You’re the only person I trusted here other than Saebyeok, don’t break it, please.” You added before walking back to where Saebyeok was sitting up but was asleep.

“Hey, Sae, wake up.” You gently shook the girl, waking her up and causing her to look at you confused.

“You were falling asleep, we have to stay up in case-“

Your words were cut off by the sound of one of the knives plunging through your stomach and the tip pointing out of the front of you. Coughing up blood, you turned your head and saw Sangwoo standing behind you, pulling the knife out of you and leaving you to collapse to the ground.

“Y/n!”

You heard both Gihun and Saebyeok yell out your name, but you were too busy trying to deal with the immense pain rushing through you to actually hear what was going on.

You stared at the ceiling, blood starting to slowly drip down from your mouth as Saebyeok came into your view of sight and you heard yelling but it came out muffled

“Y/n! Stay with me, please. We were supposed to make it out of this together.” Saebyeok said to you, tears in her eyes as her hands pressed down on the open stab wound of yours.

“Saebyeok…” You said quietly, grabbing one of her hands, making her turn her head towards you. “It’s okay.”

The girl shook her head quickly, “It’s not okay. We just have to wait until the guards come in, then you’ll be okay. I promise.” She said.

“Just..win the money. And kill that asshole. He…deserves it.” You chuckled lightly, more blood coming up from your mouth as you continued to bleed out.

“I will, I promise. Just p-please don’t leave m-me. W-We were supposed to win t-together and go to jeju island.” Tears started to fall from Saebyeok’s eyes as she spoke, making you frown.

“We still can, even if we’re reborn as different people, I want to meet you again.” You told her, your vision starting to cloud up due to tears in your eyes and the amount of pain.

“I love you, Kang Saebyeok.”

Those were the last words you spoke as your breathing stopped and your body went limp in the girls arms.

“Y/n? Y/n? No, this can’t be happening. Y/n! Y/n, wake up! I love you. Please just wake up, please.” She cried out, shaking your body as if you were going to wake up sometime soon.

The lights turned on, and the guards walked in with a large coffin that all the other players had been put in. Seeing it made Saebyeok realize that you really were gone as more tears flowed down her cheeks. The girl held onto your body when the guards arrived and when they tried to take you, her grip only tightened as she didn’t want to believe that you had died.

Eventually, Gihun had to pry Saebyeok off of your deceased corpse and hugged her tightly, allowing her tears to wetten his jacket as he stared at your body being placed in the coffin before looking at Sangwoo with a glare that could easily kill anyone if they had the power to do so.

What an unlasting love

The curse of love

With Saebyeok forever thinking of you.

[blinkaftermidnight]

Ok since you’re reblogging squid game gifs I gotta ask for fun ~ what’d you think of the show and kang saebyeok + jiyeong?

(Fair warning there are spoilers in this answer)

@iamkidfish pushed me to watch it so I bumped it to the top of my list and watched it in like 4 days (which is pretty quick for me) so I really liked it. I love Sae-byeok, and you probably know by now about my love for non-canon ships, and it's probably not surprising that I look for gay in everything I watch/read so...both of their deaths crushed me lol. I did really enjoy the show, though

[24movieworld]

Schedule unveiled for the 12th London Korean Film Festival

The London Korean Film Festival (LKFF) will be held from October 26 to November 19. With a special focus on the Korean Noir, the Festival will also screen several contemporary hits, artist videos, classic dramas, documentaries, animations and mise-en-scène shorts, among others. With over 60 films to be screened over 24 days, the LKFF promises to be a delight for Korean movie buffs.

Catch the official trailer here:

You can check out the screening schedule here:

Visit the official website here to get your printable copy of the schedule.

Get your tickets for the Festival here.

Given below is the Festival’s official press release along with all other relevant information.

