Director Yoon Ga-eun's New Work 'The World of Love' Secures Distribution in China Breaking Through the Korean Wave Ban!

Director Yoon Ga-eun's first new work in six years, 〈The World of Love〉, has been confirmed for distribution in China, announced by the distributor Barunson E&A on the 20th.

This entry into China holds special significance for the Korean film industry. 〈The World of Love〉 has succeeded in its release in China despite the impact of the 'Korean Wave Ban' (限韓令) that has hindered the entry of Korean films into China.

Chinese distributor 'Light Films Limited' stated, "The audience response was enthusiastic after the screening at the Pingyao International Film Festival," and expressed a desire to introduce the film to Chinese theaters so that more audiences can experience it directly. This distributor is known to have in its lineup films such as Bong Joon-ho's 〈Parasite〉 and Hirokazu Kore-eda's 〈Nobody Knows〉.

China's foreign film import system is notoriously strict. It is managed by a state-owned enterprise under the Central Propaganda Department of the Communist Party of China, and government approval is essential. In March, it was observed that Bong Joon-ho's 〈Mickey 17〉 was released across China for the first time in years, indicating a possible easing of the 'Korean Wave Ban'.

〈The World of Love〉 tells the story of a high school girl named Joo-in (played by Seo Soo-bin) who begins to receive mysterious notes after refusing to participate in a school-wide signature campaign alone. The work has received continuous acclaim at various international film festivals.

It was invited to the Platform section of the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, becoming the first Korean film to be invited, and won two awards at the 9th Pingyao International Film Festival. It has since been invited to several international film festivals, including the 41st Warsaw International Film Festival, the 69th BFI London Film Festival, the 49th São Paulo International Film Festival, and the 70th Cork Film Festival.

However, the release date for 〈The World of Love〉 in China has not yet been confirmed.