HAPPINESS

About the cast

Hwang Jung-min

Hwang Jung-min plays Young-su, a playboy from the city who love booze, cigarettes and women, goes to a rural countryside sanatorium to recover from a fatal illness. He leaves his lifestyle and girlfriend behind and finds unexpected love when he meets Eun-hee at the clinic. With her help he goes through a physical and emotional transformation. Unlike many other women he’s known in the past Eun-hee has sweet and warm heart that he can rely on. With her help he quits smoking and drinking, and cleanses his body and mind. But it’s too hard for him to avoid the seductions of his past life and becomes irritatingly bored of the country life. As if right on cue friends from the city come for a visit, tipping him back to his former self.

From the naïve country man in You Are My Sunshine to the virgin detective in All For Love, and even brutal law enforcer in Bloody Tie, Hwang Jung-min transforms like a chameleon for each role and has been touted as one of Korea’s most talented male actors. He brought women to tears with his pure-hearted portrayal of Suk-joong in You Are My Sunshine, but expect another, completely different side of him as the playboy Young-su in HAPPINESS.

Selected Filmography
A Man Who Was Superman (“Superman i-eot-don sanai”), 2008, 102 min, feature filmBlack2007, 103 min, feature film
All for Love(“Naesaengae gajang areumdawun iljuil”), 2005, 129 min, feature film
Bloody Tie(“Sasaeng gyeoldan”), 2006, 115 min, feature film
You Are My Sunshine(“Neoneun nae unmyeong”), 2005, 121 min, feature film
A Bittersweet Life(“Dalkomhan insaeng”), 2005, 120 min, feature film2004 <Blood and Bones>
A Good Lawyer’s Wife(“Baramnan gajok”), 2003, 104 min, feature film
Road Movie(“Rodeu-mubi”), 2001, 115 min, feature film
Waikiki Brothers, 2000, 109 min, feature film

Lim Soo-jung

Lim Soo-jung plays Eun-hee, an earnest and compassionate young woman who has been living at the sanatorium for 8 years. Thought she looks frail and sick, she not only takes care of herself but cares for other patients. Being an orphan, she has nobody to watch out for her and her fellow patients become her only family. Her life makes an unexpected turn when she falls in love with Young-su(Hwang Jung-min) at the sanatorium. Despite her illness, she wants to love and be loved, have a chance to make happy memories just like other normal young women her age.

Lim Soo-jung made her debut in A Tale of Two Sisters, shedding new light on the Korean movie scene. With her girl-next-door looks and natural knack for acting, she has won hearts of many movie fans all over the nation. She swept up popularity for her role as Young-chae in the TV drama Sorry, I Love You, and has captured the hearts of many with Lump of Sugar, and holds high expectations for her appearance in famed director Park Chan-wook’s next film, I’m a Cyborg But That’s OK. With HAPPINESS, she’ll portray a mateur young woman and make an attempt to play a legitimate melodramatic role. Lim Soo-jung will surely become Korea’s top lead actress just like Lee Young-ae and Shim Eun-ha with the help of director Hur Jin-ho.

Filmography
I’m a Cyborg But That’s OK(“Saibogujiman kwenchana”), 2006, 105 min, feature film
Lump Sugar(“Gakseoltang”), 2006, 124 min, feature film
Sad Movie, 2005, 108 min, feature film
…ing, 2003, 110 min, feature film
A Tale of Two Sisters(“Janghwa, Hongryeon”), 2003, 120 min, feature film

About the Director

Hur Jin-ho

Born August, 1963 in Jeonju, Korea, director Hur Jin-ho studied philosophy at Yeonsei University in Seoul. Being able to capture the timelessly happy moments between lovers while vividly capturing emotional transformations in detail, director Hur Jin-ho has created a huge following in Korea and abroad with his extraordinary directing skills. Hur Jin-ho is also famous for capturing the actors in their most beautiful appearance with his breathtaking sense of visuals. With that, he has brought to life the best on-screen couples such as Han Seok-gyu and Shim Eun-ha, Lee Young-ae and Yoo Ji-tae, Bae Yong-joon and Son Ye-jin, and has solidly won the confidence and respect from many actors in the industry.

Filmogrphy
April Snow(“Oechul”), 2005, 105 min, feature film
-30th Toronto International Film Festival – Special Presentation
-53rd San Sebastian International Film Festival Official Selection
One Fine Spring Day(“Bomnaleun ganda”), 2001, 106 min, feature film
-22nd Blue Dragon Awards – Best Picture
-38th Baeksang Arts Awards – Best Director
-Tokyo International Film Festival
Christmas in August(“Palwolui Christmas”), 1998, 97 min, feature film
-34th Baeksang Arts Awards – Best Picture, Best New Director
-19th Blue Dragon Awards – Best Picture, Best New Director
-51st Cannes Film Festival – Out of Competition