{ "id": "ep3bgjgd69", "slug": "unframed", "title": "Unframed (언프레임드)", "updated": "2026-10-25", "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.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia", "label": "East Asian drama series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "East Asian web and streaming serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-sp-to-z", "label": "Titles Sp to Z", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-sp-to-z" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "Asia (other) · 2021 and later: East Asian web and streaming serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "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.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia", "label": "East Asian drama series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "East Asian web and streaming serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Unframed (언프레임드) is a 2021 Korean Watcha Original omnibus of four short films written and directed by actors Park Jung-min, Son Suk-ku, Choi Hee-seo, and Lee Je-hoon, their directorial debuts.", "snippet": "Unframed (언프레임드) is a 2021 Korean Watcha Original omnibus of four short films written and directed by actors Park Jung-min, Son Suk-ku, Choi Hee-seo, and Lee Je-hoon, their directorial debuts.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-sp-to-z", "markdown": "# Unframed (언프레임드)\n\n**Unframed** (언프레임드) is a 2021 South Korean omnibus short-film project in which four actors, Park Jung-min, Son Suk-ku, Choi Hee-seo, and [Lee Je-hoon](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-je-hoon), each wrote and directed their own short film[1](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20211206078900005). The four pieces were bundled into a single Watcha Original series released exclusively on the Korean streaming service Watcha on December 8, 2021[1](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20211206078900005) • [2](https://thetvdb.com/series/unframed). It was the first directorial effort for all four participants[3](https://m.koreanfilm.or.kr/mobile/other/news.jsp?blbdComCd=601006&mode=VIEW&seq=5526).\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Format | Omnibus of four short films, each written and directed by one actor-director[1](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20211206078900005) |\n| Directors | Park Jung-min, Son Suk-ku, Choi Hee-seo, Lee Je-hoon; all first-time directors[3](https://m.koreanfilm.or.kr/mobile/other/news.jsp?blbdComCd=601006&mode=VIEW&seq=5526) |\n| Episodes | 반장선거 (Park Jung-min), 재방송 (Son Suk-ku), 반디 (Choi Hee-seo), 블루 해피니스 (Lee Je-hoon)[4](https://www.khan.co.kr/article/202110081712001/amp) |\n| Production | Co-production of Hardcut, the company founded by Lee Je-hoon, and Watcha; announced April 20, 2021[3](https://m.koreanfilm.or.kr/mobile/other/news.jsp?blbdComCd=601006&mode=VIEW&seq=5526) |\n| Release | Premiered at the Busan International Film Festival in October 2021; released on Watcha on December 8, 2021[1](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20211206078900005) • [2](https://thetvdb.com/series/unframed) |\n| Running time | 130 minutes total for the compiled film (Cine21); average episode runtime 33 minutes (TheTVDB); episodes of 24, 31, 40, and 37 minutes per Apple TV[5](https://cine21.com/movie/info/?movie_id=58584) • [2](https://thetvdb.com/series/unframed) • [6](https://tv.apple.com/jp/show/unframed%E3%82%A2%E3%83%B3%E3%83%95%E3%83%AC%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%83%88/umc.cmc.7imc5zmukixa00px7rlkmgvgo) |\n| Genre | Drama; classified as a mini-series and episodic anthology[2](https://thetvdb.com/series/unframed) |\n\n## Origin and production\n\nThe project grew out of a decision by the production company Hardcut, founded by Lee Je-hoon, to work with the streaming service Watcha. On April 20, 2021, Watcha announced that it would co-produce the 'Unframed' project with Hardcut, with Hardcut handling production and the four actors directing scenarios they wrote themselves[3](https://m.koreanfilm.or.kr/mobile/other/news.jsp?blbdComCd=601006&mode=VIEW&seq=5526). The title describes the approach: rather than fixing one large theme for the project, the four stories were gathered on a blank page, a frame-less (\"unframed\") space, so that each director's individual temperament could come through[7](https://www.cineplay.co.kr/ko-kr/articles/5770).