that local audiences were still interested in Korean films. The spy drama Secret Reunion, for example, pulled in well over 5 million admissions after its Lunar New Year release. And although well told commercial stories have always done fairly well at the box office, even the melodrama Harmony, notable only for its utter lack of restraint in manipulating its audience, managed to pass the 3 million missions mark.

Looking ahead, there is a strong masculine slant to the films slated for release in the next year or two. Thrillers and war movies will be the dominant genre, with comparatively fewer comedies, horror films and romantic dramas. Partly as a result, male stars are in strong demand while there are very few roles available for actresses. Some of the bigger projects in the pipeline include a grisly new thriller from Kim Jee-woon titled I Saw the Devil, Na Hong-jin's follow-up to his acclaimed debut The Chaser, a new period drama from King and the Clown director Lee Joon-ik, a big budget comic book adaptation from director Kang Woo-suk, and a remake of the 1960 classic The Housemaid by Im Sang-soo and starring the great actress Jeon Do-yeon. Smaller scale works that will likely receive wide festival exposure include Lee Chang-dong'sPoetry, the 101st film by Im Kwon-taek, and a remake of the 1966 classic Late Autumn to be shot in the US by Kim Tae-yong and starring Chinese actress Tang Wei. Credit koreanfilm.org

1.  The Man from Nowhere 

Having once done time behind bars, CHA Tae-sik now leads a quiet life. His only connection to the rest of the world is a little girl, So-mi, who lives nearby. So-mi’s mother, Hyo-jeong, smuggles drugs for a drug trafficking organization and entrusts Tae-sik with the product. When the traffickers find out they kidnap both Hyo-jeong and So-mi. Mistaking Tae-sik for another mule, the brothers that lead the gang—Man-sik and Jong-sik—promise to release Hyo-jeong and So-mi if Tae-sik makes a delivery for them.

Tae-sik makes the decision to face the outside world in order to rescue So-mi. However, the delivery was part of a larger plot to eliminate a rival drug ring leader, Mr. Oh, and Tae-sik is arrested. At the same time, Hyo-jeong’s disemboweled body is discovered, and Tae-sik realizes that So-mi’s life may also be in danger.

He fights off half a dozen detectives and escapes from the police station. Now on the run, Tae-sik pursues Man-sik and Jong-sik. In the process, he discovers that their drug ring operates around kidnapped children. Stumbling upon a factory where the brothers have children’s organs removed to accommodate the drugs, Tae-sik rescues one child just before surgery and becomes enraged at the prospect So-mi may already be dead.

Tae-sik prepares for a battle with Man-sik and Jong-sik, putting his own life at risk…

2. Secret Reunion 

Also known as 'Brothers' or 'Blood Brothers'
When North Korean secret agent Ji-won (Kang Dong-won) crosses the 38th Parallel on a mission, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) led by Han-gyu (Song Kang-ho) intervenes, and a shooting rampage ensues in the heart of Seoul. For the incident, Han-gyu is fired and Ji-won is deserted by his agency. Six years later, the two meet by chance and start a business partnership in order to steal information from the other.

3. Moss

Movie remade from a popular internet cartoon. The story of the few people who live in a village, and a man who comes to the village for his father's funeral. He tries to figure out the mystery of his father's death, but the villagers watch his every move.

Note
RYU Mok-hyeong, a member of a small prayer house located in a remote mountain village, is well-respected for his leadership and gift of speech. In order to build a new prayer house Mok- hyeong leaves the mountains to build a new village with the help of his friend, Yong-duk. Many years pass and Mok-hyeong is discovered dead after sharing a bottle of rice wine with Yong-duk. Mok-hyeong’s good for nothing son, RYU Hae-guk, arrives from Seoul to attend his father’s funeral. Hae-guk soon realizes that the villagers are trying to hide something from him leading him to seek the help of PARK Min-uk, the public prosecutor responsible for his demotion to a local branch during his more reckless past. Hae-guk plans to conduct his father’s autopsy himself, but arrives at his father’s grave only to find his corpse missing. Hae-guk suspects that Yong-duk is responsible.

4. 71: into the Fire

5. Harmony

6  The Servant

7 The Unnjust

A serial killer targeting elementary school students is on the loose—and 5 victims means even the president gets involved in the investigation. When the most probable suspect dies in custody and the case looks like it’s reached a dead end, high ranking police brass decide to create a killer—and anyone will do. Though Detective CHOI Cheol-gi boasts an incredible number of arrests over his career his rank never showed it. He was framed and demoted for another crime and decides that this is his last chance at professional redemption. He makes a deal with mob boss JANG Seok-gu, who he has been investigating, and together they decide to set up one of the existing suspects as the serial killer. The only hurdle in their plan is public prosecutor JU Yang, who takes on the case. JU himself had been involved in a deal with the boss of a rival criminal organization, and President Kim wants CHOI dismissed from his position. When the secret deals and back alley agreements start to come to light, it only serves to drag CHOI, JU, JANG, and KIM deeper and deeper into a dark hole of questionable ethics and abuse of the law.

8. Cyrano Agency

Also known as 'Cyrano; Dating Agency'

'Cyrano Agency' with a 100% success rate meets an unpredictable client
The Cyrano Agency helps people who can't date to have a love life. The agency helps the client by moving together as an organization and having secret missions. Their creed is to work in the shade and we don't aim for the sun.
One day, the agency's representative Byeong-hoon (Eom Tae-woong) and his operation agent Min-yeong (Park Sin-hye) meet an unpredictable client Sang-yong (Choi Daniel). He has excellent qualities but he is a failure in dating. He is in love with a lovable woman named Hee-joong (Lee Min-jeong). But when Byeong-hun sees Hee-joong's profile, he begins to worry... Will 'Cyrano Agency' succeed in their mission?

9 Hello Ghost

The story brings to mind movies like Heart and Souls and A Christmas Carol, but with a darker twist (considering it’s a comedy): Cha Tae-hyun plays a lonely and depressed man who keeps attempting suicide, but just before he does, he’s visited by ghosts who change his mind. The ghosts all have different personalities (the pervert, the crybaby) and will be played by Lee Moon-soo (Good Morning President), Go Chang-seok (Rough Cut), adn Jang Young-nam. (Harmony). Meanwhile, Kang Ye-won plays a hospice nurse.

10 The Housemaid