K-drama Stars Who Had Their Directorial Debut: Lee Jung Jae, Goo Hye Sun, Son Seok Koo, More
While some celebrities went from Kpop to K-drama, there are others who chose to go behind the camera and landed a director's role.
From being in front of the screen, these stars opt to continue their career as an actor and at the same time as a director.
From newbie directors like Lee Jung Jae and Lee Je Hoon to screenwriter and filmmaker Yoo Ji Tae, here's a rundown of Korean actors and actresses who also had their directorial debut.
Lee Jung Jae
At the height of "Squid Game," Lee Jung Jae is in the process of finalizing his movie "Hunt."
In a previous interview, cited by a Korean media portal, the renowned actor admitted that he felt extreme pressure before deciding to push through with the film.
Lee Jung Jae mentioned that he had doubts about whether he should take on the director role adding "I was scared of ruining my acting career of 30 years just because of this project."
Fortunately, "Hunt" received favorable reviews not just in South Korea but globally.
Before being sold in 144 countries and landing a perfect streak as number one at the Korean box office since its debut, Lee Jung Jae's "Hunt" had its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival 2022.
Besides being the director, he also joined as one of the lead stars opposite Jung Woo Sung.
Lee Je Hoon
Another actor who recently had his directorial debut is Lee Je Hoon.
The "Taxi Driver" star directed the short film "Blue Happiness" under his production team Hard Cut.
Lee Je Hoon's directorial debut is among the short films that became a part of the "Unframed" project which was released on December 8 via Watcha.
Jung Hae In, Pyo Ye Jin, Tang Jung Sang, and Lee Dong Hwi are cast members who appeared in the short film.
Goo Hye Sun
Following her on-screen hiatus, Goo Hye Sun, who gained popularity as Geum Jan Di in the smash hit K-drama "Boys Over Flowers" with Lee Min Ho, focused on being a director.
READ MORE: Goo Hye Sun Donates Entire Prize After Winning at International Short Film Festival
The actress and director have helmed and penned several short films including her first ever project "The Madonna" in 2009, as well as her latest "Dark Yellow" which won a special award at the International Short Film Festival.
In addition, the short film also premiered at the 2021 Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.
Yoo Ji Tae
Long before being known as "Money Heist Korea's" Professor, Yoo Ji Tae not only starred in various K-dramas but is also an accomplished director.
His debut movie "Mai Ratima" premiered at the Busan International Film Festival and even bagged an award at the Jury Prize at the Deauville Asian Film Festival in France.
In addition to this, he also had four short films including "Out of My Intention" and "Invitation" which star him and Uhm Ji Won.
Son Seok Koo
Joining the list of Korean celebrities who are also directors is Son Seok Koo.
Besides being known as Hallyu's versatile star, the 39-year-old celebrity also joins Lee Je Hoon as one of the directors for "Unframed" and worked on the short film "Re-Run."
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Written by Geca Wills
