The late Lee Sun-kyun’s film “The Land of Happiness” will be released in August

A poster for the film “The Land of Happiness” / Courtesy of NEW

By Lee Gyu-lee

The film “The Land of Happiness,” starring late actor Lee Sun-kyun, will hit local theaters in August, the film’s distributor NEW confirmed.

The historical political film is based on a real event, the assassination of former President Park Chung-hee in 1979. The story revolves around a man named Park Tae-joo (Lee), who is accused of and convicted of the former president’s murder who is on trial for the assassination attempt, and his lawyer Jung In-hoo (Jo Jung-suk), who is fighting to save Park from a death sentence.

The film is directed by Choo Chang-min, whose previous works include the 2012 historical hit “Masquerade” and the 2018 thriller “Seven Years of Night.”

Dec 27, 2023 5:17 pm | Films

This is one of two films that the late actor completed filming before he passed away in December last year, along with thriller Project Silence, whose release date is yet to be determined.

Lee, who made waves with the award-winning film Parasite, was charged with illegal drug use last October, which resulted in him having to undergo three rounds of police questioning. He tested negative for drugs but was found dead during the investigation. A senior police official admitted in March to leaking details of a drug investigation into the late actor, including personal information about people connected to the case.

His death sparked controversy as some inquests questioned whether police invaded his privacy by making him stand at the press photo line before his interrogation sessions. A group of people in the entertainment industry, including director Bong Joon-ho, released a statement calling for an investigation into the police’s handling of the investigation.