‘The Master of the World’ Confirmed Distribution Company Amid the Korean Ban! Opening the Frozen Chinese Market!

As the most anticipated Korean film of the second half of the year, 〈The Master of the World〉 has quickly confirmed a Chinese distributor amid the frozen situation of Korean films entering China after the Korean Ban, proving global interest by securing pre-sales to veteran distributors from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan who have distributed films by world-renowned directors.

Director Yoon Ga-eun's new work, which is her first in six years and has received a warm response from domestic media and critics, 〈The Master of the World〉 has made headlines by announcing pre-sales to a Chinese distributor before its release, which is unusual for a Korean film. 〈The Master of the World〉 tells the story of an enigmatic eighteen-year-old high school girl, ‘Juin’, who begins to receive mysterious notes after refusing to participate in a signature campaign involving the entire student body. It was invited to the Platform section of the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, making it the first and only Korean film to be invited, and has since won two awards at the 9th Pingyao International Film Festival, achieving recognition by being invited to prestigious international film festivals such as 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 in the second half of the year.

Having garnered explosive interest in China by winning two awards including the Audience Award at the Pingyao International Film Festival, 〈The Master of the World〉 has confirmed its Chinese distributor by being sold to the veteran distributor Light Films Limited, which has a lineup including Bong Joon-ho's 〈Parasite〉 and Hiroshi Kurosawa's 〈Nobody Knows〉. Li Na, the representative of Light Films Limited, stated, “The audience response after the screening at the Pingyao International Film Festival was enthusiastic. There is a high interest from Chinese audiences in 〈The Master of the World〉, which presents a new perspective. We want to introduce this film to Chinese theaters so that more audiences can experience it directly.”

The news of the confirmation of a Chinese distributor for 〈The Master of the World〉 holds symbolic significance, as it was achieved rapidly thanks to the enthusiastic praise from local audiences immediately after the film festival, despite the frozen situation of Korean films entering the Chinese market after the Korean Ban. Above all, 〈The Master of the World〉 has received a score of 9 out of 10 on Douban, a leading film and drama rating platform in China, and has garnered praise such as “Best Film of 2025”, “The Best Film Encountered at the Pingyao International Film Festival”, “The World Needs More Films and Directors Like This!”, and “A Thunderously Strong Resonance!”, raising expectations as a work that will inject new vitality into the Chinese film market, which is dominated by domestic films at the box office.

In addition, the Japanese art film distributor Bitters End, which has distributed Bong Joon-ho's 〈Parasite〉, Ryusuke Hamaguchi's 〈Drive My Car〉, and Jia Zhangke's 〈Still Life〉, as well as Edko Films, the largest distributor in Hong Kong with a theater chain that has distributed Bong Joon-ho's 〈Parasite〉, Park Chan-wook's 〈Decision to Leave〉, and Hiroshi Kurosawa's 〈Monster〉, and Andrews Film, a veteran arthouse distributor that has consistently introduced acclaimed art films from international film festivals such as Michael Haneke's 〈Happy End〉 and Céline Sciamma's 〈Portrait of a Lady on Fire〉, have all confirmed the distribution of 〈The Master of the World〉, proving the high attention of film fans worldwide. Yoon Ga-eun's new film 〈The Master of the World〉, which has received rave reviews even before its release and is considered the best Korean film of the year, will be released in theaters nationwide on October 22.