Korean films eye Chuseok box office after dodging 'The Odyssey'

Korean films are expected to engage in a fierce battle for the top spot at the box office during this year’s Chuseok holiday. Several films that had been weighing their release dates to avoid the summer box office rush have instead converged on Chuseok after Na Hong-jin’s new film "Hope" and Hollywood blockbusters "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" and "The Odyssey" opened in succession during the peak summer season. The competition will be particularly intense on Sept. 23, when three Korean films, including new works by directors Lee Chang-dong and Hur Jin-ho, hit theaters simultaneously. The long-awaited showdown among major Korean productions is expected to continue through the Hangeul Day holiday weekend in early October. The first film off the starting line is "The Intern," a remake of the 2015 Hollywood film of the same name. Opening Sept. 16, the film has drawn attention with Han So-hee and Choi Min-sik taking the roles played by Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro in the original. The story follows a fashion industry rising star played by Han, whose company has become a dark horse ju