Late actor Lee Sun-kyun’s final films will hit screens this summer

Late actor Lee Sun-kyun's posthumous works, 'Project Silence' and 'The Land of Happiness', are set to be released in July and August, respectively.

Actor Lee Sun-kyun, center, walks on the 76th Cannes Film Festival's red carpet on May 23, 2023 for his film ″Project Silence″, which was invited to the festival's Midnight Screening section. [CJ ENM]

Late “Parasite” (2019) actor Lee Sun-kyun’s posthumous works are scheduled to hit screens this summer, each a month apart.

Thriller film “Project Silence” is set to be released in July, according to its distributor, CJ ENM.

“Project Silence,” directed by Kim Tae-gon, is a survival story of people trapped in a foggy bridge on the way to an airport who are attacked by military dogs.

Lee plays Cha Jeong-won, an administrator at the nation’s security office while Ju Ji-hoon plays Joe Park, a man who does anything for money.

“Project Silence” was invited to the 76th Cannes Film Festival's Midnight Screening section last year. The late actor also walked the event's red carpet for his work in “Sleep,” a horror mystery film directed by director Jason Yu.

The poster of last actor Lee Sun-kyun's posthumous work ″Project Silence″ [CJ ENM]

Lee’s posthumous work “The Land of Happiness” will come out in August, according to distributor NEW.

“The Land of Happiness” depicts the journey of soldier Park Tae-joo, who is about to face a death sentence, and his lawyer, Jung In-hoo, during a presidential assassination trial in 1979. The story is based on the case of former President Park Chung Hee’s assassination that occurred on Oct. 26 of the same year.

Lee plays Park Tae-joo, and Jo Jung-suk plays the lawyer defending him.

A poster of late actor Lee Sun-kyun's posthumous work ″The Land of Happiness″ [NEW]

Lee debuted in 2001 and gained international recognition through director Bong Joon-ho's “Parasite” (2019), which won awards at major film ceremonies including the 72nd Cannes Film Festival and the 92nd Academy Awards.

The actor was embroiled in a drug scandal in October last year for which he underwent police questioning. He died on Dec. 27 of last year.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]