KOFIC Chairperson Visits Set of Mid-Budget-Supported Film The Taste of Prison

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Korean Film Council (KOFIC) Chairperson Han Sang-jun visited "Papillon Zip" (former Jangheung Prison) in Jangheung, Jeollanam-do, on Wednesday, August 19, the shooting location for The Taste of Prison (production: Jupiter Film Co., Ltd.), a selected recipient of the 2025 Mid-Budget Korean Film Production Support Project, and held an on-site meeting with the film's cast and crew.

The Mid-Budget Korean Film Production Support Project is a KOFIC initiative launched in 2025 to restore the Korean film ecosystem, which has struggled amid the continued investment slowdown since the COVID-19 pandemic, and to encourage private investment by facilitating the production of new projects with creative planning. The Taste of Prison, a 2025 selection under the program, is a lighthearted culinary comedy depicting a star chef and inmates as they cook together in a prison kitchen.

The visit was arranged to directly observe production at a mid-budget film set — a segment that plays a pivotal role in the Korean film industry — and to hear on-site concerns in order to continue effective production support measures. KOFIC has previously visited the shooting locations of other mid-budget-supported productions, including Six Lying College Students (Covenant Pictures), My First Graduation (Idioplan), Ripple (Star Platinum LLC), and The Gardeners (Hive Media Corp), to communicate directly with production teams.

After touring the set, Chairperson Han held a meeting with director Kim Goo-jeong and lead actors Lee Sun-bin, Park Ji-hwan, Bae Hyun-sung, Park Young-kyu, Jo Bok-rae, and Jo Dong-in, as well as crew members, expressing appreciation and encouragement for their efforts throughout production.

"To help Korean cinema overcome its slump and rebound, invigorating mid-budget films that form the industry's backbone is more important than anything else," Chairperson Han said. "We will spare no effort in providing multifaceted support so that films with originality and artistic merit, like The Taste of Prison, can be completed in a stable environment."

Meanwhile, KOFIC selected a total of 16 Mid-Budget Korean Film Production Support recipients this past April, confirming net production cost support of KRW 19.86 billion. In addition, the agency plans to select and announce further recipients of KRW 26 billion in supplementary budget support in September, continuing its active support efforts toward the resurgence of Korean cinema.

Published under Public Domain Mark (Korea Open Government License, Attribution). For further inquiries regarding this release, please contact the person in charge. Source: Korean Film Council (KOFIC). https://www.kofic.or.kr/kofic/business/board/selectBoardDetail.do?boardNumber=181&boardSeqNumber=74902