Bumping and Grinding
A fearless director
Ryoo Seung-wan(December 15, 1973 – ) is a South Korean film director and film actor.
In 1996, he made his first short film, “Transmutated Head,” and later worked as a director under Park Chan-wook, and made his feature film debut in 2000 with “Dead or Bad”. In 2000, he won the Best New Director Award at the Cheongryong Film Festival and gained attention in the film industry.
Ryoo Seung-wan is known as Korea’s “Action Kid” for his unique style of capturing action and rough life, and has directed films such as 《Crying Fist》, 《The Unjust》, 《The Berlin Film》, 《Escape from Mogadishu》 and 《Smugglers》.
All that remains is for him to soar from the burden that weighs on his shoulders. Therefore, let us speak sparingly now. That he may be as light as a feather, and live his life with fun and joy. That he may perform the most rhythmic actions.
– Hwang Kyung-sin(Book/The True Colors of Ryoo Seung-wan p.367)
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DRAMA
Transmutated Head
– 1996 | Korea
– Drama Running Time: 19 minutes
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Starring: Shim Sang-wook, Lee Moo-young, Huh Jong-soo…
On what seems to be another peaceful morning, Seok-hwan heads to the mineral spring. An ominous gaze follows him as he jogs to the quiet spring. As expected, the peace is shattered when an extreme right-wing conservative and a religious fanatic suddenly appear before Seok-hwan and begin to exercise violence without reason. How will Seok-hwan survive this fight where compromise seems impossible?
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DRAMA
Gang Fight
– 1998 | South Korea
– Drama Running Time: 14 minutes
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
The story takes place in a pool hall located in an area between two schools – a commercial high school and a regular high school.
In this pool hall, controlled by regular high school students, two commercial high school students are playing pool. Hyun-soo, a regular high school student, enters and brags about beating up a commercial high school student earlier, provoking the commercial high school students. Just then, the beaten-up student enters the pool hall covered in blood, and a fight breaks out. The pool hall owner occasionally provides commentary on the situation, and what started as a minor dispute escalates into a fight where neither side is willing to back down.
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DRAMA
Modern Man
– 1999 | Korea
– Drama Running Time: 16 minutes
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
In an underground parking lot, Tae-hoon, a mid-level gang boss, encounters Seok-hwan, an undercover police officer. Only two men in the parking lot. They engage in a life-or-death battle.
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DRAMA
Die Bad
– Drama, Action | South Korea | 98 minutes
– Release Date: Jul. 15, 2000
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Starring: Ryoo Seung-wan (Seok-hwan), Park Seong-bin (Seong-bin), Ryoo Seung-bum (Sang-hwan), Bae Joong-sik (Tae-hoon), Kim Su-hyun (Hyun-soo) …
– Rating: R
– Structure: Part 1 – Gang Fight, Part 2 – Modern Man, Part 3 – Nightmare, Part 4 – Die Bad
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COMEDY, ACTION
Dachimawa Lee: Evil Men, Take The Express Train to Hell!
– Action | Korea | 99 minutes
– Release Date: Aug. 13, 2008
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Starring: Im Won-hee (Dachimawa Lee), Kong Hyo-jin (Geum-yeon-ja), Park Si-yeon (Mary), Hwang Bo-ra (Girl), Kim Byung-ok (Wang), Kim Su-hyun (Damanegi) …
– Rating: PG
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DRAMA
No Blood No Tears
– Action, Film Noir, Drama | South Korea | 120 minutes
– Release Date: Mar. 01, 2002
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Starring: Jeon Do-yeon (Soo-jin), Lee Hye-young (Kyung-sun) …
– Rating: R
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comedy / action / fantasy
Arahan
– Action, Comedy, Fantasy | South Korea | 114 minutes
– Release Date: Apr. 30, 2004
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Starring: Ryoo Seung-bum (Officer Sang-hwan), Yoon Soy (Eui-jin), Ahn Sung-ki (Ja-woon) …
– Rating: PG
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comedy / action
Crying Fist
– Action, Drama | South Korea | 134 minutes
– Release Date: Apr. 01, 2005
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Starring: Choi Min-sik (Kang Tae-sik), Ryoo Seung-bum (Yoo Sang-hwan) …
– Rating: PG-13
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DRAMA
Hey Man
– Omnibus Film | South Korea | 21/119 minutes
– Release Date: Jan. 12, 2006
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Starring: Kim Su-hyun (Woo-sik), Ahn Kil-kang (Jun-cheol), Lee Jeong-heon (Chang-soo), Kwon Hyeong-joon (Tae-oh), On Ju-wan (Employee) …
– Rating: PG
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DRAMA
The City of Violence
– Action | Korea | 92 minutes
– Release Date: May 25, 2006
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Starring: Ryoo Seung-wan (Yu Seok-hwan), Jung Doo-hong (Jung Tae-su), Lee Beom-soo (Jang Pil-ho) …
– Rating: R
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comedy / action
Dachimawa Lee
– Comedy, Action | South Korea | Short Film 35 minutes
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Starring: Im Won-hee, Lee Yoon-seong, Han Seung-hee …
– Rating: PG-13
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DRAMA
Timeless
– Action | South Korea | Short Film
– Release Date: 2009
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Starring: Kane Kosugi (Kane), Jung Doo-hong (Doo-hong) …
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CRIME / DRAMA
The Unjust
– Crime, Drama | Korea | 119 minutes
– Release Date: Oct. 28, 2010
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Starring: Hwang Jung-min (Choi Cheol-gi), Ryoo Seung-bum (Joo-yang), Yoo Hai-jin (Jang Seok-gu), Chun Ho-jin (Director Kang) …
– Rating: R
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documentary
MBC 50th Anniversary Special Project [Time] - "In Search of a Spy"
– Documentary | MBC, 2011
Director Ryoo Seung-wan was preparing an espionage movie for his next project, and together with journalist Joo Jin-woo, a self-proclaimed expert in finding people, he set out to find a North Korean agent who could serve as a model for the movie.
