‘Itaewon Homicide’ director Hong dies
Hong Gi-seon, who directed the 2009 film “The Case of Itaewon Homicide,” passed away on Thursday. He was 59.While the director was preparing his first film to be released in seven years, he suffered a sudden heart attack in his home, according to the Chosun Ilbo.
Hong entered the film industry as head of a documentary production company Seoul Visual Collective with a screenplay of the 1989 indie film “O Dreamland.” He directed his first film “Cutting Sadness with the Knife Which Sprouts from the Heart” in 1992 and directed “The Road Taken” in 2003. The director became known in the industry for his focus on contemporary social issues. “The Case of Itaewon Homicide,” which starred actor Jang Keun-suk, was based on a real murder in an Itaewon, central Seoul, fast food restaurant in 1997.
Hong’s upcoming film “Top Secret Information,” which was slated for release next year, reportedly completed filming and was in post-production. The film, which stars actors Kim Sang-kyung and Kim Ok-vin, is a military thriller about a soldier attempting to unearth secrets at his base.
The director will be buried Sunday.
By Chung Jin-hong
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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