Hong Gyeong and Lee Jae-in's Movie 'Concrete Market' Set to Release in Theaters This Year-End

The movie 〈Concrete Market〉 starring Hong Gyeong and Lee Jae-in has been confirmed for a nationwide theater release this year-end. 〈Concrete Market〉 was originally planned as a 7-part drama but shifted to a theatrical film. Lotte Entertainment is in charge of investment and distribution, and has recently applied for viewing rating classification with the Film Rating Board and is awaiting the review results.

〈Concrete Market〉 depicts a realistic survival situation where an apartment that has not collapsed functions as a market for barter in a world devastated by a major earthquake. Climax Studio, which attracted 3.84 million viewers with 〈Concrete Utopia〉 (2023, directed by Um Tae-hwa, starring Lee Byung-hun), has once again expanded the universe of disaster dramas.

Hong Gyeong, who plays the lead role, portrays Tae-jin, the manager of the only market within the apartment, while Lee Jae-in plays Hee-ro, who calmly navigates through crises. Both actors have recently gained recognition for their box office appeal in leading and supporting roles, rapidly rising as new stars in the Korean film industry. Hong Gyeong has increased his global recognition with the Netflix film 〈Good News〉, and Lee Jae-in attracted 1.89 million viewers with 〈High Five〉.

Having completed filming in 2021 with the main casting revealed, 〈Concrete Market〉 faced delays in its release due to various factors including the COVID-19 pandemic. There were rumors of an OTT release at one point, but it was ultimately decided to release it in theaters. The industry is also keeping the possibility of a series version release open in the future.

Director Hong Gi-won (short film 〈Tylenol〉) is at the helm, and actors with proven acting skills such as Jung Man-sik, Kim Guk-hee, and Yoo Soo-bin join the ensemble. It is an anticipated work that will realistically portray collective emotions and survival after a disaster, continuing the box office baton of 'Concrete Utopia'.