'The King's Letters' Director Jo Chul-hyun Dies at 67, Leaving Behind 'The Throne' and a 30-Year Film Career

Producer who helped lead Chungmuro renaissance dies after leaving behind a late-career directorial debut

Jo Chul-hyun, who directed 'The King's Letters' (2019), died on the 8th at 67.

According to people in the film industry and his family, Jo was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in February and died early that day after battling the disease.

Born in 1959, Jo played a central role in Korean cinema for more than 30 years, working in planning, production and screenwriting in Chungmuro. He left an especially distinctive mark on the period drama genre, combining historical fact with imagination.

Working closely with director Lee Jun-ik for many years, he led the production and screenwriting for 'Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield' (2003), 'Blades of Blood' (2010) and 'Pyongyang Castle' (2011). In 2015, he wrote 'The Throne', a film about the tragedy of King Yeongjo and Crown Prince Sado that won acclaim from critics and audiences. He also demonstrated his broad range by planning and producing a number of other box-office hits, including 'Hi! Dharma 2: Showdown in Seoul' (2004), 'The Happy Life' (2007) and 'Sunny' (2008).

In 2019, after years of researching the creation of Hunminjeongeum, he made his official directorial debut with 'The King's Letters'. Starring Song Kang-ho, Park Hae-il and the late Jeon Mi-seon, the film resonated with audiences and drew roughly 960,000 moviegoers upon its release. Jeon Mi-seon, who played Queen Soheon, won the Korean Film Producers Association Award for Best Supporting Actress that year for her performance.

Jo's funeral altar has been set up in Room 303 of the funeral hall at Korea University Anam Hospital. Funeral services will be held at 7 a.m. on the 10th, with burial at Seoul Memorial Park.