\n\nWatcha framed the project as the start of its original-content production, and Hardcut described it as a chance for the four actors to extend their artistry into directing and deliver honest stories. Filming was planned to finish before the end of the year, with an exclusive release as an original series on Watcha in December[3](https://m.koreanfilm.or.kr/mobile/other/news.jsp?blbdComCd=601006&mode=VIEW&seq=5526).\n\nThe casting reached across generations of Korean actors, from veterans to rising names[3](https://m.koreanfilm.or.kr/mobile/other/news.jsp?blbdComCd=601006&mode=VIEW&seq=5526). The lineup announced on August 31, 2021 included Kim Dam-ho, Kang Ji-seok, Park Hyo-eun, and Park Seung-jun for Park Jung-min's episode[8](https://m.news.nate.com/view/20210831n34855), along with [Jung Hae-in](https://www.edgepedia.org/jung-hae-in), Lee Dong-hwi, Park So-yi, Im Sung-jae, Byun Joong-hee, Oh Min-ae, Tang Joon-sang, Pyo Ye-jin, Shin Hyun-soo, and others[5](https://cine21.com/movie/info/?movie_id=58584) • [9](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/show/unframed?context.unit=HC).\n\n## The four episodes\n\nEach of the four episodes was directed by one of the actor-directors and paired them with a cast of their own[4](https://www.khan.co.kr/article/202110081712001/amp).\n\n**Class President Election (반장선거)**, directed by Park Jung-min, is set in a fifth-grade classroom where the election for class president is described as being as fiercely contested as the adult world; a quiet, timid boy named In-ho (Kim Dam-ho) finds himself pushed into running against a popular classmate[10](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/unframed/allseasons/official) • [5](https://cine21.com/movie/info/?movie_id=58584). Korean commentary has called the episode an elementary-school noir[11](https://m.kinolights.com/season/99637).\n\n**Rerun (재방송)**, directed by [Son Suk-ku](https://www.edgepedia.org/son-suk-ku), follows Soo-in (Im Sung-jae), an unknown actor who does not want to attend a relative's wedding where he must meet many people. At his mother's request he accompanies his aunt (Byun Joong-hee), and the two travel to the wedding bickering along the way[10](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/unframed/allseasons/official). Korean summaries describe it as a road movie about an aunt and nephew's prickly but affectionate day[11](https://m.kinolights.com/season/99637).\n\n**Bandi (반디)**, directed by Choi Hee-seo, tells of nine-year-old Bandi (Park So-yi), who struggles to get along with friends because of a stutter. Her single mother So-young (Choi Hee-seo) believes she herself is responsible, and resolves to tell Bandi a special story she has never told her before[10](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/unframed/allseasons/official). In the backstory reported at Busan, Bandi's father Won-seok (Shin Hyun-soo), who died young, named his daughter after the fireflies he saw as a child on the hill behind their home[4](https://www.khan.co.kr/article/202110081712001/amp).\n\n**Blue Happiness (블루 해피니스)**, directed by Lee Je-hoon, stars Jung Hae-in as Chan-young, a young man working part-time jobs while looking for full-time work, who dreams of an ordinary life with his supportive girlfriend Ji-eun (Kim Da-ye), played alongside [Lee Dong-hwi](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-dong-hwi) as Seung-min[5](https://cine21.com/movie/info/?movie_id=58584). In the Japanese synopsis, after an unexpected reunion with an investor friend he obtains a piece of information and drifts into a dangerous deal[6](https://tv.apple.com/jp/show/unframed%E3%82%A2%E3%83%B3%E3%83%95%E3%83%AC%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%83%88/umc.cmc.7imc5zmukixa00px7rlkmgvgo).\n\n## Release and reception\n\nUnframed was first shown to the public at the Busan International Film Festival in October 2021, where the four directors appeared and screenings sold out; a lively question-and-answer session followed[4](https://www.khan.co.kr/article/202110081712001/amp). It was then released exclusively on Watcha on December 8, 2021, with all four episodes available that day[1](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20211206078900005) • [10](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/unframed/allseasons/official).