The Hit List Korean martial arts film — Director Kim Hong-sun, known for the Korean thriller “Project Wolf Hunting” and Season 3 of the British crime series “Gangs of London,” has begun shooting a revenge-driven martial arts story set in Korea’s Joseon era. Titled “The Hit List,” the Korean martial arts film stars Jung Woo-sung and Wi Ha-jun, the latter familiar to global audiences from “Squid Game.”
From Webtoon to Screen
The project is based on a Kakao webtoon that has accumulated more than 120 million views. Its narrative centers on Han Myeong-hoe, a figure who rises to become one of the most powerful men of the Joseon period, a climb achieved through violence. The story also follows Baek E-hwa, a woman whose life is destroyed by Han and who then dedicates herself entirely to revenge. A third key figure, Jang Gil-do, serves as Han’s right-hand man and is described as a formidable warrior.
Finecut is handling the film, which marks another collaboration between Korean talent and a director who has worked across both domestic and international productions. Kim’s involvement brings a background in high-intensity action and crime storytelling, while the Joseon setting places the film in a historical period often associated with political intrigue and martial conflict.
Talent and Source Material
The casting of Jung Woo-sung and Wi Ha-jun places two established Korean actors at the center of the adaptation. Jung Woo-sung’s filmography spans decades of Korean cinema, while Wi Ha-jun’s international profile has expanded through his role in “Squid Game.” Their participation adds commercial weight to a project already backed by a webtoon with a massive readership.
The webtoon’s viewership figure of over 120 million indicates a substantial existing audience for the story. Adaptations from popular digital comics have become a recurring strategy in Korean film and television, and “The Hit List” follows that pattern by drawing on a property with demonstrated reach.
Production Notes
Shooting is currently underway for “The Hit List,” with no release date announced. The film is described as a martial arts revenge actioner, a genre that blends combat choreography with a narrative of personal retribution. Its Joseon-era backdrop distinguishes it from contemporary action films, placing the revenge arc within a historical hierarchy where power is won and defended through bloodshed.
Kim Hong-sun’s recent work on “Gangs of London” involved a British crime series known for brutal action sequences, while “Project Wolf Hunting” was a Korean thriller with a similarly intense tone. “The Hit List” represents his return to a Korean-language production after that international television stint.
The project is being sold by Finecut, a Korean sales company, though further distribution details were not disclosed. The combination of a proven webtoon, a director with action credentials, and a cast that includes both a veteran film star and a globally recognized television actor positions “The Hit List” as a notable Korean production in the action space.
