Jeong Beom-sik wants to start a horror craze

Film director Jeong Beom-sik held a press conference for his new movie “Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum” at the I’Park Mall in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Wednesday. Actors from the film, including Wi Ha-jun, Park Ji-hyun, Oh Ah-yeon, Moon Ye-won and Park Sung-hun were present along with the director.

The director explained why he decided to make another horror movie after his last film “Epitaph” (2007), saying, “Horror movies are all the rage right now worldwide. I think that even in Korea, our love of horror movies has significantly grown. Many audiences feel that Korean horror films still come up short when it comes to reaching the international standard.”

He further explained, “Last year was the 10th anniversary of the film ‘Epitaph,’ and after finishing filming ‘Gonjiam,’ it has now been 11 years. With this new horror film, I wanted to start a new boom to the genre in Korea.”

“Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum” is about an online broadcaster and six other people who enter an abandoned psychiatric hospital while filming a live stream video inside. The Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital was selected by CNN as one of the seven freakiest places in the world.

By Sung Ji-eun