Lim Seung-yong

Syd Lim, also credited in eastern name order as Im Seung-yong (; Born October 20, 1970), is a South Korean film actor, planner, and producer.

Lim started his filmmaking career at Walt Disney, where he worked for two and a half years in the fields of film distribution, marketing, and copyright management. Afterward, he joined Bear Entertainment, marking his producing debut with film Humanist (2001). In 2003, he established SIO Film. Then, in 2009, Lim sold SIO Film to Barunson E&A and joined the company, assuming the dual roles of CEO of SIO Film and Vice President (head of Barunson's film division).

In 2012, Syd Lim established Yong Film.

Early life and education Lim developed an interest in cinema during high school, specifically citing the influence of the MBC's film program.

Lim graduated from Yonsei University with a degree in Korean Language and Literature. He chose to renounce his U.S. green card to complete his mandatory military service in South Korea, serving a term of two years and two months. The narrative incorporates elements of romantic mystery and fantasy, and was adapted from the French novel Le Souligneur (The Underliner) by .

After a junior colleague recommended the manga Old Boy by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi, Lim acted quickly. He pitched the project to director Park Chan-wook and secured actor Choi Min-sik before flying to Japan. Within two weeks of discovering the source material, Lim obtained the film rights from Futabasha. He finalized the primary production agreement just two days later. As general producer, Lim managed every phase of the project, from storywriting and filming to international scheduling. He built the production team around long-term collaborators, including screenwriter Hwang Jo-yoon, a classmate of eight years, and director Park Chan-wook. and is recognized as an influential cult classic. The film earned widespread critical acclaim for its story and technical direction. Its single-shot action sequence remains one of its most praised features.

SIO Film and Barunson (2003–2011) The success of Oldboy brought Korean cinema to the attention of film enthusiasts worldwide, leading Lim to establish his own film production company, Sio Film . The production company was already registered as a corporation. Lim had plans to change his title to CEO from the next work. However, Lim continued working as a producer until his next project. He considered the science fiction genre and aimed to create a company that could consistently produce two or three films a year.

SIO Film made its debut in film production with founding work Crying Fist (2005), directed by Ryoo Seung-wan. It was the first Korean film to receive permission to film inside a prison. With a net production cost of 3.9 billion won, it was co-produced with T Film and Bravo Entertainment. The film was showcased in Directors' Fortnight section of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. The film garnered a total of 1,728,477 admissions nationwide.

Lim proceeded to produce (2005), Project Makeover (2006), and Big Bang (2007). However these films received a lukewarm response from audiences.

Then, in 2009, Lim made the decision to sell Sio Film to Barunson E&A and joined the company, assuming the dual roles of CEO of Sio Film and Vice President (head of Barunson's film division).

Lim's first project in his dual roles at Barunson was Director Jeong Yong-ki's . The film centers around a modern-day family of robbers, comprising Hong Moo-hyuk (Lee Beom-soo), a high school music teacher and the 18th-generation descendant of Hong Gil-dong, his father Hong Man-seok (Park In-hwan), his mother Seok Myeong-ae (Kim Ja-ok), and his younger brother Hong Chan-hyuk (Jang Ki-bum). Other key characters include Hong Moo-hyuk's lover Song Yeon-hwa (Lee Si-young), prosecutor Song Jae-pil (Sung Dong-il), and detective Lee Jeong-min (Kim Su-ro).

It was followed by The Servant, a 2010 South Korean historical romantic drama directed and written by Kim Dae-woo. Starring Kim Joo-hyuk, Jo Yeo-jeong and Ryoo Seung-bum, the film offers a unique perspective on the renowned Korean folktale Chunhyangjeon by narrating the story from the viewpoint of Lee Mong-ryong's servant, the male protagonist. The film surpassed 1 million viewers within a week of its release, and then surpassed 2 million within 17 days. Despite the June 2nd local elections and the South Africa World Cup, the film achieved great success at the box office, attracting a total of 3,014,523 viewers.

Lim once again collaborated with Kim Joo-hyuk in the 2011 film Couples. Directed by Jeong Yong-ki, Couples is a romantic comedy film that serves as a remake of Kenji Uchida's 2005 Japanese film A Stranger of Mine. The screenplay for the movie was adapted by Lee Gae-byok. The film features an ensemble cast including Kim Joo-hyuk, Lee Yoon-ji, Lee Si-young, Oh Jeong-se, and Gong Hyeong-jin. Notably, this movie marks the screen debut of Lee Yoon-ji who had previously worked in theater. The production of Couples were led by producer duo, Seo Woo-sik and Syd Lim.

