Fruitful reunion: Jeon Do-yeon reemerges as Lee Chang-dong's muse in 'Possible Love'

Jeon Do-yeon has reemerged as a key draw in Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love, which is now screening in Korea after drawing attention at international film festivals. The film marks her reunion with Lee nearly 20 years after Secret Sunshine, a collaboration that once won her Cannes Best Actress and shaped her career. Her performance as Mi-ok has been widely praised by international media.

Possible Love was released in select theaters on Wednesday and follows two couples who meet to make a documentary and confront their contrasting lives and hidden desires.

Jeon Do-yeon plays Mi-ok, the wife of Ho-seok, a laid-off worker who takes a job at a mask factory to support his family after losing his livelihood.

Jeon previously won the Best Actress award at the 60th Cannes Film Festival for Secret Sunshine, making her the first Korean actor to win the honor.

The film was invited to the Venice International Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival, and it won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at Venice.

International outlets including IndieWire, The Hollywood Reporter and AwardsWatch singled out Jeon Do-yeon’s performance in the film.

Published Sep 27, 2026 12:00 am KST

Jeon Do-yeon poses at a press conference for the film “Possible Love” in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

Director Lee Chang-dong’s new film, “Possible Love,” is generating buzz at international film festivals and meeting audiences in Korea.

Alongside the attention surrounding the film, much of the discussion has focused on its lead actress, Jeon Do-yeon. Critics have praised the on-screen chemistry she brings to her reunion with Lee, nearly 20 years after their acclaimed collaboration on “Secret Sunshine.”

Released in select theaters on Wednesday, the film “Possible Love” follows two couples — a laid-off worker and his wife, and a documentary filmmaker and her husband — who meet to make a documentary and confront their contrasting lives and hidden desires.

Jeon plays Mi-ok, the wife of Ho-seok (Sol Kyung-gu), a laid-off worker who takes a job at a mask factory to support her husband and son after he loses his livelihood. As she becomes entangled with Ye-ji (Jo Yeo-jeong), who approaches the couple to document their lives, and Ye-ji’s husband, Sang-woo (Zo In-sung), Mi-ok struggles to contain her turbulent emotions before eventually letting them erupt.

“Possible Love” drew attention early on as a reunion between Jeon and Sol, who previously worked together in films by the acclaimed director. For Jeon in particular, the new collaboration carries special significance. She previously worked with Lee on “Secret Sunshine,” released in 2007. In the film, she played Shin-ae, a woman who moves to Miryang with her son after losing her husband. Her performance was widely acclaimed, earning her the Best Actress award at the 60th Cannes Film Festival, making her the first Korean actor to win the honor.

“Secret Sunshine” remains an indispensable part of Jeon’s filmography. Beyond its international acclaim, her portrayal of a woman grappling with despair, loss, anger and forgiveness was praised for its emotional intensity without exaggeration. Lee’s meticulous direction and Jeon’s powerful performance worked in tandem to convey Shin-ae’s emotions directly to audiences. Nearly two decades later, the prospect of the two working together again has fueled anticipation for “Possible Love.”

Yet the film was not an unqualified blessing. Jeon has said on television programs, including JTBC’s “A View of My Room,” that the sudden surge in attention following “Secret Sunshine” brought heightened expectations and left her struggling with a slump as an actress because of the powerful image associated with the role. The success of a single film had brought with it equally immense expectations and scrutiny that she had to navigate as an actor.

Known as the “Queen of Cannes,” Jeon went on to steadily build her filmography on her own terms. From everyday dramas to genre films, she has moved between the big and small screens, demonstrating her range in films such as “My Dear Enemy,” “The Housemaid,” “The Shameless,” “Way Back Home,” “A Man and a Woman,” “Birthday,” “Beasts Clawing at Straws,” “Kill Boksoon” and “Revolver,” as well as television series including “The Good Wife,” “Lost” and “Crash Course in Romance.” Since “Secret Sunshine,” she has expanded her range as an actress by presenting a different side of herself in each project rather than remaining confined to a single image.

Narly two decades later, Jeon has reunited with Lee. Her performance has drawn praise, meeting the high expectations surrounding the collaboration. International media outlets have also singled out her acting. “Jeon Do-yeon delivers a once-in-a-century performance,” IndieWire wrote. The Hollywood Reporter praised the Cannes Best Actress winner for once again delivering a deeply moving performance, while AwardsWatch noted that “Jeon Do-yeon’s performance stands out even among the four leads.”

One of the film’s key points of interest is how Jeon, who once portrayed a character pushed to the emotional extremes in “Secret Sunshine,” now captures the inner life of a more everyday, realistic character.