\n\nAt the online press conference on December 6, Lee Je-hoon said, \"I realized that directing is not something just anyone can do,\" adding, \"I have come to respect directors,\" and he said he now understood the director's position[12](https://view.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2021120612271805841). He recalled that Jung Hae-in sent him a long message after reading the script, remarking that \"the story of youth living in reality is both lonely and heartbreaking\"[12](https://view.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2021120612271805841). On the Korean review aggregation site Kinolights the series held a 93.7% rating with a 3.7 user score across 27 reviews[11](https://m.kinolights.com/season/99637).\n\n## Context in Korean cinema\n\nKorean film magazine Cine21 placed the project against the slow generational turnover of the Korean film industry, describing Park Jung-min, Son Suk-ku, Choi Hee-seo, and Lee Je-hoon as actors born in the 1980s who signal change: they show individuality outside their work, communicate actively with the public, and cultivate talents beyond acting through writing and speaking, so their move behind the camera did not come out of nowhere[13](https://host.cine21.com/news/view/?idx=2&mag_id=99287). The magazine noted that although the official production period was short, each of the four films distinctly reflects its director's own disposition[13](https://host.cine21.com/news/view/?idx=2&mag_id=99287).\n\nThe project also marked Watcha's move into original production, which the platform said would begin in full scale through Unframed[3](https://m.koreanfilm.or.kr/mobile/other/news.jsp?blbdComCd=601006&mode=VIEW&seq=5526).\n\n## References\n\n1. [배우들이 연출한 '언프레임드'…\"감독님들 왈가왈부한 것 반성\", 연합뉴스 (2021-12-06)](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20211206078900005)\n2. [Unframed, TheTVDB.com](https://thetvdb.com/series/unframed)\n3. [Lee Jehoon, Park Jungmin, Choi Heeseo, and Son Seok-koo are Challenging Original Contents with Korean OTT, KOBIZ / Korean Film Council](https://m.koreanfilm.or.kr/mobile/other/news.jsp?blbdComCd=601006&mode=VIEW&seq=5526)\n4. [박정민·손석구·이제훈·최희서가 연출한 영화는? <언프레임드> 부산영화제서 공개, 경향신문 (2021-10-08)](https://www.khan.co.kr/article/202110081712001/amp)\n5. [언프레임드 (Unframed) 상세정보, 씨네21](https://cine21.com/movie/info/?movie_id=58584)\n6. [UNFRAMED／アンフレームド, Apple TV (Japan)](https://tv.apple.com/jp/show/unframed%E3%82%A2%E3%83%B3%E3%83%95%E3%83%AC%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%83%88/umc.cmc.7imc5zmukixa00px7rlkmgvgo)\n7. [박정민, 손석구, 최희서, 이제훈이 뭉친 <언프레임드>를 지금 바로 관람해야 하는 이유, 씨네플레이 (2021-12-11)](https://www.cineplay.co.kr/ko-kr/articles/5770)\n8. [박정민X손석구X최희서X이제훈 연출 맡은 왓챠 '언프레임드' 배우 라인업 공개, 서울경제 via 네이트 (2021-08-31)](https://m.news.nate.com/view/20210831n34855)\n9. [Unframed (2021), Plex](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/show/unframed?context.unit=HC)\n10. [Unframed - All Seasons, TheTVDB.com](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/unframed/allseasons/official)\n11. [언프레임드 다시보기, 키노라이츠](https://m.kinolights.com/season/99637)\n12. [Actors Turned Directors... Raise Expectations for 'Unframed', The Asia Business Daily (2021-12-06)](https://view.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2021120612271805841)\n13. [배우, 감독이 되다: 박정민, 손석구, 최희서, 이제훈의 숏필름 프로젝트 '언프레임드', 씨네21 매거진 (2021-12-17)](https://host.cine21.com/news/view/?idx=2&mag_id=99287)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › East Asian web and streaming serials › Titles Sp to Z*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 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/unframed", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/unframed.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": "\"Unframed (언프레임드)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/unframed. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Unframed (언프레임드)](https://www.edgepedia.org/unframed)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/unframed](https://www.edgepedia.org/unframed). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Unframed (언프레임드)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/unframed. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Unframed is a 2021 Korean Watcha Original omnibus of four short films written and directed by actors Park Jung-min, Son Suk-ku, Choi Hee-seo, and Lee Je-hoon, their directorial debuts." }