'National Treasure' Director Lee Sang-il Returns to Korea on November 12

Recently breaking box office records and shaking up the Japanese film industry, director Lee Sang-il is returning to Korea.

Korean resident director Lee Sang-il will visit Seoul ahead of the release of 〈National Treasure〉. After meeting Korean audiences at the Busan International Film Festival in September, he plans to return to Korea on November 12 to discuss 〈National Treasure〉.

〈National Treasure〉 is based on the novel of the same name by Shuichi Yoshida, depicting the life of Kikuo, who was born into a yakuza family but aspired to become the greatest kabuki actor. 〈National Treasure〉 recorded an audience of 10 million and a box office of 16.4 billion yen (approximately 1.544 trillion won) during its release in Japan, making it the second highest-grossing live-action film in Japanese history, despite its classical theme of kabuki and a lengthy runtime of 174 minutes.

Director Lee Sang-il is expected to carry out various schedules in Korea from November 12 to 14. In a video announcing his visit, he stated, "The film 〈National Treasure〉 is a passionate chronicle of men who dedicated their lives to art over nearly half a century. Thankfully, it attracted 10 million viewers in Japan, and I hope this momentum and enthusiasm will carry over to Korea. I look forward to seeing you in Seoul in November. Thank you."