Kang Hye-jung (filmmaker)

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In this Korean name, the family name is Kang.
For the South Korean actress, see Kang Hye-jung.

Kang Hye-jung
강혜정
Born1970 (age 53–54)
South Korea
OccupationFilmmaker
Years active1995–present
EmployerFilmmaker R&K
Spouse
​
(m. 1998)​
Children3
RelativesRyoo Seung-bum (Brother in law)
Korean name
Hangul
Revised RomanizationGang Hye-jeong
McCune–ReischauerKang Hyechŏng

Kang Hye-jung (강혜정; born 1970) is a South Korean filmmaker and entertaintment executive. She is CEO of film production house company Filmmaker R&K. It was established in 2005 with director Ryoo Seung-wan. Their notable work mostly directed by Ryoo Seung-wan such as Veteran (2015), The Battleship Island (2017), Escape from Mogadishu (2021) and Smugglers (2023). As well as project from other directors such as Exit (2019), Hostage: Missing Celebrity (2021).

Early life[edit]

Kang Hye-jung was born in 1970. Her parents wanted her to become a teacher. So She enrolled to Department of Home Economics Education at Korea University. When Kang was in college, she had no interest in the film club on campus, so she never dreamed that she would work in film. After graduating in February 1993 and working as a teacher for a while, Kang gradually realized that teaching was not the right path for her.[1] [2]

Career[edit]

Early career[edit]

In May 1993, Kang stumbled upon a notice for a film workshop at the Independent Film Council. Intrigued, she paid the 300,000 won tuition fee and joined the 5th batch, embarking on a three-month journey into the world of filmmaking. During this time, she met Ryoo Seung-wan, a former student from the 3rd batch who was now an assistant instructor at the workshop. Their relationship evolved romantically as they collaborated on her workshop film project.[3][4][5][6]

From 1993 to 1995, Kang worked as a tutor and also tutored Ryoo Seung-beom while he was still in middle school. In 1995, she joined a film company in Chungmuro, where she started working on film planning, promotion, and marketing. She was part of the production department for Lim Jong-jae's film Kill the Love.[1] In 1996, Kang invested her own savings in director Ryoo Seung-wan's short film debut, "Transmutated Head." At that time, she was the youngest member of the production department, while director Ryoo Seung-wan was the youngest in the directing field.[2][5]

In 1995, Kang worked at a film promotion company called "Movie Room" where she focused on promoting foreign films. In 1997, She joined the film company Cinema Service during the production of of Two Cops 3 [ko].[2][6]

In 2000, Kang joined Good Movies Co., Ltd. where she worked closely with co-CEO and film producer Kim Mi-hee [ko], inspiring her to pursue a career as a film producer.[3] Kang was doing film planning, publicity, and marketing. While at the company, Kang was also involved in the marketing of director Ryoo Seung-wan's film No Blood No Tears, but she chose not to handle its promotion directly. Kang believed it was a strategic move to delegate the promotion to someone who could offer a neutral perspective.[2][7]

As Producer and CEO of Filmmaker R&K[edit]

In 2005, when Kang became pregnant with her third child, she decided to resign from her job. In that same year, Kang and Ryoo Seung-wan used the bonus from the film Arahan as capital to establish their own film company.[8] They named the company Oeyunaegang (Korean: 외유내강; Hanja: 外柔內剛; RR: Oeyunaegang) with Filmmaker R&K as their official English name, derived from their surnames. The name was actually created when they collaborated on their first short film in 1996. The Chinese characters "外柔內剛" literally translate to "soft on the outside, strong on the inside." This phrase also symbolizes that Ryoo serves as the external face of the company, while Kang takes on the role of an internal leader. Kang has been the CEO since the company's establishment.[9][10] While director Ryoo Seung-wan focused on directing movies, Kang took charge of the overall production aspects.[4]

After giving birth, Kang produced Filmmaker R&K's first film, The City of Violence (2006), a South Korean action thriller film co-written and directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, who stars in the film alongside action director and longtime collaborator Jung Doo-hong.[11][12][13][14]

Kang's second film, Dachimawa Lee was released in South Korea on August 13, 2008, and was ranked fourth at the box office in its opening weekend with 233,251 admissions.[15] By September 7, 2008, it had received a total of 629,591 admissions, and by September 14, 2008, had grossed a total of US$3,715,997.[16]

