While everyone’s attention is focused on action-packed and gothic Hollywood thrillers, Netflix appears to be continuing the trend of introducing new Korean films in 2023. The previous year was fantastic with movies and dramas such as Alchemy of Souls, The Roundup, and The Pirates: The Lost Royal Treasure. While we’ve seen plenty of sci-fi war films in Hollywood, the Korean industry rarely makes such, but when it does, they’re innovative, and prior sci-fi works like Alienoid, Okja, The Silent Sea, and Glitch speak for themselves.

Jung_E, the upcoming Netflix film, turns up with ingenious storytelling and a star-studded ensemble to demonstrate the legacy of the Korean sci-fi genre. Unfortunately, one of the film’s lead actresses, Kang Soo-Yeon, passed away shortly after the production team finished filming due to cardiac arrest. Fans should look forward to her final performance as one of Korea’s most beloved actresses if not for the intriguing Sci-Fi theme.

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As there’s a lot of room for speculation considering the film’s rumored astronomical budget and outstanding production values, here’s what we know so far about Jung_E, one of the most anticipated Korean films of 2023.

Jung_E: The Plot

According to the beautifully crafted Netflix teaser, the movie takes place in the 22nd century, when climate change rendered the world unfit for humans to live in, so they devised a solution of creating man-made shelters. As they succeed in making it function, another issue arises as internal strife between various military and political parties occurs within the bunker.

To bring peace to humanity, one must first win the war, and in order to do so, Jung_E (Kim Hyun-joo), an elite leader of the allied forces, decides to partake in a brain cloning experiment overseen by the laboratory’s team leaders, Seohyun (Kang Soo-yeon) and Sang-Hoon (Ryu Kyung-soo). Will the conflict be stopped if they manage to break through and produce AI replicas of Jung_E using cutting-edge advanced technology with high risks? Or will it result in a new crisis for humanity?

While we elaborated on the plot based on the teaser, here is Netflix’s official synopsis.

Jung_E: The Cast & Crew

     Netflix

Despite a large cast of people driving the storyline, the film appears to focus mainly on the three core cast members. Kang Soo Yoon, an award-winning and pioneering actress, will play Seohyun, the laboratory in charge who also ensures her mother’s sacrifice to end the civil war will not be in vain. Jung_E is her first film in nearly a decade, as she hasn’t been in any movie or television series since her last role in Jury as So Yun, with the exception of a brief appearance in Video Stars season two.

“This riveting sci-fi action-drama from “Hellbound” director Yeon Sang-ho stars Kang Soo-Yeon, Kim Hyun-Joo, and Ryu Kyung-soo. In a post-apocalyptic near-future, a researcher at an AI lab leads the effort to end a civil war by cloning the brain of a heroic soldier — her mother.”

The actress began her career as a child actor in the 1970s and made her breakthrough performance in The Surrogate Woman in 1986. However, her most recognizable roles are from the films Rainbow Trout and Sunny, as well as the dramas Great Vocation and Ladies of the Palace. Sadly, she passed away on May 7, 2022, as a result of a sudden cardiac arrest, but her legacy may live on through this film.

Kim Hyun Joo plays Jung_E, who volunteers for the brain cloning experiment, and Ryu Kyung Soo will also play a key role in the film with Seohyun as Sang-Hoon. Hyun Joo is one of South Korea’s most beautiful actresses, making her acting debut in 1997 with the television drama The Reason I Live. Nonetheless, her mainstream stardom is still attributed to Glass Slippers, a drama in which she played a Cinderella-like character. Some of her best works are 8 Love Stories, Virtue, Boys Over Flowers, WATCHER, Hellbound, and Trolley, all of which had a significant impact on mainstream audiences. Meanwhile, Ryu Kyng Soo has appeared in several popular Korean dramas and films, including Ji Chang Wook’s The Sound of Magic, Hellbound, and Itaewon Class.

While not much information about the cast has been disclosed because Netflix has kept it under wraps, we do know that Jung_E was written and directed by one of South Korea’s finest filmmakers, Yeon Sang-Ho. He also helmed the phenomenal zombie film Train to Busan in 2015 and its sequel Peninsula in 2020, which, while not well appreciated by fans, was a terrific zombie thriller. Other notable works by the director include The Cursed, Psychokinesis, The King of Pigs, and Save Me Season 2.

Release Date

According to the streaming platform, Jung_E will be released on Netflix on January 20.

Everything Else We Know

Production on Jung_E kicked off on October 31, 2021, and wrapped on January 28, 2022, eventually being included in the 2022 film lineup. However, the schedule was later pushed back to 2023, and we are now back on track. Viewers should also be aware that a sequel to Jung_E, titled Parasyte: The Grey, is in the works with lead actor Goo Kyo Hwan.

With so much to look forward to in the next sci-fi movie, fans would always welcome sequels, and it all relies on how Jung_E performs with both national and international audiences.