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On April 15, 2025, distributor Showbox announced that Kim Hye-yoon and Lee Jong-won have officially joined the cast of an upcoming horror feature titled Salmokji (tentative name). The film will mark Lee's first appearance in a widely distributed commercial movie. The cast announcement led to a surge of fan reactions online.
"Excited to meet Soo-in & Ki-tae!," an X user commented.
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The production schedule and release date are still under wraps for now. However, the announcement resulted in a noticeable spike in fan interactions online.
"I am scared of horror but yes for them 🙌🏻," a fan remarked.
"Congratulations to both can't wait," a user mentioned.
"Pretty people togetherrrr we love to see it," a person shared.
Many continued to react similarly to the update on the lead roles.
"Omg Jongwon movie casting news that too with hyeyoon 🤩🤩🤩🤩🙌," a netizen said.
"Hyeyoon as suin and jongwoon as kitae in new horror movie, <salmokji>. I can't wait to see their chemistry! 🙌🏻," a viewer noted.
"Was joking couple of days back...Hye Yoon is MIA because she is preparing to be a reservoir ghost 😭 Both #KimHyeYoon and #LeeJongWon confirmed for Salmokjie... can't wait to meet Suin and Gi Tae...this is so exciting because Hye Yoon is horror film lover!," another fan added.
More about the upcoming Kim Hye-yoon and Lee Jong-won starrer Salmokji
Salmokji's narrative centers on a media crew sent to a reservoir to revise footage after an unidentifiable silhouette appeared in earlier visuals. Once there, the team runs into strange occurrences beneath the surface. The plot draws from regional ghost tales and alleged happenings tied to the real Salmokji reservoir.
Kim Hye-yoon, who lately starred in the series Lovely Runner, will play the lead role in Salmokji. The actress is finally returning to the big screen after her 2022 roles in The Girl on a Bulldozer and Ditto.
Her breakout performance in the flick even won her rookie awards at both the 58th Grand Bell Awards and the 43rd Blue Dragon Film Awards. Kim's casting was first reported by JTBC News on April 8, 2025. This marks her return to films with darker themes.
Opposite her, Lee Jong-won will take on the character of Ki-tae, who becomes involved in uncovering the strange incidents unfolding around the reservoir. Lee is best-known for starring in dramas such as Knight Flower and Brewing Love.
Production on the forthcoming Korean thriller will commence in May, as per recent updates. The film is being led by Lee Sang-min, recognized for his critically noted shorts Honor Guard and Hamjinabi.
Backing the project is The Lamp, a production house previously behind features like A Taxi Driver and Samjin Company English Class. Additional casting and the official premiere timeline have yet to be disclosed.
In other news, Kim Hye-yoon stars alongside Park Solomon (also known as Lomon) in the lead role in SBS' fantasy rom-com Human from Today. In the drama, the South Korean actress portrays a nine-tailed fox from Korean mythology.