Kang's return to success with The Unjust, received critical acclaim for its gripping narrative, action scenes, social commentary, and stellar performances by Hwang Jung-min and Ryoo Seung-beom. It was a box office hit, selling over 2.7 million tickets and ranking in the top ten for year.[17][18]

Kang then produced The Berlin File, written and directed by Ryoo Seung-wan. This espionage thriller follows a North Korean spy betrayed during a weapons deal. To prepare for the film, Ryoo Seung-wan met with North Korean defectors and filmed the documentary *Spies* for Korean broadcaster MBC.[19] The film, shot in Europe, focuses on South Korean agents uncovering North Korea's secrets and explores the emotional toll of espionage. Despite becoming the highest-grossing Korean action film, attracting 13.41 million viewers. It barely broke even due to its high budget of 5.9 billion won. This experience led them to recognize the need to target younger audiences and make more cost-effective films in the future.[20][21]

In 2015, Kang served as a producer for the action film *Veteran*, again written and directed by Ryoo Seung-wan. The film tells the story of a ruthless third-generation business tycoon pursued by a detective investigating a truck driver's mysterious injuries. Despite its modest budget of ₩6 billion, *Veteran* became a huge success in the South Korean box office, with 13.3 million admissions and earning US$89.7 million. It stands as the biggest hit of Kang's career and ranks as the 5th all-time highest-grossing film in Korean cinema history.[22] The film brought Kang significant success and established her reputation as one of the leading female film producers in her 40s.[23]

Their next project was together The Battleship Island, set on Hashima Island, an outlying island abandoned by Japan off the coast of Nagasaki, where countless Koreans were drafted into forced labor during World War II. The film follows a group of American OSS agents and Korean independence fighters on a mission to evacuate a key Korean figure from the island.[24] The film's total production cost was 25 billion won.[7]

Initially, Filmmaker R&K primarily focused on producing director Ryoo Seung-wan's films. However, over time, the company has expanded its efforts to discover new directors.[25][26] In 2017, Filmmaker R&K established a joint production system with Film K starting with The Battleship Island. Followed by On Your Wedding Day and Svaha: The Sixth Finger.[27]

Also in 2019, filmmaker R&K released the action comedy film Exit, written and directed by Lee Sang-geun as his first feature film debut, and starring Jo Jong-suk and Im Yoon-ah.[28] Exit also marks Im Yoon-ah's first leading role in a film and is also the second film in her acting career after appearing as a supporting role in Confidential Assignment in 2017.[29] The story follows a man trying to reconnect with an old crush, but they end up fleeing from a mysterious gas threatening Seoul district. Exit first premiered in South Korea on July 31, 2019.[30] It was South Korea's third most-watched domestic film of the year, as it sold more than 9.4 million admissions domestically. It was also a worldwide box office success, earning over US$69.5 million.[31][32]

Due to commercial success of Svaha: The Sixth Finger and Exit, Kang won the 'Female Filmmaker of the Year' award at The 2019 Women's Film Festival, hosted by by the Women Filmmakers Association.[33][34][35]

In 2021, director Ryoo Seung-wan's Escape from Mogadishu and Hwang Jung-min's Hostage, which were released in July and August, were released one after another at three-week intervals as works produced by Filmmaker R&K.[26]

Personal life[edit]

After graduating from college in February 1993, Kang learned filmmaking at the Independent Film Council workshop for three months starting in May of that year. She met Ryoo Seung-wan, who was working as a workshop assistant, and they started dating after collaborating on a movie project.[4] In 1997, Kang Hye-jung married Ryoo Seung-wan after 4 years of dating. They have three children together. As of 2017, their eldest daughter is in the third grade of high school, while their two sons are in the second grade of middle school and the sixth grade of elementary school.[2]

Filmography[edit]

For Kang's works with Filmmaker R&K, see Filmmaker R&K § Filmography.

