Kim Kyu-tae

In this Korean name, the family name is Kim .

Kim Kyu-tae
Born	South Korea
Occupation	Television director
Years active	1996-present
Agent	GTist
Korean name
Hangul	김규태
Revised Romanization	Gim Gyu-tae
McCune–Reischauer	Kim Kyutae

Kim Kyu-tae is a South Korean television director and producer. He directed the Korean dramas A Love to Kill (2005), Iris (2009), Padam Padam (2011), That Winter, the Wind Blows (2013), It's Okay, That's Love (2014), and Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016).

Career

Kim Kyu-tae joined the KBS network in 1996, where he first worked as an assistant director then as a second unit director, notably for Yellow Handkerchief (2003). ^[1] For the single-episode anthology Drama City , Kim drew critical acclaim in 2004 for two low-budget but visually stylish and experimental episodes: Anagram (starring Kim Yoon-seok and Ku Hye-sun) and Blue Skies of Jeju Island (starring Uhm Tae-woong and Kim Yoon-seok). ^{[2] [3]}

A Love to Kill (2005) was Kim's first miniseries as the main director. Written by Lee Kyung-hee, the melodrama starred Rain and Shin Min-a as a K-1 fighter and the actress he targets for revenge but unexpectedly falls for. A Love to Kill was not as well-received ratings-wise as Lee's previous dramas, but Kim won Best New Television Director at the 42nd Baeksang Arts Awards in 2006. ^[1]

In 2009, he and Yang Yun-ho co-directed Iris , the popular espionage action series starring Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-hee. ^[2] Kim said, "We approached Iris like it was a spy film, so viewers will get to watch movie-like scenes along with the emotional details that have made Korean drama so popular over the years at the same time. [...] We feel great responsibility and excitement at bringing such a genre based on the world's last divided country. While men will be attracted to the action scenes, along with the friendship and revenge between fellow agents and enemies, women can connect with the emotional details between the lovely and handsome characters, torn between love and their duties." ^[4] Cast member Kim So-yeon said the two different crews were called "Team K" and "Team Y," describing Kim's team as having "a warm charisma and is always filled with quiet laughter. When you shoot in that kind of atmosphere, you feel like you're soaking into that as well." ^[5]

Kim first worked with screenwriter Noh Hee-kyung when he was the second unit director on The World That They Live In (also known as Worlds Within) in 2008. He reunited with her in 2011 for Padam Padam... The Sound of His and Her Heartbeats , a romance-fantasy about a man who gets released from prison after serving a 16-year sentence for a crime he didn't commit. It was Jung Woo-sung's television comeback and the inaugural drama of newly launched cable network jTBC. ^[6] Kim said he was "in awe" of Noh's work and wanted to effectively depict her "difficult writing" onscreen. ^[7]

That Winter, the Wind Blows , a 2013 remake of the Japanese television drama Ai Nante Irane Yo, Natsu ("I Don't Need Love, Summer") in which a con man pretends to be the long-lost brother of a blind heiress, was Kim's third collaboration with Noh and his first time to work for SBS. ^[8] Kim said, "To help viewers better understand the characters' emotions, I used ultra close-up shots," a visual technique that accentuates even the smallest movement in actors' faces or the twinkle in their eyes. ^[9] He went on, "The reason we are able to create beautiful shots is because both Jo In-sung and Song Hye-kyo are beautiful people whether we do a full shot or a tight shot. [...] The tone of the drama itself is very heavy that viewers may get frustrated. So I thought the only way to soften up and relax the drama is to capture beautiful scenes. [...] I'm just able to film beautiful things as much as I want." He then used post-production editing to bring out the colors and textures he wanted. ^[7] Kim was praised for the drama's cinematography, and later won Best Television Director at the 49th Baeksang Arts Awards.

In 2014, Kim directed Secret Love, starring the girl group KARA. ^[10] It aired on cable channel DRAMAcube and had five different episodes, one for each member of KARA. ^[11] Scenes from Secret Love were also featured in the music video for the KARA song "Runaway."