Yong film In August 2012, Lim established the film production company Yong Film ((주)용필름). The company's motto, "Crazy, Story, Imagination," is displayed beneath its logo. To define the studio's identity, Lim collaborated with three directors to select words that represented their shared workplace. Park Chan-wook chose "Crazy" to capture the essence of chaos and passion. Jung Ji-woo reflecting the company's emphasis on narrative development and its collaborative process with directors. Finally, director Baik proposed "Imagination," which resonated with Lim's preference for films that stimulate the viewer's mind rather than relying solely on realism. Baik, a close associate of Lim, noted that these three terms collectively align with the producer's creative philosophy. Together, these phrases signify Yong Film's commitment to these qualities in its future productions.

First work of Yong Film was the action thriller film The Target. This movie is a remake of Fred Cavayé's 2010 French film Point Blank. Initially, Jeon Jae-hong was slated to direct the project, but ultimately, it was handed over to Yoon Hong-seung (who also goes by the pseudonym Chang). The screenplay was penned by writer Jeon Cheol-hong. Co-produced by Barunson, the film later secured a production and supply contract with a budget of approximately 4.2 billion won, in collaboration with CJ E&M. The partnership between the two companies stipulated a 20% share of the net profit upon its realization. It was released on April 30, 2014, and despite placing third at the box office, it had a solid opening, behind The Fatal Encounter (another Korean film released on the same day) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. In its first week, The Target attracted 1.35 million admissions and earned ₩6.63 billion (US$6.46 million), capturing a market share of 21.5%. On its second week, the film rose to second place at the box office, accumulating a total of over 2 million admissions from 716 screens nationwide.

Lim and Baik met for the first time while working on Oldboy, where Lim served as a producer and Baik handled the title design. Despite a long-standing friendship, they had not previously discussed collaborating on a film. After viewing the 2012 American social film The Beauty Inside, Baik recommended it to Lim. Lim subsequently contacted Baik to offer him the opportunity to direct a Korean adaptation. Although initially hesitant, Baik accepted the offer due to the project's unique subject matter. The film marked Baik's feature film debut following a career in commercial directing.

The Beauty Inside is a romantic comedy centered on Woo-jin, a man who wakes up in a different body every day. Only his mother, Moon-sook, and his friend, Sang-baek, portrayed by Lee Dong-hwi, are aware of his condition. The plot follows Woo-jin as he falls in love with Lee Soo, played by Han Hyo-joo, and decides to reveal his secret to her. The film features a cast of 123 individuals portraying Woo-jin, 21 prominent actors such as Kim Dae-myung, Do Ji-han, Bae Seong-woo, Park Shin-hye, Lee Beom-soo, Park Seo-jun, Kim Sang-ho, Chun Woo-hee, Ueno Juri, Lee Jae-jun, Kim Min-jae, Lee Hyun-woo, Jo Dal-hwan, Lee Jin-wook, Hong Da-mi, Seo Kang-jun, Kim Hee-won, Lee Dong-wook, Go Ah-seong, Kim Joo-hyuk, and Yoo Yeon-seok. Many of the 21 actors who played Woo-jin participated in the work due to their relationship with Lim. The Beauty Inside was released on August 20, 2015, in South Korea. The film earned a total gross of US$14,291,242 and recorded 2,057,896 ticket admissions during its theatrical run.

Lim and Lee Gae-byok first collaborated on the 2003 film Oldboy, where Lee served as an assistant director and Lim acted as the producer. This professional relationship continued with Lim's subsequent production, Luck Key, an action-comedy directed by Lee and starring Yoo Hae-jin. The film is an adaptation of Kenji Uchida's Japanese comedy film Key of Life. Luck Key was released on October 13, 2016. Before its debut, the investment company estimated a target audience of approximately 2.5 to 3 million viewers, with 2.5 million set as the break-even point. However, the film significantly outperformed expectations, reaching 6.8 million admissions by November 14. Ultimately, it exceeded 6.9 million viewers, becoming one of the highest-grossing films in South Korea.

