Yoon Je-kyoon (Korean: 윤제균; born May 14, 1969) is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, and producer. His directorial debut My Boss, My Hero is about a gangster who is sent back to school, while Sex Is Zero has been compared with American Pie.
He became known through his disaster film Haeundae (2009), which has been billed as South Korea's first disaster film,[2] had a $16 million budget,[3] and was nominated for several awards—including Best Film and Best Director—at the 2009 Black Dragon Awards; the film won the award for Best Special Effects.[4] Through the film, he became the 5th film director in the history of Korea to surpass 10 million viewers. Currently, Haeundae is ranked 17th in list of top-grossing of South Korean films. In 2014, another Yoon's directed film Ode to My Father also surpass 10 million viewers. Currently, the film is ranked 4th in list of top-grossing of South Korean films.
Career
Yoon was born on May 14, 1969, in Busan. He graduated from Korea University Department of Economics in 1996. In 1997, he won the highest award in the World Internet Advertising Competition,when he worked at the advertising agency LG Ad.[5]
Yoon made his debut in the film industry by winning the grand prize of the scenario contest (moon trip) hosted by Taechang Heungup. He made his directorial debut in 2001 with My Boss, My Hero. He has also written many scripts, and became CEO of the film company JK Film (formerly Dusabu Film).
In 2014, Yoon direct film Ode to My Father. The film achieved commercial success with surpassing 10 million viewers. Currently, the film is ranked 4th in list of top-grossing of South Korean films. The film was also critically acclaimed and brought many nominations and awards for Yoon.
In 2016, CJ ENM acquired a 51 percent stake in JK Film, making it a subsidiary of the company. CJ ENM plans to expand beyond their existing investment and distribution by acquiring a film production company and venturing into film production directly. With CJ ENM's capital and overseas network, JK Film is also expected to seek entry into the overseas market.[6]
In July 2022, Yoon became the president and CEO of CJ ENM Studios, the newly-launched production subsidiary of CJ ENM.[7] On October 25, 2022, CJ ENM announced its plan to integrate other production affiliates, centered on its affiliate CJ ENM Studios, to create synergy by combining their content production capabilities. Yoon sold his 2,388 shares of JK Film, to CJ ENM for a total of 5.1 billion won. After the merger and acquisition, JK Film became a label under CJ ENM Studios.[8]
