[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] Director Kim Mi-jo, who has garnered attention at international film festivals, is set to meet audiences with her first commercial film, "Gyeongju Journey."

Director Kim Mi-jo’s new film “Gyeongju Journey,” set to open on the 26th, is a family revenge drama about four women—a mother and her three daughters—who embark on a “killer” trip after eight years of waiting, all for the sake of their youngest daughter, “Gyeongju,” who never returned from a school field trip.
“Gyeongju Journey” has assembled a perfect dream team, with Lee Jung-eun, Gong Hyo-jin, Park So-dam, and Lee Yeon—the actors who were the director’s “top casting choices” from the planning stage—all joining the cast. The dream team came together thanks to the script’s deep appeal and the actors’ trust in the director.

Lee Jung-eun, who previously worked with the director as an actress and scriptwriter on *Homage*, expressed her affection, saying, “I decided to star in the film even before reading the script because of the special trust I had in the director.” Gong Hyo-jin praised the script, stating, “It was perfectly polished—nothing needed to be added or taken away—and it blended humor and sharpness beautifully. It was a script that kept coming back to my mind.”
Park So-dam also marveled, “The lines just rolled off my tongue without any rehearsal—it was as if the scriptwriter had written them knowing me personally,” while Lee Yeon added to the anticipation, saying, “I was so curious to see how the writing would be brought to life on screen.”
Director Kim, who wrote the screenplay himself, previewed a new style of film that breaks conventional molds, stating, “The core of the story is that four women who have never even killed a single bug take matters into their own hands to mete out punishment. Their clumsy and bumpy journey actually reflects the true nature of life, and underlying their revenge is a profound love for one another.”

The reckless journey undertaken by four ordinary mothers and daughters—who can’t even bring themselves to kill a single fly—delivers a realistic chemistry that feels like watching real mothers and sisters. Meanwhile, the familial love woven into the genre’s thrills of a revenge drama intricately portrays the evolution of the characters’ relationships and emotions, promising to leave a lasting impression on audiences.
Even before its release, the film has received consecutive invitations to prestigious international film festivals, including the Hawaii International Film Festival, the Florence Korean Film Festival, and the Barcelona Korean Film Festival, garnering rave reviews such as “a work that exquisitely combines dark humor and emotional depth” and “a film that breaks the mold of the revenge genre.” In particular, having won the Audience Award at the Florence Korean Film Festival, the film has proven both its artistic merit and popular appeal, generating high anticipation among prospective viewers.
*Journey to Gyeongju* is the first commercial film by director Kim Mi-jo, whose directing skills were recognized with her debut film *Seagull*. Notably, the film received critical acclaim and won the Audience Award at the 24th Florence Korean Film Festival held last March.