Ahn Sung-ki's long and successful acting career closely tracks the achievements of a half-century of Korean cinema. Having starred or appeared in an outstanding number of the Korean film industry's greatest artistic and commercial successes, Ahn is commonly referred to as “the national actor” by the Korean press.

Ahn’s natural acting style, nuanced treatment of complex roles, and an ability to play a wide range of characters has earned him the respect and admiration of audiences and critics alike. After winning "Best Child Actor" for Defiance of a Teenager at the 1960 San Francisco Film Festival (his second film for cult director Kim Ki-young, who gave Ahn his first role in The Twilight Train three years earlier), Ahn successfully made the transition from child prodigy to leading man. Over the course of his 50-year career, Ahn has compiled one of the best and most eclectic filmographies in the industry. In his career, he has worked closely with director Im Kwon-taek on classics like Mandala, Festival, The Taebaek Mountains and Chihwaseon. His acting credits include appearances in Korean cinema’s greatest achievements: Bae Chang-ho's Whale Hunting, Deep Blue Night, and Our Sweet Days of Youth; Lee Kwang-mo’s Spring in My Hometown; Jung Ji-young’s White Badge and North Korea’s Southern Army (for which he received the Blue Dragon Award for Best Actor in 1990); Kang Woo-suk's Two Cops; Park Kwang-soo’s Chilsu and Mansu and To the Starry Island; and Lee Myung-Se’s Nowhere to Hide.

The winner of scores of prizes from Korean and Asian film festivals, including five Baeksang Art Awards, Ahn was named "best actor of 1997" by Cine21, Korea’s leading film magazine. More than a screen star, he has risen to become an iconic national figure in Korea. Omnipresent in Korean advertising, he often appears as a trusted father figure. Indeed, in the parallel history that nations write for themselves through their art, Ahn has come to represent the human face of leadership making him a natural for the role of the nation's chief executive in The Romantic President. He'll soon be tackling a role his fans have longed to see him in when he plays Korea's King Sejong in the upcoming The Divine Weapon.

This year, the New York Korean Film Festival is honored to present four films from his breadth of extensive work in cinema, as well as a special panel with the actor himself.

7:00 PM        Nowhere to Hide (112 minutes)
Tuesday, August 26 (Cinema Village)

9:00 PM        Musa: The Warrior (158 minutes)

Wednesday, August 27 (The Korea Society)
6:30 PM        A Korean Actor on the World Stage: A Discussion with Ahn Sung-ki
                   Panel program

A Korean Actor on the World Stage

A Discussion with Ahn Sung-ki Wednesday, August 27, 6:30PM The Korea Society, 950 Third Avenue, Eighth Floor, New York City (Building entrance on SW corner of Third Avenue and 57th Street) $15 (non-members), $10 (TKS members) Buy tickets online at koreasociety.org Ahn Sung-ki, the “people’s actor” of Korea, will speak about his long and rich acting career as well as his own life history that very nearly coincides with the history of contemporary Korean cinema. Given his experience as a veteran actor who has appeared in an exceptionally wide ranges of genres and roles, Ahn is uniquely qualified to provide an insider's perspective on the remarkable evolution of South Korean cinema from its derivative beginnings into one of the most vibrant cultural forces in Asia. From his vantage point as president of the Korean Actors’ Guild, Ahn also will address the relationship between actors and the national film industry, inter-Asian cinematic projects, and the “globalization” of Korean cinema. This discussion will be followed by a reception. Discussion moderator: Hyangsoon Yi