Later that year, Kim worked with Noh for the fourth time in It's Okay, That's Love , a romance that explored mental illness, starring Jo In-sung and Gong Hyo-jin as a mystery novelist and a psychiatrist, respectively. ^{[12] [13]} Kim called it "a necessary drama," saying he wanted to break away from the traditional genre of a medical drama/romantic comedy by making It's Okay, That's Love into "a hybrid" that puts more weight on breaking the social prejudices toward the minority groups. Kim added, "Ms. Noh, the writer, has the seriousness and the weight and I have the lightness and mass-friendliness. Together we make a great synergy. [...] I personally found it hard to keep the balance between a rom-com and a conventional (melodrama). Every one scene would contain both features. So long as this balance stays unbroken, the drama will be close to perfection." ^[14]

Kim directed Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo , a Korean remake of the Chinese television series, Scarlet Heart . The 20-episode drama, budgeted at $13 million, premiered on August 29, 2016. ^[15] The drama is a critical and commercial failure domestically but it drew a more favorable response in other parts of Asia. ^{[16] [17]}

Filmography

Television series

Television series scriptsTelevision series directing credit

Year	Title		Network	Credited as			Ref.
	English	Korean		Assistant Director	Main Director	Producer
1997	Colors		KBS2	Kim Kyu-tae
1998	Purity
1998-1999	Paper Crane
1999	Invitation
2000	Tough Guy's Love
2001	Orient Theatre
2003	Yellow Handkerchief	노란손수건	KBS1	Kim Kyu-tae (2nd Unit)
2004	Drama City "After Love"	사랑한 후에	KBS2		Kim Kyu-tae
	Drama City "Our Ham"	우리 햄
	Drama City "Anagram"	아나그램
	Drama City "Blue Skies of Jeju Island"	제주도 푸른 밤
2005	Drama City "Oh! Sarah"	오!사라
	Loveholic	러브홀릭		Kim Kyu-tae (2nd Unit)
	A Love to Kill	이 죽일 놈의 사랑
2008	Worlds Within	그들이 사는 세상		Kim Kyu-tae (2nd Unit)	Pyo Min-soo
2009	Iris	시티헌터	SBS		Kim Kyu-tae
2011–2012	Padam Padam	빠담빠담.... 그와 그녀의 심장박동소리	JTBC				[18] [19]
2013	That Winter, the Wind Blows	그 겨울, 바람이 분다	SBS				[20]
2014	It's Okay, That's Love	괜찮아, 사랑이야				Kim Kyu-tae	[21]
	Secret Love	시크릿 러브	DRAMAcube
2016	Dear My Friends	디어 마이 프렌즈	tvN				[22]
	Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo	달의 연인 – 보보경심 려	SBS			Kim Kyu-tae
2017	The Most Beautiful Goodbye	세상에서 가장 아름다운 이별	tvN				[23]
2018	Live	라이브			Kim Kyu-tae		[24]
2019	The Crowned Clown	왕이 된 남자			Kim Hee-won
2019	Hotel del Luna	호텔 델루나			Oh Chung-hwan
2022	Our Blues	우리들의 블루스			Kim Kyu-tae		[25]
2024	The Trunk	트렁크	Netflix				[26]

Awards

Year	Award	Category	Recipient	Result
2006	Asian Television Awards	Best Drama Series	A Love to Kill [27]	Nominated
2010	46th Baeksang Arts Awards	Best Drama	Iris	Won
		Best Director (Television)	Yang Yun-ho and Kim Kyu-tae	Nominated
	3rd Korea Drama Awards	Best Drama	Iris	Nominated
		Best Production Director in a Miniseries	Yang Yun-ho and Kim Kyu-tae	Won
2013	49th Baeksang Arts Awards	Best Director (Television)	Kim Kyu-tae	Won
	19th Shanghai Television Festival	Silver Award for Best Foreign TV Series	That Winter, the Wind Blows	Won
	8th Seoul International Drama Awards	Outstanding Korean Drama		Nominated
	6th Korea Drama Awards	Best Production Director	Kim Kyu-tae	Nominated