Will they succeed in their ‘Project to Find the Spy’? In the form of a “making-of” documentary, this film revisits the meaning of spies and agents that have permeated our lives for the past 50 years.
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ACTION / DRAMA
The Berlin File
– Action, Drama | Korea | 120 minutes
– Release Date: Jan. 31, 2013
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Production: Film R&K
– Starring: Ha Jung-woo (Pyo Jong-seong), Han Suk-kyu (Jung Jin-soo), Ryoo Seung-bum (Dong Myung-soo), Gianna Jun (Ryun Jung-hee) …
– Rating: PG-13
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drama
Mad Sad Bad: Ghost
– Drama | Korea | 44 minutes
– Release Date: May 15, 2014
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Starring: Lee Da-wit (Seung-ho), Park Jeong-min (Bizen/Bo-hyun), Sohn Su-hyun (Yeou-bi), Kim Dong-young (Yang A-ri), Ahn Kil-kang (Seung-ho’s Father) …
– Rating: R
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ACTION / DRAMA
Veteran
– Action, Drama | Korea | 123 minutes
– Release Date: Aug. 5, 2015
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Starring: Hwang Jung-min (Seo Do-cheol), Yoo Ah-in (Jo Tae-oh), Yoo Hai-jin (Chief Choi) …
– Rating: PG-13
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DRAMA
The Battleship Island
– Action, Drama | Korea | 132 minutes
– Release Date: Jul. 26, 2017
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Production: Film R&K
– Starring: Hwang Jung-min (Lee Gang-ok), So Ji-sub (Choi Chil-sung), Song Joong-ki (Park Moo-young) …
– Rating: PG-13
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Action / Drama
Escape from Mogadishu
– Drama | Korea | 121 minutes
– Release Date: Jul. 28, 2021
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Starring: Kim Yun-seok, Zo In-sung, Huh Joon-ho, Koo Kyo-hwan…
– Rating: PG-13
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crime
Smugglers
– Crime | Korea | 129 minutes
– Release Date: Jul. 26, 2023
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Starring: Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah, Zo In-sung, Park Jeong-min, Kim Jong-soo, Go Min-si, Kim Jae-hwa, Park Jun-myeon…
– Rating: PG-13
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action
I, The Executioner
– Action | Korea | 118 minutes
– Release Date: Sep. 13, 2024
– Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
– Starring: Hwang Jung-min, Jung Hae-in, Jang Yoon-ju, Jung Man-sik, Shin Seung-hwan…
– Rating: PG-13
Music Video
Commercial Film
- 2000. JTEL CelVic
- 2009. Motorola Moto Classic
- 2010. Hite Beer Max
- 2010. CJ ONE Membership Card
documentary
- 2011.06.23 MBC 50th Anniversary Special Project [Time] - "In Search of a Spy"
essay
actor
- 1997 《Trio》 Minor Role – Music Store Clerk
- 2000 《Die Bad》 Lead Role – Seok-whan
- 2002 《Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance》 Minor Role – Chinese Restaurant Delivery Person
- 2002 《Oasis》 Supporting Role – Hong Jong-sae
- 2005 《Lady Vengeance》 Cameo – Passerby
- 2006 《The City of Violence》 Lead Role – Seok-hwan
- 2008 《Dachimawa Lee》 Voice Actor – Narrator's Voice
- 2009 《Timeless》 Supporting Role – Himself
- 2010 《Battlefield Heroes》 Cameo – Special Forces Officer 1
- 2011 《Mama》 Cameo – Musical Director
- 2013 《Rough Play》 Special Appearance – Jeonju Film Festival VIP
- 2014 《Gyeongju》Minor Role – Mr. Kang
“Just do something,
Living is learning.”
I have no regrets, although I’m disappointed when I finish each movie.
I made it the best I could, and I’m going to use it to the best of my ability.
If I had a dream, it would be to have two strong legs so that I can stay in the field even when I am old.. (도서/The True Colors of Ryoo Seung-wan 中)
The opening sequence is one of the best I've seen in years. A great blend of action and narrative, at the forefront of Korean cinema.
Creative, dynamic and captivating. It's a must-see in the cinema with top-notch action and plenty of charm.
Top-notch director Ryu Seung-wan nails the action sequences and interspersed humour.
Stunning set pieces, a well-crafted story, social issues at its centre and a few visual gags that pay homage to Buster Keaton
Movie awards
He won the Best Film Award at the 1998 Busan Short Film Festival for his short film “Fighting,” and the same film was selected as the next selection for the Indie Forum 99 Film Village in 1999. Since then, he has won numerous awards at major film festivals, including five Cheongryong Film Awards for his most recent film, “Smugglers” in 2023.