Collaboration with Park Chan-wook's Moho Film: The Handmaiden After reading Sarah Waters' novel Fingersmith, Lim sought to adapt the work into a film. At the time, the novel's only previous adaptation was a BBC drama Fingersmith (2005) starring Sally Hawkins and Elaine Cassidy. Lim recommended the novel to Park Chan-wook, who subsequently read it with his wife. While Park was considering a follow-up project to his film Thirst, his wife suggested, "Why don't you do Fingersmith?" Lim acquired the film rights in 2012. However, because Park had already committed to directing the Hollywood film Stoker, he asked Lim to postpone the project. In 2013, Park invited Sarah Waters to attend the London premiere of Stoker, where they discussed the upcoming adaptation. Waters did not provide any specific instructions or constraints for the film's development.

Although Sarah Waters' novel Fingersmith takes place in 1860s Victorian England, Lim suggested relocating the adaptation to 1930s Korea and Japan. The story follows a noble heiress (Kim Min-hee), a con man posing as a count (Ha Jung-woo), and a pickpocket (Kim Tae-ri) who becomes the heiress's maid. Structured in three parts, the film first explores Sook-hee's perspective on a scheme to defraud Hideko, then shifts to Hideko's own traumatic background. While the opening act aligns with the original novel, the later segments diverge significantly to reach a unique conclusion.

Yong's film pivotal years After 12 years, Lim and Choi Min-shik reunited for the Korean film Heart Blackened, which is a remake of Fei Xing's Chinese film Silent Witness. This project marked their third collaboration following Old Boy and Crying Fist. The film also served as a reunion for director Jeong Ji-woo and Choi Min-shik, who had previously worked together 18 years earlier on Happy End (1999). In Heart Blackened, Choi Min-sik portrays Lim Tae-san, a powerful man whose life is upended when his daughter, Mira, is accused of murdering his fiancée, Yoo-na. Driven to prove his daughter's innocence, Lim hires a young, idealistic lawyer and navigates an intense courtroom battle to uncover the truth behind a missing seven-hour window. The case reaches a turning point when a devoted fan of the victim emerges with pivotal CCTV footage, forcing Lim to confront unexpected revelations. Following discussions with director Jeong Ji-woo, Lim invited Lee Chung-hyun to contribute to the screenplay adaptation. Lim had been impressed by Lee's short film Bargain and recognized his potential as a writer and filmmaker. Rather than immediately tasking Lee with directing a feature, Lim chose to have him develop his skills by contributing to the script for Heart Blackened first. The film was the final performance of Kim Joo-hyuk, who died before its release. Lim personally suggested Kim for the role of the villain Jin Ha-rim, having urged the actor to take on a darker character since their collaboration on The Servant.

Lim produced The Call, director Lee Chung-hyun feature debut. A psychological thriller, it was adaptation of the 2011 British-Puerto Rican film The Caller, which originally premiered in Korea in 2012. The story follows two women, Seo-yeon (Park Shin-hye) and Young-sook (Jeon Jong-seo), who live in the same house but exist twenty years apart. After they connect through a mysterious phone call, their attempts to alter their respective pasts and futures lead to increasingly dangerous consequences. Although The Call was initially intended for a theatrical release, these plans were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the film subsequently premiered as a Netflix original in November 2020.

Following The Call, Lim and Yong Film collaborated with Samsung to produce the short film Heart Attack!, a romantic time-travel story starring Lee Sung-kyung. Director Lee Chung-hyun accepted the project immediately, reuniting with the staff of The Call and cinematographer Kim Sang-il. The production team filmed the entire project over three days using five Galaxy smartphones. The short film, which depicts a woman's effort to save her lover by reversing time, was released exclusively on the streaming service Watcha on October 6.

Continuing his focus on original stories, Lim produced 20th Century Girl, the second feature film from Yong Film to be based on an original screenplay. Directed by Bang Woo-ri, the script was inspired by the director’s personal youth in Cheongju and her experiences exchanging diaries with a friend. Set in 1999, the film stars Kim You-jung, Byeon Woo-seok, Park Jung-woo, and Roh Yoon-seo in a narrative centered on friendship and first love. The project furthered Yong Film’s relationship with global streaming platforms, premiering exclusively on Netflix on October 21, 2022.

Yong film as label under CJ Studio In February 2022, CJ ENM acquired a stake in Yong Film through a mutual transfer, officially making the company a subsidiary within its Film Division. Following this initial investment, CJ ENM announced a broader consolidation plan in October 2022 to bring its various production houses, including Yong Film, under the umbrella of the newly established CJ ENM Studios. During the merger and acquisition phase, CJ ENM Studios acquired Yong Film shares for approximately KRW 15.886 billion. This transaction resulted in a personal payout of that same amount for Lim, as the CEO of Yong Film.