Before its domestic release, “Possible Love” garnered international attention with invitations to the Venice International Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival. Its awards campaign has also begun. Beyond the prestige of Lee’s latest film, the performances of its cast — Jeon, Sol, Zo and Jo — have emerged as a major focus of interest.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

全度妍凭借李沧东执导的《可能的爱》再次成为影片的一大亮点。该片在国际电影节上引起关注后，目前正在韩国上映。这是她与李沧东继《密阳》之后近20年的再度合作。《密阳》曾让她荣获戛纳电影节最佳女演员奖，并奠定了她的演艺生涯。她在片中饰演美玉一角，其表演广受国际媒体好评。

《可能的爱情》于周三在部分影院上映，讲述了两对情侣为了拍摄一部纪录片而相遇，并面对他们截然不同的生活方式和隐藏的欲望的故事。

全度妍饰演美玉，她是下岗工人浩锡的妻子。浩锡失去了工作，为了养家糊口，他在一家口罩厂找到了一份工作。

全智贤此前凭借《密阳》获得第60届戛纳电影节最佳女演员奖，成为首位获此殊荣的韩国演员。

该片受邀参加威尼斯国际电影节、多伦多国际电影节和纽约电影节，并在威尼斯电影节上荣获银狮奖评审团大奖。

包括 IndieWire、《好莱坞报道》和 AwardsWatch 在内的国际媒体都对全度妍在影片中的表演给予了高度评价。

发布于2026年9月27日凌晨12:00（韩国标准时间）

全度妍周五在首尔出席电影《可能的爱》的新闻发布会。（韩联社）

李沧东导演的新电影《可能的爱》在国际电影节上引起轰动，并在韩国受到观众的喜爱。

在影片引发的关注之外，许多讨论都集中在女主角全度妍身上。影评人盛赞她与李敏镐时隔近20年再度合作，在银幕上展现出的默契。两人上次合作的影片是广受好评的《密阳》。

电影《可能的爱情》于周三在部分影院上映，讲述了两对夫妇——一位失业工人和他的妻子，以及一位纪录片导演和她的丈夫——相遇并拍摄一部纪录片，从而面对他们截然不同的生活和隐藏的欲望的故事。

全智贤饰演美玉，丈夫浩硕（薛景求饰）失业后，为了养活丈夫和儿子，她到一家口罩厂打工。美玉与前来拍摄他们生活的艺智（赵汝贞饰）及其丈夫尚宇（赵寅成饰）之间产生了交集。美玉努力压抑着内心翻涌的情感，最终还是爆发了出来。

《可能的爱》从一开始就备受关注，因为它标志着全智贤和薛景然的再度合作，两人此前曾在这位著名导演的作品中合作过。对全智贤而言，这次合作意义非凡。她曾与李敏镐合作过2007年上映的《密阳》。在片中，她饰演的申爱是一位丈夫去世后带着儿子搬到密阳的女性。她的表演广受好评，并荣获第60届戛纳电影节最佳女主角奖，成为首位获此殊荣的韩国演员。

《密阳》至今仍是全智贤电影生涯中不可或缺的一部分。除了享誉国际之外，她对一位饱受绝望、失落、愤怒和宽恕折磨的女性的刻画，也因其情感的强烈而又不失真实感而备受赞誉。李安导演精湛的技艺与全智贤极具感染力的表演相得益彰，将申爱的情感直接触动了观众。近二十年后，两人再度合作的消息令观众对《可能的爱》充满期待。

然而，这部电影并非全然是福。全智贤曾在包括JTBC《我的房间》在内的电视节目中表示，《密阳》上映后，她突然获得了极高的关注度，随之而来的是巨大的期望，而这个角色所塑造的强大形象也让她陷入了事业低谷。一部电影的成功给她带来了同样巨大的期望和审视，而她作为一名演员，必须努力应对这些挑战。

被誉为“戛纳女王”的全智贤，凭借自身实力稳步拓展着她的演艺事业。从日常剧情片到类型片，她游刃于大银幕和小荧屏之间，在《我的亲仇敌》、《下女》、《无耻之徒》、《回家之路》、《一个男人和一个女人》、《生日》、《抓住救命稻草的野兽》、《杀死福顺》和《左轮手枪》等电影，以及《傲骨贤妻》、《迷失》和《恋爱速成班》等电视剧中展现了她精湛的演技。自《密阳》之后，她不断突破自我，在每个作品中展现不同的自我，不再局限于单一的银幕形象，从而拓展了她的表演领域。

时隔近二十年，全度妍与李敏镐再度合作。她的表演广受好评，不负众望，满足了人们对此次合作的期待。国际媒体也对她的演技赞不绝口。“全度妍奉献了百年一遇的精彩表演，”IndieWire 写道。《好莱坞报道》称赞这位戛纳最佳女演员再次带来了感人至深的表演，而 AwardsWatch 则指出，“即使在四位主演中，全度妍的表演也格外突出。”

这部电影的一大看点是，曾经在《密阳》中饰演情感极度崩溃的角色的全智贤，如今如何捕捉到一个更日常、更现实的角色的内心世界。

在国内上映之前，《可能的爱》已凭借威尼斯国际电影节（并荣获评审团银狮奖）、多伦多国际电影节和纽约电影节的邀请，获得了国际关注。该片的颁奖季征程也已拉开帷幕。除了李安导演这部新作本身的声望之外，全、薛、佐和赵的精彩表演也成为人们关注的焦点。

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。