“Programme Announced for the 12th London Korean Film Festival / 26 October – 19 November 2017

The London Korean Film Festival (LKFF) unveiled the lineup for its 12th edition today running 26 October – 19 November with multiple UK and International premieres, a special focus on Korean Noir and including everything from Indie Firepower and Cinema Now to Women’s Voices, Classics Revisited: Bae Chang-ho Retrospective, Documentaries, Artist Video, Animations, Mise-en-scène Shorts and a roster of very special guests in attendance.

Korea has been in the news more than ever this year with a South Korean presidential impeachment and a change in government, not to mention the current North Korean crisis. Thankfully Korean Cinema has maintained a positive news profile with Bong Joon-ho’s creature feature Okja becoming the most widely seen Korean film ever made. So it’s no better time for the 12th London Korean Film Festival to be back in London and across the UK offering another expansive selection of films from one of the most exciting film industries in the world.

This year’s opening and closing films complement each other as two highly acclaimed dramas presenting unique perspectives on non-traditional romantic relationships – and both star Actress Kim Saebyeok. The UK Premiere of prolific auteur Director Hong Sangsoo’s Cannes acclaimed, The Day After (2017) will kick-off the festival at an Opening Gala with cinematographer and frequent Hong Sangsoo and Bong Joon-ho collaborator, Kim Hyung-ku  in conversation on the 26 October. Following bemused characters in matters of the heart, this is “a black & white comedy of missed chances… a Rohmer-esque monochrome comedy of confusion” (Variety). The festival closes on 8 November (in London)  with the UK Premiere of emerging director Kim Dae-hwan‘s Indie relationship hit from Locarno, The First Lap (2017) (followed by Director Q&A), which sees a directionless unmarried couple wade through family encounters and a potential pregnancy, in a fresh verité style that is both funny and heartwarming.

Two out of the five Korean hits to grace Cannes Film Festival this year were crime and action thrillers typical of the booming Korean Noir genre, illuminating the dark side of society: The Villainness (following a female assassin trained from a young age, screening as a special preview at LKFF press launch 11 Sept) and The Merciless (2017, Studiocanal, premiering at LKFF 2017), the latest feature from Byun Sung-hyun, a Tarantino-esque moody neo-noir thriller following double-crossing gangsters. “South Korea has such a turbulent modern history ridden with violence and political, social upheavals… I think that may be why we are good at making thriller movies like this,” said Jung Byung-Gil, director of The Villainness” (Daily Mail). It’s fitting that the festival shines a light on the killer genre this year with a full range of crime capers both old and new.

The strand begins with an example of Lee Man-hui’s renowned anti-communist filmmaking, with one of his very early films in the genre, Black Hair (1964), which follows the loyal mistress of a gang boss, whose life takes a horrific turn for the worse after a violent rape is exposed. We are thrilled to be screening the newly restored The Last Witness (1980) that recently played in Berlin and Busan film festivals, with director Lee Doo-yong in attendance; the film is based on a crime novel by Kim Seong-jung and follows lone wolf detective Oh Byeong-ho as he goes in search of the murderer of a small time brewer.

Film Noir was thriving in the 1990s, and we’ll celebrate a strong selection from that decade: the darkly humorous Dead End (1993), The Rules of the Game (1994) following small town thugs trying to make it big and Green Fish (1997), the directorial debut by Lee Chang-dong who is now widely regarded as South Korea’s greatest living director.

In America, Director Lee Myung-Se was seen as Seoul’s answer to Hong Kong’s John Woo with his hit, Nowhere to Hide (1999), a highly stylised violent action noir and an influence on The Matrix. Kilimanjaro (2000) is the little seen, but highly accomplished feature from Oh Seung-uk, starring veteran actor Ahn Sung-ki and Park Shin-yang; an engrossing noir following a detective mistaken for his identical twin brother, a gangster. Die Bad (2000) is action maestro Ryoo Seung-wan‘s sensational debut made in 4 parts over 3 years, following two young men (played by Ryoo and Park Sung-bin) whose lives change forever after a deadly student brawl.

