At the general assembly of the Korean Film Directors Association (Incorporated Association) held at the Chungmuro Film Center on February 27, 2026, Director Lee Soo-seong was confirmed elected as the next board chair with strong support from directors of the association.
Since debuting in 2010 with the first Korean feature-length zombie film ‘Mr. Zombie’, he has consistently unveiled works that traverse genres, including ‘A House With a Good View’ (2012), ‘The Art of Dating’ (2014), ‘Eoudong: Ownerless Flower’ (2015), ‘Vacation’ (2016), ‘Memories’ (2019), ‘Road Kill’ (2019), and ‘Rules of the Game: Manhunt’ (2021). In particular, ‘Vacation’ won the ‘Guro International Kids Film Festival Special Award’, the ‘Hong Kong Underground Film Festival Asia Feature Grand Prize’, and received an official invitation to the ‘Hyderabad Film Festival in India’, earning recognition for its artistry.
Afterward, with ‘Garosu-gil Is Spring Theater’ (2024), he was invited to the ‘New York International Film Festival Feature Section’, and ‘Underground Idol’ (2025) swept honors such as the ‘Thailand Bangkok Film Festival Asia Feature Division Grand Prize’, the ‘India Film Festival Feature Grand Prize’, and the ‘Philippines Music Film Festival Feature Grand Prize’, drawing international attention. Director Lee has also received the ‘’The 3rd 13 People Who Brightened Korea Order of Merit Grand Prize – Film Director Award‘ and the ’Hong Kong Underground Film Festival Asia Best Award‘.
Notably, his recent work ‘Wife’ achieved a triple crown at the 2025 ‘Sinister Horror Film Festival’ in Mexico, winning the top honor ‘Official Award (Award Winner)’ as well as ‘Best Original Score’ and ‘Best Actor Feature’.
The festival evaluated ‘Wife’ as “a work that expands horror not as provocation but as a language of message and reflection, achieving a high level of completion through the density of accumulated emotion within restrained direction, and performances that utilize sound and silence,” it stated. In addition, festival director ‘Fernando Perezgil’ evaluated it as “a work that sublimates darkness into art with a clear vision and craftsmanship.”
In addition, ‘Wife’ was selected as the ‘Winner in the Psychological Thriller Category’ at the ‘2025 Bangkok Movie Awards’ held in Thailand, earning further international recognition. The festival noted that the direction sensitively captured the complex emotions of the human interior and stood out for attempts that expanded artistic boundaries, and added that with this award Director Lee is granted eligibility to submit to the next ‘Golden Elephant Awards’.
Continuing an unrelenting pace, Director Lee will begin full-scale filming this month on his next project, ‘Those Who Cannot Die Gracefully’. The project has drawn anticipation with the casting of versatile performer Cho Jung-min, active across both singing and acting, in the lead role.
Attention across the film industry is focused on whether Director Lee, who has surprised audiences with new attempts in every work, will successfully lead the Korean Film Directors Association (Incorporated Association).
