As a member of an elite North Korean investigation team, Im Cheol-ryung (Hyun Bin) is called to a counterfeit printing facility only to discovery treachery in his team's own ranks. When the dust settles, Im is recovering but his government is about to send him on an unprecedented mission: team up with South Korean forces to track down Cha Ki-seong (Kim Joo-hyuk), Im's former supervisor who has fled to the South with the master printing plates. Im has only three days to complete his mission, but South Korean officials have their doubts about Im as well as Cha's culpability. Detective Kang Jin-tae (Yoo Hae-jin) from Seoul is ordered to keep a close eye on the whole operation, lest things go horribly wrong. Director Kim Sung-hoon's 2017 action thriller Confidential Assignment offered an original twist on North-South politics in Korea, and went on to earn its stellar cast awards for Best Supporting Actor (Kim Joo-hyuk) and Most Popular Actress (Yoona), among others. Free with an RSVP! Complimentary snacks. In Korean with English subtitles. 125 Minutes. Confidential Assignment (공조) Wednesday, August 27, 6:00 PM  Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW) RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!

Hyung-Wook (Yu Hae-Jin) is a charismatic contract killer with a perfect record whose epic bathhouse slip has him being taken to the hospital by paramedics, including the lovely Ri-Na (Jo Yoon-Hee). Struggling actor Jae-Sung (Lee Joon), who can't even pay his rent, witnesses the slick-dressed hit man take a fall -- on a whim, he switches their locker keys, and as a result, entire identities. Hyung-Wook wakes up with no memory of his deadly past, and learns that he is...a broke actor named Jae-Sung? Both men try to embrace their new lives, to hilarious effect. Director Lee Gye-byeok's hit comedy Luck-Key (2016) gave veteran character actor Yu Hae-jin a chance to play the lead, earning him nominations for Best Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards and Chunsa Film Art Awards and the top prize from the University Film Festival of Korea. Free with an RSVP! Complimentary snacks. In Korean with English subtitles. 112 minutes.  LUCK-KEY (럭키)  Wednesday, August 13, 6:00 PM  Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW) RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!

The Korea Times is inviting translators from around the world to participate in the 56th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards. Since 1970, The Korea Times has been dedicated to recognizing excellence in literary translation and promoting Korean literature to a global readership through this annual competition. Many of the leading translators and scholars working in the field today began their careers as winners of the Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards, and The Korea Times looks forward to ushering in a new generation of skilled translators in the years to come. The annual competition awards English translations of works of contemporary Korean literature in two categories: fiction/drama and poetry. Prize • Grand Prize in Fiction/Drama: 7 million won • Grand Prize in Poetry: 4 million won • Commendation Awards: 2 million won each to entries in either fiction/drama or poetry • Kevin O'Rourke Award: 1 million won to an entry in either fiction/drama or poetry Submission guidelines Applicants may submit a translation of 1) a work of fiction or drama or 2) 10 poems by the same poet. Applicants should submit only one entry in either category. • Fiction/Drama Candidates should submit an English translation of one work of fiction (a novel, novella or short story) or a play. The first publication date of the original Korean work should be 1980 or later. Longer works will not automatically be given preference, although some credit will be given for the additional effort involved. A translation of one portion of a long novel will be considered on the condition that it presents at least a third of the complete novel and the translator plans to translate the entire work. • Poetry Candidates should submit English translations of 10 poems, all by the same poet. The original poems should have been first published in or after 1980. General rules Translations should be sent before Aug. 31, 2025, as email attachments in PDF format to ktimes.translation@gmail.com with the subject “The Korea Times Translation Awards.” See here for more details.

As a former gangster who left behind a rough past, Dong-chul (Ma Dong-seok) now leads an honest life working at the fish market. But when his wife Ji-soo (Song Ji-hyo) is suddenly abducted without a trace, Dong-chul must take matters into his own hands after receiving a chilling phone call. The criminal predators are about to become the prey when they realize that this particular target with a past and a vengeance is unstoppable. Director Kim Min-ho's 2018 action/crime thriller Unstoppable wowed audiences with its compelling cast, debuting at No. 1 at the box office in Korea and going on to further success with international audiences.  Free with an RSVP! Complimentary snacks. In Korean with English subtitles. 115 minutes.  Unstoppable (성난황소) Wednesday, July 16, 6:00 PM  Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW) RSVP HERE!

Much like a hummingbird, 14-year-old Eun-hee (Park Ji-hu) is small yet intensely alive, her senses wide open to the vast and unknowable world that lies ahead. She quietly navigates the uncertainties of adolescence, fleeting romance, and changing times. Through her curious gaze, one is drawn back to a pivotal moment in Korean history that shaped a generation: the tragic 1994 collapse of Seoul’s Seongsu Bridge. Director Bo-ra Kim’s Berlinale prize-winning 2019 debut was a huge critical and commercial success in Korea and abroad.  Free with an RSVP! Complimentary snacks. In Korean with English subtitles. 138 minutes.  House of Hummingbird (벌새)  Wednesday, July 2, 6:00 PM Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW) RSVP HERE!