Park Si-hoo is heading back to the big screen for the first time in a decade with "Choir of God" (literal translation), a North Korea-set, music-driven drama.
The film follows a sham state-sponsored praise ensemble created to earn foreign currency―and the spiral of consequences that follows. Billed as the first Korean feature to center North Korea through a music-forward lens, the project also mounted large-scale location shoots across Mongolia and Hungary.
A newly unveiled launch poster leans into retro propaganda aesthetics: against sweeping, snow-capped peaks, Park―suited up in military uniform―stands with band members brandishing a mic, trumpet and cello, teasing the secret mission behind their so-called "Choir of God".
The poster even splashes a slogan that reads, “Lend Your Ears to Revolutionary Melodies!” and cheekily lists the opening date and venue as “December, Juche 114 (2025)” and “South Korean movie theaters,” sending a tongue-in-cheek “invitation” to audiences south of the border.
Another line―“We respectfully invite our precious comrades to a meaningful performance”―amps up the playful clash between propaganda-speak and real-world release plans, stoking curiosity about where the story will go next.
Park leads as Gyosun, a steely officer from the North’s state security apparatus who’s tasked with shepherding the fake band―only to face an unexpected inner reckoning.
Opposite him, 2AM’s Jeong Jin-woon co-stars, with scene-stealing support from Tae Hang-ho, Jang Ji-geon, Yoon Je-moon, Moon Kyung-min and Han Jung-wan. Kim Hyeong-hyeop, who delivered laughs and heart with "Daddy You, Daughter Me," directs.
"Choir of God" opens in theaters nationwide this December.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)