Hong Sang-soo

Hong Sang-soo (; born 25 October 1960) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. His films often deal in love affairs and everyday dilemmas in contemporary South Korea. His work has been widely-acclaimed and received numerous international accolades.

Early life and education Hong's parents owned the film production company Cinetel Soul. Hong took the entrance exam and entered the theater department at Chung-Ang University. He then studied in the United States, where he received his bachelor's degree from the California College of Arts and Crafts and his master's at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Career Hong made his directorial debut in 1996 with The Day a Pig Fell into the Well. Woman is the Future of Man (2004) was his first film to screen in the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival. They are also regularly screened in non-competitive festivals, such as the New York Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.

Hong received the Prix Un Certain Regard at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival for Hahaha. In 2013, he won the Silver Leopard Award for Best Director for Our Sunhi, and, in 2015, the Golden Leopard for Right Now, Wrong Then, both at the Locarno Film Festival. Most recently, his 2020 film The Woman Who Ran won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, Introduction won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay, The Novelist's Film (2022) won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival, and A Traveler's Needs (2024) won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival.

In June 2018, Hong was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

In April 2025, Hong was announced as a member of the jury for Main Competition section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Filmmaking style Hong's films often treat themes of domestic realism, with many of the scenes set on residential streets, cafes, hotels, schools, and in the stairwells of apartment buildings. Hong also develops close relationships with the actors over alcohol and cigarettes and sometimes shoots scenes while the actors are intoxicated. thumb Hong and Kim Min-hee admitted to their affair at a press conference in Seoul in March 2017.

Hong's style has been compared to Eric Rohmer's, with some arguing that some of his films deliberately allude to Rohmer's, as well as Yasujirō Ozu.

Personal life In 1985, Hong married his wife and they had one daughter together. thumb In 2016, Hong was reported to be having an extramarital affair with actress Kim Min-hee, who had appeared in his 2015 film Right Now, Wrong Then. Hong admitted to the affair in March 2017, at the Seoul premiere of On the Beach at Night Alone. It was also reported that after he told his wife and daughter about his relationship with Kim, that he left their home in September of that year, He filed for divorce from his wife in December 2016, but the court rejected his request in June 2019, insisting that only the injured party, Hong's wife, could initiate a legal separation. On January 14, 2025, after Hong was seen accompanying Kim to an obstetrics clinic, it was reported by news outlets that Hong and Kim were expecting their first child. Kim later gave birth to a son on April 8, 2025.

Filmography Feature films Year English Title Original TitleAlso credited as Notes Producer ComposerEditorCinematographer 1996 The Day a Pig Fell into the Well돼지가 우물에 빠진 날 Premiere at the 1997 Berlin International Film Festival 1998 The Power of Kangwon Province강원도의 힘 International premiere at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival 2000 Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors 오! 수정 International premiere at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival 2002 On the Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate생활의 발견 International premiere at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival 2004 Woman Is the Future of Man 여자는 남자의 미래다 World premiere at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival 2005 Tale of Cinema 극장전 World premiere at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival 2006 Woman on the Beach 해변의 여인 International premiere at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival 2008 Night and Day 밤과 낮 World premiere at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival 2009 Like You Know It All 잘 알지도 못하면서 International premiere at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival 2010 Hahaha 하하하 World premiere at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival Oki's Movie옥희의 영화 World premiere at the 2010 Venice International Film Festival 2011 The Day He Arrives북촌 방향 World premiere at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival 2012 In Another Country다른 나라에서 World premiere at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival 2013 Nobody's Daughter Haewon누구의 딸도 아닌 해원 World premiere at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival Our Sunhi 우리 선희 World premiere at the 2013 Locarno Film Festival 2014 Hill of Freedom자유의 언덕 World premiere at the 2014 Venice International Film Festival 2015 Right Now, Wrong Then 지금은 맞고 그때는 틀리다 World premiere at the 2015 Locarno Film Festival 2016 Yourself and Yours 당신자신과 당신의] World premiere at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival 2017 On the Beach at Night Alone 밤의 해변에서 혼자 World premiere at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival Claire's CameraLa caméra de Claire World premiere at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival The Day After그 후 World premiere at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival 2018 Grass풀잎들 World premiere at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival Hotel by the River강변 호텔 World premiere at the 2018 Locarno Film Festival 2020 The Woman Who Ran도망친 여자 World premiere at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival 2021 Introduction인트로덕션 World premiere at the 2021 Berlin International Film Festival In Front of Your Face당신 얼굴 앞에서 World premiere at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival 2022 The Novelist's Film소설가의 영화 World premiere at the 2022 Berlin International Film Festival Walk Up탑 World premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival 2023 In Water물안에서 World premiere at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival In Our Day우리의 하루 World premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival 2024A Traveler's Needs 여행자의 필요 World premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival By the Stream 수유천 World premiere at the 77th Locarno Film Festival 2025 What Does That Nature Say to You 그 자연이 네게 뭐라고 하니 World premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival 2026 The Day She Returns 그녀가 돌아온 날 World premiere at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival Nowhere to Lay My Eyes눈둘데가 없네 World premiere at the 79th Locarno Film Festival

Short films Year English TitleAlso credited as Producer Cinematographer Editor 2009 Lost in the Mountains (Jeonju Digital Project: Visitors) 2011 List 2013 50:50 (Venice 70: Future Reloaded)2021 Hong Sangsoo — Winner of the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay Letter to the New York Film Festival 2022 Small Flower 2023 Another Letter to New York Film Festival

