Oscars invite Park Hae-il to join Academy

Actor Park Hae-il [NEWS1]

Actor Park Hae-il, the star of “The Host” (2006) and “Decision to Live” (2022), has been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Ampas) as the only Korean actor this year.

Ampas invited 398 new members to join its organization this year, including American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, Oscar-winning actor Ke Huy Quan and cinematographer James Friend, known for his work “All Quiet on the Western Front” (2022).

Park was the only Korean actor to receive the invitation this year.

Screenwriter Chung Seo-kyung, who is known for her screenplays for many of director Park Chan-wook’s films, including “Lady Vengeance” (2005), “I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK” (2006), “Thirst” (2009), “The Handmaiden” (2016) and “Decision to Leave,” has also been invited by Ampas this year.

Screenwriter Chung Seo-kyung [YONHAP]

Voting rights to the Academy Awards are given to the members who accepted the invitation to join the organization.

When all 398 actors, singers and producers accept their invitation, the total number of Ampas members will be increased to 10,817 members.

Actors Song Kang-ho, Choi Min-sik and directors Bong Joon-ho and Im Kwon-taek were the first Korean members to join the organization. More Korean producers and actors have been invited to the organization, including the crew members of “Parasite” (2019), such as Park So-dam and Cho Yeo-jeong, and Youn Yuh-jung, who received the Academy Award for best supporting actress in the film “Minari” (2020).

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]