Kim Seong-hun

Kim Seong-hun 김성훈 (born February 20, 1971 in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, South Korea) is a South Korean film and television director. He attended Hankuk University of Foreign Studies for his upper division studies. Kim Seong-hun began his filmmaking career as an assistant director on the romantic comedies 'Oh! Happy Day' (2003; starring Jang Na-ra and Park Jung-chul) and 'He Was Cool' (2004; starring Jeong Da-bin and Song Seung-heon). In 2006, he directed his first feature film 'How the Lack of Love Affects Two Men' (2006; starring Baek Yoon-sik, Bong Tae-gyu and Lee Hye-young), which follows a widower and his son who both fall for and fight over their new basement tenant. Following the films mediocre reception, Kim had trouble setting up his next project but after years of honing his sophomore script, he eventually released the dark action comedy/thriller 'A Hard Day (2014; starring Lee Sun-kyun and Cho Jin-woong). The film follows the present life of a corrupt homicide detective who hides the body of a hit-and-run victim in his mother's coffin only to find himself terrorized by a mysterious yet formidable blackmailer. The film received numerous awards and nominations, and Kim won Best Director at the 51st Grand Bell Awards, the 1st Korean Film Producers Association Awards, the 6th KOFRA Film Awards, the 20th Chunsa Film Art Awards and 51st Baeksang Arts Awards, as well as Best Screenplay at the 15th Busan Film Critics Awards and 35th Blue Dragon Film Awards. After a heading a few more films, Kim was brought on board to direct the first Netflix original Korean series Kingdom (Korean: 킹덤; 2019; starring Ju Ji-hoon, Ryu Seung-ryong and Bae Doona), the show set a high bar by balancing its appeal for a wider audience and combining Eastern and Western concepts: the Joseon Dynasty and the zombie horror genre.

Works

Kingdom

In this zombie thriller set in Korea's medieval Joseon dynasty which has been defeated by corruption and famine, a mysterious rumor of the king’s death spreads, as does a strange plague that renders the infected immune to death and hungry for flesh. The crown prince, fallen victim to a conspiracy, sets out on a journey to unveil the evil scheme and save his people.

Release Date2019-01-25

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Episode Count7

Vote Count1155

Young Mother 3

Twenty year-old Ki-chan lives alone with his father. One day Yoon-seo (Kim Jeong-ah), his stepmother comes to live with them. She tries to be friendly with Ki-chan but he appraoches her as a woman and starts showing her that. Yoon-seo strongly rejects him but he knows that she wants him too. Their relationship turns into something dangerous. Then one day, Min-jeong, who has had a crush on Ki-chan for a long time, finds out what is going on between the two. The young stepmother fools her husband and falls in love with his son and the son falls in love with his father's woman. They make a deal with Min-jeong to make sure she doesn't say anything.

Release Date2015-09-03

DepartmentProduction

JobSupervising Producer

Vote Count17

Kingdom: Ashin of the North

Tragedy, betrayal and a mysterious discovery fuel a woman's vengeance for the loss of her tribe and family.

Release Date2021-07-23

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Vote Count595

A Hard Day

After trying to cover up a car accident that left a man dead, a crooked homicide detective is stalked by a mysterious man claiming to have witnessed the event.

Release Date2014-05-29

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Vote Count476

Tunnel

A man is on his way home when the poorly constructed tunnel he is driving through collapses, leaving him trapped leaving himself for the unexpected whilst emergency services struggle to help.

Release Date2016-08-10

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Vote Count628

Hard Days

After going to extremes to cover up an accident, a corrupt cop's life spirals out of control when he starts receiving threats from a mysterious witness.

Release Date2023-05-19

DepartmentWriting

JobOriginal Film Writer

Vote Count66

Ransomed

In Beirut 1986, during the Lebanese civil war a Korean diplomat is taken hostage without a trace. Two years pass and long forgotten, a young diplomat Min-jun receives a phone call proving that the hostage is still alive. With the given mission, Min-jun is sent to Beirut to save the hostage with a bag of ransom money.

Release Date2023-08-02

DepartmentWriting

JobAdaptation

Vote Count48

How the Lack of Love Affects Two Men

A miserly father and his clever yet immature son live emotionally impoverished lives together. That life is interrupted when a beautiful widow moves in as a tenant. A battle between father and son to win the widow’s heart begins. No concession, No scruples, No rules.

Release Date2006-11-16

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Vote Count5