Short[edit]

Short film credits
Year Title Director Credited as Note Ref.
English Korean
1996 Sutda 섰다 - 디지털 단편 옴니버스 프로젝트 이공(異共) Kim Eui-suk PD [36]

Feature film[edit]

Feature film credits
Year Title Director Credited as Ref.
English Korean Marketing Production Department Other crew
1997 Blackjack 블랙잭 Chung Ji-young Production Department [37]
1998 Two Cops III 투캅스 3 Kim Sang-jin Other crew [38]
1998 Too Tired to Die 투 타이어드 투 다이 Chin Won-suk Marketing [39]
1999 The Ring Virus 링(링 바이러스) Kim Dong-bin Marketing [40]
1999 Rainbow Trout 송어 Park Jong-won Production Department [41]
2000 General Hospital, The Movie: 1000 Days 종합병원(천일동안) Choi Youn-seok Marketing NA [42]
2001 Last Present 선물 Oh Ki-hwan Marketing NA [43]
2001 Kick the Moon 신라의 달밤 Kim Sang-jin Marketing NA [44]
2002 Ardor 밀애 Byun Young-joo Production Department [45]
2002 No Blood No Tears 피도 눈물도 없이 Ryoo Seung-wan Marketing NA [46]
2002 Fun Movie 재밌는 영화 Jang Kyu-sung Marketing NA [47]
2004 He Was Cool 그놈은 멋있었다 Lee Hwan-kyung Marketing NA [48]
2004 Flying Boys 발레교습소 Byun Young-joo Production Department [49]

Accolades[edit]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Award Year Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
55th Baeksang Arts Awards 2019 Best Film Svaha: The Sixth Finger Nominated [50]
56th Baeksang Arts Awards 2020 Best Film Exit Nominated [51][52]
40th Blue Dragon Film Awards 2019 Best Picture Nominated [53]
[54]
[55]
22nd Far East Film Festival 2020 White Mulberry Award as Best First Film Won [56]
56th Grand Bell Awards Best Planning Nominated [57][58]
39th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards 2019 Critics' Top 10 Won [59]
2019 Women's Filmmaker of the Year Award Filmmaker Award Kang Hye-jeong
for Svaha: The Sixth Finger and Exit 		Won [60]

State honors[edit]