Accolades Korean awards 1996 - 17th Blue Dragon Film Awards: Best New Director for The Day a Pig Fell into the Well 1996 - 16th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards: Best New Director for The Day a Pig Fell into the Well 1998 - 19th Blue Dragon Film Awards: Best Director; Best Screenplay for The Power of Kangwon Province 2000 - 1st Busan Film Critics Awards: Best Screenplay for Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors 2006 - 9th Director's Cut Awards: Best Director for Woman on the Beach 2008 - 28th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards: Best Screenplay for Night and Day 2010 - 19th Buil Film Awards: Best Director for Hahaha 2013 - 14th Busan Film Critics Awards: Special Jury Prize for Our Sunhi 2014 - 23rd Buil Film Awards: Best Director for Our Sunhi 2015 - 2nd Wildflower Film Awards: Best Director, Narrative Films for Hill of Freedom 2017 - Busan Film Critics Awards: Grand Prize for On the Beach at Night Alone 2017 - Busan Film Critics Awards: Grand Prize for The Day After 2018 - 5th Wildflower Film Awards: Best Director, Narrative Films for The Day After 2022 - Busan Film Critics Awards: Grand Prize for In Front of Your Face 2023 - 24th Busan Film Critics Awards: Special Jury Prize for Walk Up

International awards 1996 - 15th Vancouver International Film Festival: Dragons and Tigers Award for The Day a Pig Fell into the Well 1997 - 42nd Asia Pacific Film Festival: Best New Director for The Day a Pig Fell into the Well 1997 - International Film Festival Rotterdam: Tiger Award for The Day a Pig Fell into the Well 1999 - Singapore International Film Festival: NETPAC-FIPRESCI Special Mention for The Power of Kangwon Province 1999 - Santa Barbara International Film Festival: Burning Vision Award for The Power of Kangwon Province 2000 - 45th Asia Pacific Film Festival: Best Screenplay for Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors 2000 - 13th Tokyo International Film Festival: Special Jury Prize for Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors 2002 - 47th Asia Pacific Film Festival: Best Director for On the Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate 2003 - Seattle International Film Festival: Emerging Masters Showcase Award 2007 - 22nd Mar del Plata International Film Festival: Best Director for Woman on the Beach 2010 - 63rd Cannes Film Festival: Prix Un Certain Regard for Hahaha 2011 - 40th International Film Festival Rotterdam: Return of the Tiger Award for Oki's Movie 2013 - 66th Locarno International Film Festival: Best Director for Our Sunhi 2015 - 68th Locarno International Film Festival: Golden Leopard for Right Now, Wrong Then 2016 - 64th San Sebastián International Film Festival: Best Director for Yourself and Yours 2017 - Jerusalem Film Festival: Best International Film for On the Beach at Night Alone 2017 - LA Film Festival: World Fiction Award for On the Beach at Night Alone 2018 - Gijón International Film Festival: Winner for Hotel by the River 2018 - Gijón International Film Festival: Best Screenplay for Hotel by the River 2020 - 70th Berlin International Film Festival: Silver Bear for Best Director for The Woman Who Ran 2021 - 71st Berlin International Film Festival: Silver Bear for Best Screenplay for Introduction 2021 - Gijón International Film Festival: Special Jury Award for In Front of Your Face 2022 - 72nd Berlin International Film Festival: Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize for The Novelist's Film 2024 - 74th Berlin International Film Festival: Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize for A Traveler's Needs 2026 - 79th Locarno Film Festival: Pardo for Best Direction for Nowhere to Lay My Eyes

State honors Name of the Country Year Awarded Name of the Honor South Korea 2011 Presidential Commendation

Frequent collaborators Collaborator Total The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well The Power of Kangwon Province Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors On the Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate Woman Is the Future of Man Tale of Cinema Woman on the Beach Night and Day Like You Know It All Visitors Hahaha Oki's Movie The Day He Arrives In Another Country Nobody's Daughter Haewon Our Sunhi Hill of Freedom Right Now, Wrong Then Yourself and Yours Claire's Camera On the Beach at Night Alone The Day After Grass Hotel by the River The Woman Who Ran In Front of Your Face Introduction The Novelist's Film Walk Up In Our Day In Water A Traveler's Needs By the Stream What Does That Nature Say to You The Day She Returns Sung-Won Hahm 16 Yong-jin Jeong 13 Kim Min-hee 12 Kwon Hae-hyo 12 Hong-yeol Park 9 Hyung Koo Kim 9 Cho-hee Kim 8 Gi Ju-bong 8 Song Seon-mi 8 Yoo Joon-sang 8 Ha Seong-guk 7 Cho Yun-hee 6 Moon Sung-keun 6 Park Mi-so 6 Seo Young-hwa 6 Kim Eui-sung 5 Ye Ji-won 5 Ahn Jae-hong 4 Jung Yu-mi 4 Lee Hye-yeong 4 Lee Sun-kyun 4 Shin Seok-ho 4 Youn Yuh-jung 4 Go Hyun-jung 3 Han Jae-yi 3 Isabelle Huppert 3 Jeong Jae-yeong 3 Kim Sae-byeok 3 Kim Sang-kyung 3 Kim Seung-yun 3 Kim Tae-woo 3 Kim Young-ho 3 Moon So-ri 3 Yeon-ji Son 3