A Bittersweet Life (2005) is Kim Jee-woon‘s follow up to A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) a thrilling noir that shows the ultra violent consequences of falling for the wrong girl. A Dirty Carnival (2006) follows a low-level debt collector as he murders his way to the top, played by one of Korea’s leading actors Zo In-sung. New World (2013, UK Home Ent. release by Eureka) is the second directorial feature from Park Hoon-jung, the writer behind The Unjust (Ryoo Seung-wan) and I Saw The Devil (Kim Jee-woon), in which undercover cops and shady policemen plot to gain control of Korea’s biggest crime syndicate. Coin Locker Girl (2015) is a female crime melodrama from first time director Han Jun-Hee starring veteran actress Kim Hye-soo as the psychotic crime boss known as ‘mom’ whose unsavoury trade includes organ trafficking and loan-sharking.  

LKFF has pulled together the best Cinema Now, Korean films that are making waves world-wide in cinemas and online. One such masterpiece is the European Premiere of In Between Seasons (2016) by first time director Lee Dong-eun, based on the director’s own comic book, portraying an intimate family drama following two young gay lovers as they grapple with family life. Master (2016) which took 50.5 million dollars at the box office (topping the new Star Wars Rogue One), is a slick new financial action thriller that follows an investigator who pursues the president of a Korean company that’s involved in fraud and corruption. It stars today’s biggest actors Lee Byung-hun, Gang Dong-won and Kim Woo-bin. Come, Together (2017) is Director Shin Dong-il‘s new drama about a family of three whose ranks are collapsing – a rare insight into Korean society’s highly competitive nature. Warriors of the Dawn (2017) is the popular Joseon Era drama filmed almost entirely outdoors, as a guerilla style road movie, following a group of mercenaries tasked with protecting the newly crowned prince. The Mimic (UK release in 2018 date tbc, Arrow Films) directed by Huh Jung is a chilling K-horror that follows a woman, haunted by the disappearance of her son, who is drawn to a local legend of a monstrous tiger that lures people into its cave. Crime City (2017) is an indie crime caper based on a true story, from director Kang Yoon-sung, that follows a detective (Ma Dong-seok), as he hunts down a Korean-Chinese gang headed by Yoon Kye-sang.

This is the second year of our Women’s Voices strand, showcasing four dramas and one documentary all from contemporary feminine points of view, films that are at the very heart of feminist politics. An extremely current and relevant documentary,  Candle Wave Feminists (2017), deconstructs the misogyny and discrimination that was rife within the revolution that led to Park’s impeachment and her spiritual mentor Choi Soon-Sil’s arrest. The feature debut by writer-director Lee Wanmin, Jamsil (2016) is a rare look at two women’s transformative friendship, following a harrowing long-term breakup. My Turn (2017) focuses on pregnancy within the workplace, after a nurse becomes pregnant and tensions and backlash surface. Mild Fever (2017) captures the subtle rift between husband and wife, following a secret that surfaces from the past. Night Working (2017) follows a friendship between two factory workers, a Korean woman and a Cambodian immigrant.

Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns will introduce the UK to Korea’s Indie Firepower, a selection of films from the country’s most intriguing independent filmmakers, including a special focus welcoming Artist filmmaker Jung Yoon-suk, whose films have focussed on Korean social and political life. The Home of Stars (2010) is a sardonic cage of modern Korean history and Non Fiction Diary (2013) deals with Korea’s first serial murder case in the 1990s. His latest, Bamseom Pirates Seoul Inferno (2017) also screens at the BFI LFF (6 and 7 October), embracing nihilism, protest, politics and rebellion and a strong sense of humour following a young Korean, grindcore punk band. Also on show are two of his shorts, The White House in My Country (2006) and Ho Chi Minh (2007). This strand celebrates two other offbeat indies with Merry Christmas Mr. Mo (2016), an unusual tragi-comedy shot in black & white centered on a relationship between an ageing father (played by veteran actor Gi Ju-bong) and his semi-estranged son, and A Confession Expecting a Rejection (2017) a daring and witty film that follows on and off screen characters as they discuss subjects ranging from failed relationships to dodgy film courses.

