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This is a scene from the film "Smugglers" (NEW)

Among the four summer films, "Smugglers," the story of haenyeo (female divers) involved in smuggling in a seaside city in 1970s Korea, was the first released this season on July 26. Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, whose body of work includes "Veteran," "The Battleship Island" and "Escape from Mogadishu," this movie shows breathtaking action by actors Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah, Park Jeong-min and Go Min-si.

Box office data from the Korean Film Council said that as of Aug. 10, "Smugglers" attracted 3.93 million viewers to consistently stay atop the box office rankings.

The movie has been invited to the Orbita competition category of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Spain in October, Toronto International Film Festival in Canada and Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland. The film's production agency quoted Sitges chief Angel Sala as calling "Smugglers" a fun and touching action movie with unexpected heroines.

Action thriller packed with chasing and being chased: "Ransomed"

"Ransomed" is an action thriller about Min-joon, a diplomat who leaves for Lebanon to rescue a coworker abducted by armed forces amid the civil war there and meets Korean taxi driver Pan-soo along the way. The plot is based on a true story from the 1980s.

The movie's strengths are scenes of chasing and being chased in narrow pathways and high stairways, not to mention exotic scenery as it was filmed on location in Morocco and Italy.

The film has been sold in 103 countries including the U.S., Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Canada and Russia. It was released on Aug. 4 in North America, the Philippines on Aug. 9, and Australia and New Zealand on Aug. 10. It will be released on Aug. 18 in the U.K. and next month in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and Thailand.

Unknown universe: "The Moon"

This is a scene from "The Moon." (CJ ENM)

In 2029, a manned lunar probe from Korea begins its journey but just one astronaut from the mission survives because of an accident. "The Moon," released on Aug. 2, portrays the struggle of the stranded traveler and the desperate effort of the head of the mission control center to save him. 

The director is Kim Yong-hwa, whose two-part movie "Along With the Gods" was the first in domestic film history to each sell 10 million tickets. State-of-the-art computer-generated images and visual effects allow "The Moon" to make the audience feel like they are on the lunar mission. 

True face of humans in disaster: "Concrete Utopia"

This is a scene from "Concrete Utopia." Lee Byung-hun, who plays the protagonist Yeong-tak, said, "The weather lately has been so hot but this film has a sense of tension since its setting is in the middle of winter, so its coolness factor will overcome the scorching heat." (Lotte  Entertainment)

"Concrete Utopia" is a disaster film released on Aug. 9 that shows survivors of a massive earthquake at an apartment complex that is the only building of its kind left standing in Seoul. 

Director Um Tae-hwa is relatively lesser known than those who did the other three works, but the solid performance of the cast stands out. One critic likened the acting of Lee Byung-hun, who plays the protagonist, to being "possessed by God." 

At its premiere and a Q&A with the film's production staff on Aug. 4 at a movie theater in Seoul, director Park Chan-wook said, "I'd say this film opens a new chapter in Lee Byung-hun's acting career," adding, "Lee dramatically expresses all necessary changes whenever he sees everything." 

"Concrete Utopia" has been presold in 152 countries and received the international spotlight by receiving invitations to this year's Sitges festival and the gala presentation section of the Toronto event. It will be released in Taiwan on Aug. 10, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Brunei and Macao on Aug. 17, Indonesia on Aug. 23, Vietnam on Sept. 1, the Philippines on Sept. 13 and Japan in January.

km137426@korea.kr