Anticipated Korean blockbusters to check out this summer

A new slate of star-studded films by bankable Korean directors, spanning diverse genres including action, sci-fi and thriller, is anticipated to heat up the local box office this summer.

With the Korean film industry facing fierce competition from big-budget foreign movies and streaming platforms, the upcoming movies are seen as a potential catalyst to rejuvenate the sluggish industry.

Kicking off the summer lineup is acclaimed director Ryoo Seung-wan’s new action crime flick “Smugglers,” set for theatrical release on July 26.

Set in the 1970s in a peaceful seaside village, the film revolves around two female deep sea divers who are unexpectedly tangled up in a high-stakes smuggling scheme.

It is Ryoo’s third period film following “The Battleship Island” (2017) and “Escape from Mogadishu” (2021).

Veteran actresses Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah take the lead roles, marking the first time Ryoo’s production centers on female characters. Zo In-sung, Park Jung-min and Go Min-si also join the cast.

The sci-fi blockbuster “The Moon,” which tells the story of Korea’s manned lunar exploration mission and isolation, will be released on Aug. 2.

The space survival drama has drawn attention as director Kim Yong-hwa’s latest film following his hit two-film fantasy action series, “Along with the Gods” (2017-2018), which both surpassed 10 million admissions at the local box office.

Do Kyung-soo, a member of K-pop group EXO, stars as an astronaut who was stranded on the moon alone due to an accident. Seol Kyung-gu plays a former head of the space center who tries to rescue him, while Kim Hee-ae appears as a director general of a space station who has a hidden secret.

“Concrete Utopia,” a post-apocalyptic film directed by Um Tae-hwa, is expected to arrive in local theaters in August.

Based on episodes of webtoon “Joyful Outcast” by Kim Sung-nyung, the disaster thriller revolves around a few survivors who gather in an apartment complex after a massive earthquake demolishes Seoul.

It features a star-studded cast, including Lee Byung-hun, Park Seo-joon and Park Bo-young.