References

1. "Korean TV Drama Reviews: 이 죽일놈의 사랑 (A Love To Kill)". Twitch Film . 2 March 2006. Archived from the original on 28 January 2008.
2. "TV Reviews: 아이리스 (Iris)". Twitch Film . 18 December 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
3. "My Name Is: Min Ji-ah". 10Asia. 25 February 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
4. Han, Sang-hee (24 May 2009). "Iris to Bring Spy Story to Small Screen". The Korea Times . Retrieved 19 September 2015.
5. "Interview: Kim So-yeon in Iris - Part 1". 10Asia. 3 November 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
6. "Jung Woo-sung, Kim Beom photos for Padam Padam revealed". 10Asia. 27 September 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
7. "That Winter, The Wind Blows Secret Behind the Figure in the Mirror". KDramaStars. 16 March 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
8. Oh, Jean (14 March 2013). "Zo In-sung opens up on latest role". The Korea Herald . Retrieved 19 September 2015.
9. Han, Eun-hwa (5 March 2013). "Baramibunda ready for its close-up". Korea JoongAng Daily . Retrieved 19 September 2015.
10. Lee, Sun-min (25 March 2013). "KARA plans on several one-act plays". Korea JoongAng Daily . Retrieved 19 September 2015.
11. Lee, Sun-min (20 May 2013). "KARA one-act play is in the works". Korea JoongAng Daily . Retrieved 19 September 2015.
12. Baek, Byung-yeul (18 July 2014). "Jo In-sung's drama touches on mental illness". The Korea Times . Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
13. Kim, Hee-eun (13 June 2014). "SBS performs ritual for success". Korea JoongAng Daily . Retrieved 19 September 2015.
14. Chung, Joo-won (23 July 2014). "Director calls It's Okay, That's Love a necessary drama". The Korea Herald . Retrieved 19 September 2015.
15. Park, Jin-hai (August 28, 2016). "Chinese remake 'Moon Lovers' to premiere". The Korea Times . Retrieved August 28, 2016.
16. "Lee Joon-gi confirms Asia tour" . Retrieved 2016-10-28.
17. "After Moon Lovers' Flop, What's Lee Joon Gi's Next Move?". NewsPim .
18. Lee, Jin-ho (30 November 2011). "Noh Hee Kyung Says, "I had little interest in Jung Woo Sung."". enewsWorld. CJ E&M. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
19. Kang, Hye-ran (30 August 2011). "The heart-pounding thrill of the race". Korea JoongAng Daily . Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
20. Hong, Grace Danbi (February 17, 2013). "Song Hye Kyo Says Working with Zo in Sung was a Gift from Above". enewsWorld. CJ E&M. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
21. Chung, Joo-won (July 23, 2014). "Director calls It's Okay, That's Love a necessary drama". The Korea Herald . Retrieved July 25, 2014.
22. Hong Se-young (October 22, 2015). 노희경 신작 ‘디어 마이 프렌즈’, 고현정·조인성 등 라인업 확정 [공식입장]. The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved May 10, 2016.
23. "[공식입장] tvN 측 "김영옥·원미경, 노희경 '세상에서~' 출연확정"". Osen (in Korean). October 16, 2017.
24. "Noh Hee-kyeong's "Live" Holds First Script Reading". HanCinema . December 1, 2017. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
25. "Our Blues - (Korean Drama, 2022, 우리들의 블루스)". HanCinema . Retrieved January 21, 2022.
26. Lee, Ho-young (August 9, 2023). [단독] 정윤하, 공유X서현진과 '트렁크' 주연 발탁 [[Exclusive] Jung Yun-ha, Gong Yoo X Seo Hyun-jin, selected as lead in 'Trunk'] (in Korean). iMBC . Retrieved October 30, 2024– via Naver.
27. "Two KBS Programs Tops at Asian Television Awards". KBS World via Hancinema . 1 December 2006. Archived from the original on 2015-04-03. Retrieved 2013-05-21.

External links

• Kim Kyu-tae at HanCinema
• Kim Kyu-tae at IMDb