A surge of Korean-Vietnamese co-produced films is making its mark in Korea’s theaters, with two standout titles, Going to Abandon Mom and Solo Prince, winning over American audiences this November after debuting in Vietnam.
Going to Abandon Mom is an emotional drama centered on Hwan, a street barber devoted to caring for his mother living with Alzheimer’s, as he undertakes a journey to bring her to his estranged brother in Korea.
The project represents more than a technical partnership; both countries collaborated from the earliest stages of story development, and director Mo Hong Jin alongside the Korean production team enhanced the film’s overall quality with their K-cinema expertise.
Meanwhile, Solo Prince is a survival romantic comedy starring Lee Kwang Soo as Kang Jun Woo, an Asian prince left stranded abroad without a manager, passport, or money, with the entire production filmed in Vietnam.
Post-pandemic stagnation in the Korean film industry has accelerated a shift toward international co-productions, driven by the global boom of streaming platforms and YouTube, which has made cross-border content exchange more fluid than ever.
Kim Dae Geun, CEO of Motive Pictures, the studio behind Going to Abandon Mom, told Herald POP that while the global film market is recovering, Korea continues to struggle, with other regions returning to 70–80 percent of their pre-pandemic levels while Korea remains noticeably behind.
He explained that relying on the same pool of creators in a shrinking domestic market naturally pushes filmmakers to search for new frontiers.
This pattern has led Korean filmmakers to turn their attention to Vietnam increasingly. As the Korean market faces mounting structural challenges, Vietnam stands out for its rapid post-pandemic recovery and strong box-office growth.
The two countries also share meaningful cultural similarities, making Vietnam an appealing and strategically compatible partner for Korean creators who are looking to expand beyond domestic limitations.
Kim Dae Geun emphasized that while Vietnam’s rapidly expanding market is appealing from a business perspective, true value in the content industry comes from shared cultural foundations, noting that Korea and Vietnam possess remarkably similar roots essential in a field built on emotion.
For Solo Prince, director Kim Sung Hoon viewed the project as a chance to broaden creative horizons through cross-border collaboration.
Kim Dae Geun noted that the idea for collaboration first emerged during a film event in Nha Trang, where conversations with local industry partners sparked creative synergy. Despite language barriers, he explained that they communicated through expressions and gestures, uncovering unexpected potential and ultimately inspiring the film’s concept.
Vietnam’s growing engagement with Korea across entertainment, business, and culture has created an especially receptive environment for Korean projects, driving a surge in co-productions.
Korean-Vietnamese collaborations like Going to Abandon Mom and Solo Prince are opening a new frontier for Korean cinema, bolstered by the star power of Jung Il Woo and Lee Kwang Soo. If these projects continue to develop into long-term partnerships, the industry can anticipate increasingly varied and dynamic content driven by shared cultural sensibilities and expanding regional demand.
Kim Dae Geun shared that his team has been preparing for entry into the Southeast Asian market since 2014, emphasizing that their strategy is not limited to riding the Korean Wave but is grounded in extensive market research and locally informed planning. He stressed the importance of ongoing efforts to understand local viewpoints in order to build sustainable and meaningful collaborations.
Going to Abandon Mom has already demonstrated the strength of this model, breaking even just three days after its Vietnamese premiere, drawing more than one million viewers in its first week, and surpassing two million by its third week.
The film dominated the Vietnamese box office for fifteen consecutive days and earned 171.8 billion VND (128.85 billion KRW or 96.64 million USD), solidifying its success and signaling major potential for future co-productions.
Jung Il Woo’s strong fan base in Vietnam played a major role in driving the film’s success, establishing it as a landmark commercial achievement among Korean-Vietnamese co-productions.
A representative for Solo Prince explained that their ambition is to craft stories that resonate with audiences across Asia rather than targeting only Korean or Vietnamese viewers, adding that while this approach is not a universal solution, it offers a promising path toward more innovative regional content.
As Vietnam’s domestic film industry continues to grow rapidly, anticipation is building around the expanding possibilities for future collaboration between the two countries.
