Count (2023 South Korean Film)

Count (Korean: 카운트) is a 2023 South Korean sports drama film directed by Kwon Hyeok-Jae. The film follows the life of Park Shi-Heon, a former Olympic gold medalist in boxing who transitions into a career as a high school teacher in Jinhae.

Plot

Set in 1998, the story centers on Shi-Heon (played by Jin Sun-Kyu), a man known for his stubborn personality and his past as a gold-medal-winning boxer at the 1988 Olympics. While working as an ordinary high school teacher, he encounters a talented student named Yoon-Woo (Sung Yoo-Bin). After witnessing Yoon-Woo lose a boxing match due to blatant match-fixing, Shi-Heon is moved to take action. He decides to establish a boxing club at his school to mentor Yoon-Woo and other students, including Hwan-Joo (Jang Dong-Joo) and Bok-An (Kim Min-Ho), despite initial opposition from his wife, Il-Sun (Oh Na-Ra), and the school principal (Ko Chang-Seok).

Production

The film was produced by Cha Sang-Min with cinematography by Lee Sung-Jae. Principal photography for the project commenced on February 25, 2020, and concluded on June 24, 2020. The film was distributed by CJ Entertainment and received its theatrical release on February 22, 2023, with a total runtime of 109 minutes.

Cast

The film features an ensemble cast including:

Jin Sun-Kyu as Park Shi-Heon
Sung Yoo-Bin as Choi Yoon-Woo
Ko Chang-Seok as the School Principal
Oh Na-Ra as Jo Il-Sun
Jang Dong-Joo as Lee Hwan-Joo
Ko Kyu-Pil as Koo Man-Deok
Kim Min-Ho as Park Bok-An