Yong Film held its annual event, Yong Night, on December 7, 2022, marking its first such gathering since becoming a label under CJ ENM Studios. During the event, Lim revealed the company's upcoming production lineup, which included several feature films in development and multiple projects for OTT platforms.

In 2023, Yong Film released Believer 2, an action crime film directed by Baik. As a sequel to the 2018 film Believer, the story follows the character Won-ho as he searches for "Rak" following the arrest of Brian, further exploring the inner workings of an elusive drug cartel. The film features an ensemble cast including Cho Jin-woong, Cha Seung-won, Han Hyo-joo, Oh Seung-hoon, Kim Dong-young, and Lee Joo-young. It premiered at the 28th Busan International Film Festival in the 'Korean Cinema Today - Special Premiere' section on October 5, 2023, before its global release on Netflix on November 17, 2023.

Additionally, Syd Lim is collaborating with Lionsgate Television and Park Chan-wook to develop an English-language television adaptation of the 2003 film Oldboy. Lim and Park will both serve as producers for the series. The project is being supervised by Lionsgate executives Courtney Mock and Tara Joshi, following negotiations led by Bryan Weiser.

Personal life Lim’s spouse, Jeong Yeon-hee, is a graduate of Sookmyung Women's University with a degree in Library Science. A former librarian, she currently serves as an advisor to Lim, evaluating various scripts and collaborating on film projects.Jeong also frequently travels abroad for professional purposes.

Filmography

Film +Film filmmaking credits 2003 Spring Bears Love 봄날의 곰을 좋아하세요? Syd Lim Yi Yong Eson Film Oldboy 올드보이 Syd Lim Park Chan-wook Park Chan-wook Show EastEgg FilmCJ Entertainment 2005 Crying Fist 주먹이 운다 Ryoo Seung-wan SIO FilmBravo Entertainment The Beast and the Beauty 야수와 미녀 Syd Lim Lee Gae-byokSIO Film 2007 Project Makeover 언니가 간다 Kim Chang-rae 2007 Big Bang 쏜다Syd Lim Park Jung-woo 2009 The Righteous Thief 홍길동의 후예 Jeong Yong-kiAnother Life Company, SIO Film 2010 The Servant 방자전 Kim Dae-woo Sio Film Co., Ltd.Barunson E&A Co., Ltd. 2011 Couples 커플즈 Jeong Yong-ki 2012 Mr. XXX-Kisser 아부의 왕 Jung Seung-gu Magic Lamp Co., Ltd. 2014 The Target 표적Syd Lim Chang Yong Film Co., Ltd.Barunson E&A Co., Ltd. 2015 The Beauty Inside 뷰티 인사이드 Syd Lim BaikYong Film 2016 Luck Key 럭키 Syd Lim Syd Lim Lee Gae-byok 2017 Heart Blackened 침묵Syd LimSyd Lim Jung Ji-woo 2018 Believer 독전 Lee Hae-young 2019 Cheer Up, Mr. Lee 힘을 내요, 미스터 리 Lee Gae-byok 2020 The Call 콜 Lee Chung-hyun Yong FilmNetflix Heart Attack 하트어택 Yong FilmWatcha 2022 20th Century Girl 20세기 소녀 Bang Woo-riYong FilmNetflix 2023 Believer 2 독전 2 Baik 2024 My Name Is Loh Kiwan 로기완Syd Lim Syd Lim Kim Hee-jin 신인류 전쟁: 부활남 Baik Yong FilmSuperpick 정가네 목장 Kim Ji-hyun Yong Film 더 제일브레이커 Park Chan-wook Yong Film and Moho Film 은하수 TBD Yong Film Romantic Anonymous 로맨틱 어나니머스Sho Tsukikawa Yong FilmNetflix Japan 2026 Kim Jee-woonPark Bo-ramYong FilmAnthology StudioSK Global 럭키걸 Kim Ji-hyunYong Film BAFTA Film Award 2018 Best Film Not in the English Language The Handmaiden Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle Awards 2017 Best Foreign Film

Listicle + Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement Publisher Year List Placement Cine21 Film Awards 2016 Producer of the Year

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