Dr. Mark Morris returns this year with another finely curated selection of Classics Revisited, focussing on 1980’s veteran director Bae Chang-Ho, who began his career as assistant director to the great Lee Jang-ho (the focus of our Classics retrospective in 2016). Closely linked with the rising ‘People’s Movement’ which campaigned against the authoritarian government, his first award-winning film People in the Slum (1982) echoes the issues of the people at that time. Adapted from a series of vignettes written by Lee Dong-cheol, Bae Chang-Ho crafted a film echoing life at the bottom of society, and ended up having to adapt the social criticism in the script following hints from government censors, blending the tale of these three main characters into a melodrama. In this short retrospective we’ll see a key selection of his films: Whale Hunting (1984) is a much loved Korean road movie following two misfits and a woman wandering a snowy landscape, and The Dream (1990) Bae’s second period film that follows the affair between a young Buddhist monk and a beautiful young woman. Bae wrote the script for The Dream along with aspiring assistant director Lee Myung-se, who had been his AD since his Whale Hunting days.

Contemporary Korean Documentaries have arguably never been more vital in exposing insights into structural inequalities in South Korea, and advocating community building and political awareness. This year the Documentary strand focuses on the activist work of the feminist collective Pink Skirt whose films deal with LGBT and workers’ rights – including Goodbye My Hero (2016) and the diptych Two Doors (2012) and The Remnants (2016) that show the fall out from a demonstration in 2009 against the redevelopment of Yongsan in Seoul, which left 5 people dead and 3 protesters in prison. We will also screen the long overdue Premiere of multimedia artist Kelvin Kyung Kun Park’s A Dream of Iron (2012), an industrial film symphony, looking at the scale of industrial machines and processes involved in constructing huge ships.

The best selection from the Mise-en-scène International Short Film Festival this year includes: Tombstone Refugee (2017), which looks at alternative burials, Home Without Me (2017), which follows a young girl seeking familial love and friendship, Thirsty (2017), which follows a young man struggling to make ends meet, Between You and Me (2017), which looks at the behind the scenes of the making of a film, Dive (2017) about a boy’s love of water, The Insect Woman (2017) about a girl’s fascination and obsession with insects and 2 Nights 3 Days (2017), following a couple on the eve of their anniversary celebration.

For its second edition, Artist Video (a collaboration with LUX | Artists’ Moving Image), sees two ‘Artist in Focus’ programmes with two prominent Korean artists working in film: Lim Minouk and Koo Donghee.  Drawing their inspiration from political activist cinema from the 1970s (Lim) and contemporary television and internet culture (Koo), their work is representative of the diversity and richness of contemporary Korean artists’ moving image. Six video works from Lim Minouk (2003 – 2010) include political and poetical work that sides with the vulnerable and those that have been displaced. Five video works by  Koo Donghee (2003 – 2012) exemplify her highly staged portrayals of the banality of life, interrupted by accidental situations. Koo uses objects, spaces, animals – often aquatic – and actors who respond in real time, to unrehearsed situations.

  Younger audiences will delight in the two Animations this year: Lost in the Moonlight (2016) following 13-year-old Hyun Joo-ri as a dreamy, shy girl who gets sucked into a fantasy world and Franky and Friends: Tree of Life (2016) an exciting adventure in the Fairytale Kingdom, as two friends Kwon and Pong create havoc by asking for more food than they can eat, learning a useful lesson about the perils of wastefulness.