Name of country, year given, and name of honor
Country Award Ceremony Year Honor Ref.
South Korea 7th Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards[note 1] 2017 Prime Minister's Commendation [61][62]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Honors are given at the Korean Content Awards (대한민국 콘텐츠 대상) arranged by the Korea Creative Content Agency and hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The 2022 Korea Content Awards Ceremony , which started in 2009 and celebrated its 14th this year, aims to inspire pride in the content industry and develop the Korean cultural content industry by discovering and awarding contributors and excellent content that have contributed to the development of the content industry in 2022. It is a place to promote. The winners (works) of honor, which are recommended through the website of the Korea Creative Content Agency (www.kocca.kr) and announced through careful examination by experts and three-step verification, play a leading role in shining the Korean content industry in the world.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "강혜정 외유내강 대표" [Kang Hye-jung, CEO of Filmmaker R&K]. Dong-A Ilbo via Naver (in Korean). Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e Kim, Si-kyun (August 2, 2017). ""영화로 자주 다퉈도 서로에게 버팀목 아이가 셋이라 각방 쓸 공간 없어요"" ["Even if we often arressed about movies, there is no room for each room because there are three children who support each other."]. entertain.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "국민대학교 웹진 uniK[vol.32] :: [멘토데이트II] 영화사 외유내강 대표, 베를린 제작 영화제작자 강혜정" [Kookmin University Webzine uniK[vol.32] :: [Mento Date II] CEO of the film company Oeyu Nae Kang, filmmaker Kang Hye-jung, producer in Berlin]. webzine.kookmin.ac.kr (in Korean). Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Kang Min-jung. "최동훈·안수현, 류승완·강혜정..'암살'·'베테랑'이 터트린 부부의 잭팟" [Choi Dong-hoon, Ahn Soo-hyun, Ryu Seung-wan, Kang Hye-jung..' The couple's jackpot exploded by the 'Assassination' and 'Veteran']. entertain.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "외유내강! 우리는 영원한 '짝패'부부^^". 스포츠한국 (in Korean). May 17, 2006. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "강혜정 외유내강 대표" [Kang Hye-jung, CEO of Oe-yu-nae-gang]. Women's DongA (in Korean). August 24, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Kim, Hee-sun (August 15, 2017). "올여름 스크린 주름잡는 여성 영화제작자 3인방" [Three female filmmakers wreaping screens this summer]. m.entertain.naver.com. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  8. ^ "[인터뷰] '군함도' 류승완 감독♥강혜정 제작사 대표, 그들이 부부로 사는 법". 스포츠동아 (in Korean). August 7, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  9. ^ Kim, Jin-sun (September 20, 2015). "[M+영화愛人] 외유내강 강혜정 대표 "영화요? 가장 사랑하는 일이자 직업이죠"" [[M+Movie lover] Kang Hye-jung, CEO of Oeyunaegang, "A movie? It's my favourite job and job."]. entertain.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  10. ^ Kwon, Nam-young (December 24, 2019). "올해 빛낸 외유내강 강혜정 대표 "조건에 굴하지 않는 삶" [인터뷰]" [Kang Hye-jung, CEO of the Filmmaker R&K that shined this year, "A life that does not give in to conditions" [Interview]]. entertain.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  11. ^ "시사회 - PRESS SCREENING: 짝패 (The City of Violence)". Twitch Film. May 10, 2006. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  12. ^ Lee, Hoo-nam; Lee, Min-a (May 15, 2006). "Film noir showcases duo's martial arts skills". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  13. ^ "A Trip Inside The City of Violence: Ryu Seung-Wan and Jung Doo-Hong Talk 짝패". Twitch Film. May 27, 2006. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  14. ^ Kim, Kyu Hyun (February 5, 2008). "City of Violence: Lean and Mean". OhmyNews International. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  15. ^ ""Korean Box Office (Week-end 2008.08.15 ~ 2008.08.17)". Hancinema. Retrieved November 26, 2008.
  16. ^ "South Korea Box Office September 12–14, 2008". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 26, 2008.
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  18. ^ Lee, Ji-hye (November 18, 2010). "INTERVIEW: Director Ryoo Seung-wan - Part 2". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  19. ^ Ju, Sung-chul (November 9, 2011). "Four leading Korean directors working on overseas projects". Korea Cinema Today. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  20. ^ "The Berlin File Becomes Korea's Top Action Movie". The Chosun Ilbo. March 5, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
  21. ^ Frater, Patrick (October 2, 2015). "Busan: Ryoo Seung-wan Lines up Sequels to Veteran and The Berlin File". Variety. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  22. ^ "Veteran Keeps Setting New Records". The Chosun Ilbo. October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  23. ^ "[천만 '베테랑'] 안수현 강혜정 김무령 이유진 심보경...2세대 여성제작자 시대". 스포츠Q(큐) (in Korean). August 29, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  24. ^ Lim, Jeong-yeo (September 30, 2015). "Gunhamdo, director Ryoo's next film, to begin shooting next summer". The Korea Herald. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
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  26. ^ a b Kang, Ae-ran (August 31, 2021). "강혜정 대표 "'모가디슈'·'인질' 어렵게 개봉…코끝이 찡해요"" [CEO Kang Hye-jeong "The difficult release of 'Mogadishu' and 'Hostage'... It makes my nose tingle."]. 연합뉴스 (in Korean). Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  27. ^ "강혜정 외유내강 대표, "'내 영화가 특별하다'는 거품은 완전히 빠졌다"" [Kang Hye-jung, CEO of Oeyu, "The bubble of 'my movie is special' has completely disappeared"]. 씨네21 (in Korean). April 25, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  28. ^ "Movie Review: Cho Jung-Seok & Yoona Try To Outrun Poison Gas In Entertaining Action-Comedy Exit". TODAYonline. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
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  31. ^ Noh, Jean (February 19, 2020). "Korea's box office broke records in 2019, but was also more skewed towards big movies". Screen. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
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  35. ^ "`엑시트` 제작자 강혜정 씨, 올해의 여성영화인상" ['Exit' producer Kang Hye-jung, the female filmmaker of the year award]. ZUM 뉴스 (in Korean). December 11, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
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  43. ^ "KMDb - Last Present (Seonmul)". Korean Movie Database. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  44. ^ "KMDb - Kick the Moon (Silaui Dalbam)". Korean Movie Database. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  45. ^ "KMDb - Ardor (Milae)". Korean Movie Database. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
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  47. ^ "KMDb - Fun Movie (Jaemit-neun Younghwa)". Korean Movie Database. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  48. ^ "KMDb - He Was Cool (Geunom-eun Meosiseotda)". Korean Movie Database. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  49. ^ "KMDb - Flying Boys (Ballegyoseupso)". Korean Movie Database. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
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External links[edit]

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