The 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN, Festival Director: SHIN Chul) has selected actor LEE Byunghun as the featured guest for this year’s Actor in Focus, titled The Master: LEE BYUNG HUN.

A true master of his craft, LEE has demonstrated exceptional range across genres both on screen and off, earning recognition as a global artist and one of Korea’s most iconic actors—hence the title The Master: LEE BYUNG HUN for this year’s Actor in Focus.

This year’s Actor in Focus will present ten films spanning LEE Byunghun’s remarkable 30-year acting career:
Joint Security Area (2000), Bungee Jumping of Their Own (2001), A Bittersweet Life (2005), Once in a Summer (2006), I Saw the Devil (2010), Masquerade (2012), Inside Men (2015), The Fortress (2017), The Man Standing Next (2019), and Concrete Utopia (2023).

LEE’s rise as a screen icon began early, with unforgettable performances in films like Joint Security Area, Bungee Jumping of Their Own, A Bittersweet Life, and Once in a Summer—earning him acclaim as an actor who breathes life into every character.

He has continued to evolve as an actor, embracing increasingly complex roles: from the tormented protagonist in I Saw the Devil, to the dual identities in Masquerade, to the raw intensity of Inside Men. In The Fortress, The Man Standing Next, and Concrete Utopia, he showcases profound emotional depth and a commanding presence, cementing his reputation as a master of modern Korean cinema.

Internationally, LEE has earned recognition through his roles in major Hollywood productions such as the G.I. Joe series, Red 2, Terminator Genisys, Misconduct, and The Magnificent Seven. More recently, his appearance in Squid Game has further solidified his global stardom.

Throughout his career, LEE has received over 80 awards from major Korean film and television ceremonies—including the Grand Bell (Daejong), Blue Dragon, Baeksang, and Korean Association of Film Critics Awards. He was also awarded the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2006 and won Best Actor at the 2021 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

“LEE Byunghun is the face of Korean cinema, seamlessly crossing genre boundaries and revealing something new with every role,” said BIFAN programmer Martin LEE. “We hope audiences will take this opportunity to experience the full spectrum of his work through this Actor in Focus.”

Since 2017, BIFAN has annually spotlighted Korea’s most iconic contemporary actors through its Actor in Focus. Past honorees include JEON Do-yeon, JUNG Woo-sung, KIM Hyesoo, SEOL Kyunggu, CHOI Minsik, and SON Yejin. This year’s The Master: LEE BYUNG HUN adds new depth to that tradition, and will run from July 3 to 13 throughout Bucheon.

¡á INFORMATION
▪ Title: 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
▪ Dates: July 3 (THU) ~ July 13 (SUN), 2025

¡á Contact
▪ Email: foreignpress@bifan.kr
▪ Website: www.bifan.kr/eng/

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