Guests confirmed for this year’s festival include:

Cinematographer Kim Hyeong-gu – The Day After

Director Kim Dae-hwan –The First Lap

Director Lee Doo-yong – The Last Witness

Director Oh Seung-uk – Kilimanjaro

For Noir forum – Eddie Muller (Founder of Film Noir Foundation) and Hur Moon-young (Film Critic & Programmer)

Director Bae Changho – People in the Slum, Whale Hunting, The Dream

Director Chung Yoon-chul – Warriors of the Dawn

Director Jung Yoon-suk – Non-Fiction Diary, Bamseom Pirates Seoul Inferno, Whale Hunting, The Dream

Director Kim IIl-rhan – Two Doors and The Remnant

Director Lee Wanmin & Actor Kim Saebyeok – Jamsil

Director Kang Yoon-sung – Crime City

    London venues include: Picturehouse Central, Regent Street Cinema, ICA, Phoenix, Close-up, LUX, Birkbeck’s Institute of Moving Image, SOAS, Kingston University, National Film & Television School, British Museum and KCCUK

  The festival tours to: Glasgow Film Theatre, Manchester HOME, Sheffield Showroom, Nottingham Broadway Cinema, Belfast Queen’s Film Theatre until 19 November 2017.

  Facebook: @theLKFF

Twitter: @koreanfilmfest

Instagram: @london_korean_film_festival

  To apply for Press Accreditation and for any interview requests and stills please contact: Elizabeth Benjamin Publicist, emebenjamin@yahoo.com

Notes to Editors

About London Korean Film Festival:

The London Korean Film Festival will return to celebrate its twelfth year running 26 October – 19 November 2017, running for two weeks in London before embarking on an ambitious tour around the UK.

The London Korean Film Festival has grown from humble beginnings to become one of the longest running and most respected festivals dedicated to Korean cinema in the world. We’ve built a name upon presenting lineups consisting of everything from the country’s most successful blockbusters to thought-­‐provoking independents from its finest auteurs. Across a variety of finely curated strands we aim to cater for general audiences, committed cinephiles, children, and everyone in between.

  The 12th London Korean Film Festival is organised by the Korean Cultural Centre UK with the support of the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism, Korean Film Council and Korean Film Archive.

More about the KCCUK:

Since being opened by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in January 2008, under the jurisdiction of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, the KCCUK has gone from strength to strength in its role of enhancing friendship, amity and understanding between Korea and the UK through cultural and educational activities.

As well as presenting a diverse range of ongoing monthly events focused on Korean film, drama, education and literature, the KCCUK regularly welcomes Korean luminaries from many cultural fields to discuss their work, organises the annual film festival as well as traditional and contemporary musical performances and holding a number of exhibitions throughout the year, allowing artists to showcase their talent. From the KCCUK’s central London location (just off Trafalgar Square), the institution’s dedicated cultural team work to further develop established cultural projects, introduce new opportunities to expand Korean programmes in the UK and to encourage ongoing cultural exchange.”

  from Blogger http://ift.tt/2yZbKsv

[starliitstories]

"It's okay to lean on others for support occasionally." (Gi-hun and Saebyeok)

Yeah, like that ended up so good last time Saebyeok decided to trust even the slightest. A woman almost spit this fact straight to his face but restrained herself. Gihun was currently the only person in her life she actually trusted and really liked. While her personality was harsh and Gihun already knew it, she didn't want to insult him on purposely. Saebyeok brushed her fingers through her hair while a silent sigh got out from her lips. "This again?" She asked with a little tense tone in her voice. A young woman didn't mean to be rude to him but this topic often got under her skin even if she wouldn't easily admit it. But Gihun probably already knew this. They didn't have a chance to know for a long time and it had only been through the game. But during those painful days, these two had learned a lot from each others's personalities. Gihun had almost instantly wanted to help and protect her which had caused her to feel a bit discomfort at first. But the more she had watched this dorky man and heard him talking, the more she had actually started to like him. So obviously, Gihun was the last person she would ever want to insult or hurt. "I know Spiralians are overall nice. But I don't really KNOW them. Not personally. So it doesn't make sense to lean on them." Her opening up was reserved for people she considered as close friends or family and Gihun was something in between these two. So with him, it felt little bit easier to speak up her true feelings.