Hallyu Stars Earn Attention In Europe And America

The influence of Hallyu stars just keeps growing, with Korean directors, actors and dramas beginning to make inroads into not only Asian but also European and American markets.

Thanks to the increasing international availability of Korean dramas and films, this year may earn Korean actors and directors more attention and praise than ever before.

Director Bong Joon Ho's English language debut film "Snowpiercer," which stars a global cast of Tilda Swinton, Song Kang Ho, Jamie Bell and Ed Harris, has garnered international attention, highlighting his work and also that of other Korean directors.

A review in Variety called the film, "An enormously ambitious, visually stunning and richly satisfying futuristic epic from the gifted Korean genre director Bong Joon Ho."

The names of Korean actors are also becoming better known in Europe and America. Perhaps the best recognized name at the moment is actor Lee Byung Hun, who in the past year has appeared in two Hollywood blockbusters, "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" and "Red 2." He won praise for his acting skills in "Red 2" from co-stars Bruce Willis and Helen Mirren.

Mirren described the Korean superstar as a "brilliant actor with a gorgeous body."

Willis described him as the "Korean Frank Sinatra. He is an action star that is talented in many different fields."

Lee Byung Hun's film "Masquerade" was chosen to be the closing film for this summer's London Korean film festival.

Actress Bae Doo Na has already had a few roles outside Korea but recently she had a starring role as the clone Sonmi 451 in the film "Cloud Atlas." Before that she played a political activist in Park Chan Wook's "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" and an archer in Bong Joon Ho's "The Host." She also played an inflatable sex doll in the Japanese film "Air Doll."

Now actor Choi Min Sik joins the ranks of Korean stars to go international, by appearing in his first non-Korean film. He will act in French director Luc Besson's film "Lucy," which stars Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman. Choi, who starred in the film "Old Boy," has been getting international offers since 2003 but this is the first one he accepted.

Singing star BoA made a Hollywood film this year before ever acting in a Korean one. She starred in the dance film "Make Your Move 3D" and will soon be seen in her first kdrama "Expect Dating."

Chinese and Japanese films and dramas have long employed Korean actors. They have filled roles in 20 Chinese dramas in the last decade, with the list of actors including Kim So Eun, Lee Tae Ran and Yoon Si Yoon.  

What do you think about Korean stars and directors being recognized internationally? Should they appear in more international productions or stick to Korean films and dramas?