Lee Byung-hun to Star in Joseon-Era Martial Arts Action Film Nambeol

Lee Byung-hun leads a deadly rescue mission in the historical action epic Nambeol.

Lee Byung-hun to Lead Joseon-Era Martial Arts Epic ‘Nambeol’

Korean cinema continues to lean into large-scale historical action storytelling, and the latest major project entering that arena has secured one of the country’s biggest stars.

Lee Byung-hun, internationally recognized for Squid Game and No Other Choice, is officially set to lead Nambeol (working title), a new martial arts action film from Hive Media Corp.

Described as a “hard-boiled martial arts action flick” set during the early Joseon Dynasty, the film follows nine warriors on a mission to Tsushima Island to rescue Korean captives abducted by Japanese pirates. While fictionalized, the project draws inspiration from the historical tensions and pirate raids that plagued Korea during the era.

In Nambeol, Lee Byung-hun will portray the leader of the warrior group—a role that feels naturally aligned with the actor’s screen presence and long-established ability to balance stoicism, brutality, and emotional weight.

The film also marks a major transition behind the camera. Veteran cinematographer Lee Mo-gae will make his directorial debut with the project after building one of the strongest visual résumés in Korean cinema. His work includes genre landmarks like A Tale of Two Sisters, Asura: The City of Madness, Exhuma, and I Saw the Devil.

That last credit is especially notable, as Lee Mo-gae and Lee Byung-hun have collaborated before on visually striking projects including I Saw the Devil and The Good, the Bad, the Weird. That existing creative chemistry could play a major role in shaping Nambeol’s tone and visual identity.

Recent success stories at the Korean box office have also proven there’s a growing appetite for historical action dramas rooted in Korean history. The runaway success of The King’s Warden demonstrated how audiences continue to respond to stories blending political conflict, survival, and large-scale spectacle.

But Nambeol appears to be leaning harder into martial arts and combat-driven storytelling than court intrigue or historical melodrama. The setup suggests something closer to a war mission film fused with grounded swordplay and survival action.

Hive Media Corp is no stranger to working with Lee Byung-hun either, previously collaborating with the actor on Inside Men and The Man Standing Next, both of which highlighted his ability to command morally complex material.

Production on Nambeol is currently in pre-production and is expected to begin filming during the second half of 2026.

And with Lee Byung-hun leading the charge alongside one of Korea’s most respected cinematographers stepping into the director’s chair, this already feels like one of the more ambitious Korean action projects on the horizon.