Haeundae (2009 Film)

Haeundae (Korean: 해운대) is a 2009 South Korean disaster film directed by Yoon Je-kyun. Set in the popular coastal district of Haeundae in Busan, the film centers on the lives of local residents and vacationers who face a catastrophic, man-made tsunami triggered by seismic activity in the East Sea.

Promotional poster for the film Haeundae.

Plot

The story follows Man-sik, a native of Haeundae who lost a colleague in a deep-sea fishing accident years prior. He leads a quiet life running a small sushi shop while preparing to propose to his girlfriend, Yeon-hee. Simultaneously, a geologist specializing in tsunami research identifies seismic patterns in the East Sea that mirror those preceding the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Despite his warnings, the Disaster Prevention Agency remains skeptical. When a massive tsunami is confirmed to be heading toward the Korean peninsula, the residents of Haeundae are left with little time to react.

Production and Release

The film was produced by JK Film and distributed by CJ Entertainment. It was released in South Korea on July 23, 2009. The production utilized significant visual effects to simulate the tsunami, a notable undertaking for the South Korean film industry at the time.

Actor Sol Kyung-gu — Sol Kyung-gu, who portrays Choi Man-sik.

Actress Ha Ji-won — Ha Ji-won, who portrays Kang Yeon-hee.

Reception and Commercial Performance

Haeundae achieved significant commercial success in South Korea. During its opening weekend from July 24 to July 26, 2009, it topped the box office, selling 1.1 million tickets across 869 screens. On August 24, 2009, it became the fifth South Korean film to surpass 10 million viewers. By the end of its theatrical run, the film had sold 11,396,842 tickets, ranking as one of the highest-grossing South Korean films at the time of its release.

Shortly after its release, the film faced issues with digital piracy. On August 29, 2009, a pirated copy was discovered on a peer-to-peer website. Despite efforts by the production company to remove the files, the copy was downloaded over 100,000 times within three hours, causing concern for the film's international distribution prospects.

Cast

The film features an ensemble cast, including:

Sol Kyung-gu as Choi Man-sik
Ha Ji-won as Kang Yeon-hee
Park Joong-hoon as Kim Hee
Uhm Jung-hwa as Lee Yu-jin
Lee Min-ki as Choi Hyeong-sik
Gang Ye-won as Hee-mi
Kim In-kwon as Dong-chun
Kim You-jung as Ji-min

Actor Park Joong-hoon — Park Joong-hoon, who portrays Kim Hee.

Actress Uhm Jung-hwa — Uhm Jung-hwa, who portrays Lee Yu-jin.

Actor Lee Min-ki — Lee Min-ki, who portrays Choi Hyeong-sik.

Actress Gang Ye-won — Gang Ye-won, who portrays Hee-mi.

Actor Kim In-kwon — Kim In-kwon, who portrays Dong-chun.

Actress Kim You-jung — Kim You-jung, who portrays Ji-min.

Film still from Haeundae — A scene from the film depicting the disaster.