{ "id": "epx2fhp539", "slug": "land-of-happiness", "title": "Land of Happiness (행복의 나라)", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical", "label": "Drama and biographical films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical.drama-films-2023-and-2024", "label": "Drama films 2023 and 2024", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical.drama-films-2023-and-2024" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical.drama-films-2023-and-2024.alpha-h-to-n", "label": "Titles H to N", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical.drama-films-2023-and-2024.alpha-h-to-n" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical", "label": "Asia (other) · 2021 and later: Drama and biographical films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical", "path": [ { "id": "geo.asia", "label": "Asia (other)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021", "label": "Asia (other) · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical", "label": "Drama and biographical films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Land of Happiness (행복의 나라) is a 2024 South Korean courtroom drama by Choo Chang-min starring Cho Jung-seok and Lee Sun-kyun, dramatizing the 1979 trial of Colonel Park Heung-joo after President Park Chung-hee's assassination; released Aug 14, 2024, 710,620 admissions.", "snippet": "Land of Happiness (행복의 나라) is a 2024 South Korean courtroom drama by Choo Chang-min starring Cho Jung-seok and Lee Sun-kyun, dramatizing the 1979 trial of Colonel Park Heung-joo after President Park Chung-hee's assassination; released Aug 14, 2024, 710,620 admissions.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical.drama-films-2023-and-2024.alpha-h-to-n", "markdown": "# Land of Happiness (행복의 나라)\n\n**Land of Happiness** (행복의 나라) is a 2024 South Korean political courtroom drama directed by Choo Chang-min, based on the real trial of an army colonel involved in the October 1979 assassination of President Park Chung-hee. It stars Cho Jung-seok as defense lawyer Jung In-hoo and the late [Lee Sun-kyun](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-sun-kyun) as Colonel Park Tae-joo, a character inspired by the real-life Park Heung-joo.[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20204271) • [2](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=6133)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Director | Choo Chang-min, whose earlier films include *Masquerade* (2012) and *Seven Years of Night* (2018)[2](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=6133) |\n| Release | August 14, 2024 (South Korea); limited North American release August 23, 2024[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20204271) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/land_of_happiness_2024) |\n| Runtime and rating | 124 minutes; rated 12 and older in South Korea[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20204271) |\n| Production | Papa's Film and Oscar 10 Studio; distributed by Next Entertainment World (NEW)[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/land_of_happiness_2024) |\n| Lead cast | Cho Jung-seok (Jung In-hoo), Lee Sun-kyun (Park Tae-joo), Yoo Jae-myung (Jeon Sang-doo)[4](https://www.hkaff.asia/en/film/2024/detail/346) |\n| Box office | 710,620 admissions and $4,884,763 gross in South Korea (KOFIC, as of September 12, 2026)[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20204271) |\n| IMDb rating | 6.0/10 from 271 user ratings[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32933495/ratings/) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Story and historical basis\n\nThe film opens with a recreation of the assassination of President Park Chung-hee on October 26, 1979, a watershed moment in modern Korean history. Colonel Park Tae-joo, an aide to the intelligence agency chief, becomes involved in the assassination under orders from his superior, and lawyer Jung In-hoo takes on his defense in what the film presents as South Korea's most notorious political trial.[6](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240807005200315) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/land_of_happiness_2024)\n\nThe protagonist is inspired by Park Heung-joo, a real army colonel who participated in the assassination under his superior's orders. Director Choo Chang-min said the film's central aim is to illuminate the life of this lesser-known figure, whom he found widely praised for his human qualities and military professionalism regardless of political affiliation.[2](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=6133) According to Yonhap, Park Heung-joo was the only military serviceman among the subordinates of [Kim Jae-gyu](https://www.edgepedia.org/kim-jae-gyu), the intelligence chief who shot the president, so the single-trial system applied to him and his death sentence was confirmed immediately; the film imaginatively reconstructs that trial.[7](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20240806153500005)\n\nThe lawyer Jung In-hoo is a created character who synthesizes the trial records and the people involved in the actual defense; actor Cho Jung-seok described him as possibly the only entirely fictional character in the film, an observer through whom the audience watches and judges the events.[2](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=6133) The story sits between two events that dominate Korean films about the era: the October 26 assassination and the December 12, 1979 military coup led by General Chun Doo-hwan, the latter depicted in the 2023 hit *12.12: The Day*. Choo said many people know of both incidents but have forgotten the stories that unfolded between them.[2](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=6133)\n\n**Historical texture.** The director based many scenes and dialogues on actual courtroom scenes, records, and documentaries, and used a filmlike, grainy visual texture to evoke the 1970s. He said he tried to maintain a balanced perspective without leaning to one side.