Director Kang Je Gyu is considered South Korea's most successful film director with titles "Tae Guk Gi," "Shiri" and "The Ginko Bed" under his belt.

"The Ginko Bed" has won many awards on the film festival circuit; "Shiri" was the first Korean film that got distribution in the U.S., and "Tae Guk Gi" has become South Korea's top blockbuster to date, not to mention a worldwide success.

He was in Hawai'i as a juror for the 25th annual Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival.

His movie, "Shiri," starred Han Suk-kyu (of "The Scarlet Letter" and "Tell Me Something" fame) and Kim Yun Jin (who appears in the ABC series "Lost"). "Tae Guk Gi" stars Jang Dong Gun (of "All About Eve," "Friends," "Hurricane" and "Promise") and Won Bin ("Autumn Story" and "Brother").

The director has worked with the top stars of South Korea and with stories like "Tae Guk Ki," took Hallyu to where it is today.

Hallyu, which means Korean wave (or enthusiasm for Korean culture), puts South Korea on the international cultural map through Korean pop culture.

Here Kang talks about stars he's worked with and projects, past and future:

Q. How did you see Hallyu develop?

A. "Hallyu started many years ago with Korean music being played in China. It was not that popular, nor did it take China by storm, but year after year, the Chinese started to take more interest in Korean music since it offered a different option for the Chinese. ... China is one of the leaders in Asia, and many neighboring countries follow China's lead.

"After music, Korean cinema and TV series gained a foothold in China. In Japan, Hallyu started with the movie, 'Shiri.' It was the first Korean movie that got distribution and did extremely well. In 2000, my marketing team did a survey and found that nearly 50 percent of the Japanese didn't even know where Korea was on the map.

"This was a huge challenge, since my marketing team had to get the attention of the Japanese and also stir their interest in Korea. 'Shiri' was successful in Japan and soon, there were tour packages to location sites in the film 'Shiri.' After 'Shiri,' music then took center stage with BoA, a teenage international singer. BoA became extremely popular in Japan and broke many music chart records.

"Then TV series such as 'Winter Ballad' and 'All In' took over the airwaves. ... When 'Shiri' was released in Japan, the horror genre was most popular. So 'Shiri' was a new genre that found a niche. At a time when Hollywood was trying to penetrate the Japanese market, the last thing that was expected was a Korean film to get so much attention.

"... I have been a director for many years and my goal is to make movies that have global appeal. We are all human and in a broad picture, all neighbors so my films are not popular because of it being Korean, but because it has international appeal."

Q. Did you cast Jang Dong Gun and Won Bin for "Tae Guk Gi" because of Hallyu?

A. "The two main actors were best fit for the roles and they complemented each other. At that time, there were only a few stars in Korea with appeal overseas. Won Bin was popular in Japan and Jang Dong Gun was popular in China."

Q. Can you tell us more about Jang Dong Gun and Won Bin?

A. "Jang Dong Gun is really a hard-working actor. You can ask anyone who has worked with him and they will all tell you the same thing. He works extremely hard, down to earth, very good to his parents and friends. While filming in harsh weather and conditions, he is not one to seek many luxury or leisure time. He is a tough guy and a guy's guy.

"I would describe Won Bin's personality much like of land. He is very wide, broad-minded, deep in thought and bright. When working on a film he is so focused that he doesn't go out much at all. He stays home most of the time working on his lines. He has a lot of energy, very focused and concentrates on his self-development.

Q. How was Won Bin's transition to film?

"The style of shooting for TV and film are very different, especially during war scenes where explosions are going off. We take long shots, then edit into short cuts. I found that Won Bin's tempo a little slow in speech and movement, but he adjusted well.

Q. Can you tell us about your next project?

A. "I can't say much, other than that the script will be done sometime by the end of this year and planning to start filming in spring of 2006."

Q. Who do you plan to cast in your next film?

A. "We will have to wait until the script is done." (Big smile)

Q. Is there anything you would like to tell your fans in Hawai'i?

A. "To be honest, I didn't think 'Tae Guk Gi' would do well in Hawai'i. Korean movies in the U.S. have not made a big impact yet. To get there, we have to first get the attention of the U.S. and have our culture known. It's important to have films that attract non-Koreans, as well.

"I want to sincerely thank the fans in Hawai'i as the director of 'Tae Guk Gi' for taking so much interest and support. I am considering the possibility of having my next film premiere in Hawai'i. I do know that there has been Hollywood premieres in Hawai'i. This would be my way of showing my appreciation."

Jeff Chung is the general manager of KBFD, which televises all of the K-dramas. If you have a K-drama question or comment, call KBFD at 521-8066.

HERE’S A SUMMARY OF COMING K-DRAMAS

‘A Farewell to Tears’ Episodes 13 and 14

Tonight at 7: Hae-sun demands Sung-jae to bring her son back. Sung-jae can’t bring himself to tell Jung-woo that Hae-sun is his natural mother. Yeojin gives up on Sung-min and tells her family she’ll meet a new man. Seo-young keeps her relationship with Jung-woo a secret from her family.

Tonight at 8: Hae-sun questions Sung-jae about her son. Sung-jae joins Jung-woo in his car-washing job. Jung-woo suggests they start a new business. Working odd jobs from morning to night, Sung-min collapses from exhaustion.

‘Secret Lovers’ Episodes 3 and 4

Tomorrow at 7:50 p.m.: Joon-woo, still under the mistaken impression that Young-hee is Ah-mi, finds her attractive and pursues her. Ah-mi tells Young-jee to really sabotage the second date so that he’ll never call back. In spite of Young-jee’s best efforts, Joon-woo finds her compelling.

Tuesday at 7:50 p.m.: Joon-woo racks his brains as to why Young-jee lied to him, and fled when she saw him. He finally comes to the conclusion that she must have filled in for the real Ah-mi at their blind date. Coincidentally, Ah-mi had been looking at Joon-woo’s arts center as a place to put on her belly-dance troupe’s show. Joon-woo goes to the clinic to find out who the real Ah-mi is.

‘Rebirth’ Episodes 11 and 12

Wednesday at 7:50 p.m.: Gang-ju gets a second message urging her to investigate a suicide of a Ministry of Construction official from 20 years ago. Gang-ju goes to meet Dong-chan when she finds out Ha-eun had singled him out as the murder suspect. Shin-hyeok (Ha-eun) goes to see Jae-soo at his food cart.

Thursday at 7:50 p.m.: Gang-ju learns Gun-ha’s fatal accident might not have been an accident. Gang-ju questions her father about his colleague’s suicide from 20 years ago. Su-cheol’s suspicion of Shin-hyeok’s real identity grows. Jin-woo learns the love of Eun-ha’s life is dead. Gang-ju starts to develop feelings for Shin-hyeok (Ha-eun).

Note: Synopses were not available for “Smiles on a Spring Day,” a two-part drama that will air at 7:50 p.m. Friday and Saturday.