Mermaid Unlimited (2018 Film)

Mermaid Unlimited (Korean: 인어전설; RR: Ineojeonseol) is a 2018 South Korean comedy-drama film directed by O Muel. The film explores themes of community and sports, focusing on the intersection of professional athletic training and local traditions on Jeju Island.

Promotional poster for the film Mermaid Unlimited.

Plot

The story follows Young-Joo (Jeon Hye-Bin), a former member of the national synchronized swimming team who currently works at an aquarium. She is recruited to travel to Jeju Island to coach a group of local female divers in the art of synchronized swimming. Upon her arrival, she encounters resistance from the local divers, led by Ok-Ja (Moon Hee-Kyung), who are skeptical of the training program. The narrative centers on the friction and eventual collaboration between the professional coach and the traditional divers.

Actress Jeon Hye-Bin — Jeon Hye-Bin portrays the lead character, Young-Joo.

Production and Release

The film was written by Jeon Byeon-Won and produced by Ko Hyuk-Jin and Kwon Mi-Hee. It had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival in October 2017 before receiving a general theatrical release in South Korea on November 15, 2018. The film has a runtime of 107 minutes.

Actress Moon Hee-Kyung — Moon Hee-Kyung plays the role of Ok-Ja.

Cast

Jeon Hye-Bin as Young-Joo
Moon Hee-Kyung as Ok-Ja
Lee Kyung-Joon as the village leader
Ha Sung-Min as Seok-Min
Eo Sung-Wook as Man-Soo
Kang Rae-Yeon as Ga-Yeon
Kim Nan-Hee as Soon-Deok
Kim Young-Hee as Grandma Ddongging

Actor Lee Kyung-Joon — Lee Kyung-Joon appears as the village leader.

Actor Ha Sung-Min — Ha Sung-Min plays the character Seok-Min.