[2](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=6133) • [6](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240807005200315) In selecting the title, Cho said he hoped that, through reflecting on past errors, the nation might someday turn into a land of happiness.[2](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=6133)\n\n## Production and release\n\nThe project predates *Masquerade*: Choo said NEW had offered him the scenario years earlier, he declined at the time, and after finishing *Seven Years of Night* he proposed revising the script and directing it himself.[8](https://host.cine21.com/news/view/?idx=2&mag_id=105656) The film was in post-production when Lee Sun-kyun died in December 2023; at that point its distributor said the release date and whether it would open at all were still under discussion.[9](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0cAA2MbfLk) It opened in South Korea on August 14, 2024 on 1,096 screens.[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20204271)\n\nLee Sun-kyun's performance is one of his final film appearances. The 29th Busan International Film Festival included the film in its special program \"In Memory of Lee Sun-kyun\" in October 2024, and the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival screened it the same year in its Cineaste Delights section.[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20204271) • [4](https://www.hkaff.asia/en/film/2024/detail/346) It later screened at the Paris Korean Film Festival (2024) and the Florence Korea Film Fest (2025, K-orizzonti section), and was listed among the Paeksang Arts Awards (2025).[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20204271)\n\n## Reception\n\nThe film earned 710,620 admissions in South Korea, placing it among the year's mid-scale domestic releases but well behind 2024's leading Korean titles such as *Exhuma* and *The Roundup: Punishment*.[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20204271) • [10](https://www.ambitstock.com/films/2024/) On IMDb it holds a 6.0/10 weighted rating from 271 users.[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32933495/ratings/) Rotten Tomatoes listed no critic reviews and fewer than 50 audience ratings.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/land_of_happiness_2024)\n\nCritics divided over the film's dramatization. A Yonhap review praised the courtroom realism, the grainy 1970s texture, and the ensemble of the three leads, set against a period when military might superseded human rights and dignity.[6](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240807005200315) The cityonfire review rated it 6.5/10, calling Lee Sun-kyun's performance suitably haunting but finding the histrionic finale a sharp turn from the measured approach of most of the narrative.[11](https://cityonfire.com/the-land-of-happiness-2024-review-korean-movie-trailer/) Reviewer Seongyong Cho gave it 2 of 4 stars, finding it tame and bland compared with *12.12: The Day*, which is set in the same period.[12](https://kaist455.com/2024/08/24/land-of-happiness-2024/)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Land of Happiness (2024), KOFIC Korean Film Biz Zone film database](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20204271)\n2. ['The Land of Happiness' brings lesser-known historical figures to life, Yonhap via KOBIZ (Aug 2, 2024)](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=6133)\n3. [Land of Happiness (2024), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/land_of_happiness_2024)\n4. [Land of Happiness, Hong Kong Asian Film Festival 2024](https://www.hkaff.asia/en/film/2024/detail/346)\n5. [Land of Happiness (2024) Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32933495/ratings/)\n6. [(Movie Review) 'The Land of Happiness' weaves gripping courtroom drama with 1979 assassination, Yonhap (Aug 7, 2024)](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240807005200315)\n7. [대한민국 격동 한복판 10·26 재판 속으로…영화 '행복의 나라', 연합뉴스 (Aug 6, 2024)](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20240806153500005)\n8. [[인터뷰] 역사를 발전시키는 것은 물밑에서 움직이는 대중이다, <행복의 나라> 추창민 감독, Cine21 (Aug 15, 2024)](https://host.cine21.com/news/view/?idx=2&mag_id=105656)\n9. [이선균 비보에 아내 전혜진 영화 '크로스' 개봉 연기, SBS 뉴스 (Dec 28, 2023)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0cAA2MbfLk)\n10. [2024년 개봉 영화 전체 목록 | 관객수 순위와 R 평점, R의 필름공장](https://www.ambitstock.com/films/2024/)\n11. [Land of Happiness, The (2024) Review, cityonfire.com](https://cityonfire.com/the-land-of-happiness-2024-review-korean-movie-trailer/)\n12. [Land of Happiness (2024) ☆☆(2/4): A tediously fictional presentation of one big trial, Seongyong's Private Place (Aug 24, 2024)](https://kaist455.com/2024/08/24/land-of-happiness-2024/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Drama and biographical films (individual works) › Drama films 2023 and 2024 › Titles H to N*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/land-of-happiness", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/land-of-happiness.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Land of Happiness (행복의 나라)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/land-of-happiness. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Land of Happiness (행복의 나라)](https://www.edgepedia.org/land-of-happiness)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/land-of-happiness](https://www.edgepedia.org/land-of-happiness). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Land of Happiness (행복의 나라)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/land-of-happiness. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Land of Happiness is a 2024 South Korean courtroom drama by Choo Chang-min starring Cho Jung-seok and Lee Sun-kyun, dramatizing the 1979 trial of Colonel Park Heung-joo after President Park Chung-hee's assassination; released Aug 14, 2024, 710,620 admissions." }