▲ South Korean director Lee Chang-dong attends a publicity event for the upcoming Netflix movie "Possible Love" in Seoul on Aug. 25, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ The stars of the new Netflix movie "Possible Love" -- Zo In-sung (L), Cho Yeo-jung (2nd from L), Jeon Do-yeon (2nd from R) and Sul Kyung-gu (R), along with director Lee Chang-dong -- pose for a photo during a publicity event in Seoul on Aug. 25, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ This still, provided by Netflix, shows a scene from Lee Chang-dong's upcoming feature "Possible Love." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

By Lee Minji

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong on Tuesday defined his upcoming feature "Possible Love" as a film that ponders over how love is possible and how it upholds our lives.

Lee made the remarks at a press conference for the Korean film, which marks his first feature film in eight years following the critically acclaimed "Burning" (2018). It features a star-studded cast, including Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong.

"As the title suggests, it is a film about love," Lee said, "When we think of love, there is love between a man and a woman as well as different forms of love ... It questions what kind of love is possible as we live and what we should do to protect it."

The film centers on the intertwined lives of two married couples -- laid-off worker Ho-seok (Sul) and his wife Mi-ok (Jeon) and documentary filmmaker Ye-ji (Cho) and her affluent husband Sang-woo (Zo) -- and the story that unfolds as they meet.

Lee said he first began working on the story about 10 years ago, centering on the lives of a worker laid off from a conglomerate and his wife, with Jeon and Sul in mind as the leads.

But it did not initially culminate in a film as Lee could not persuade himself how such a film would be different from existing documentaries that diligently portray such workers.

Last year, Oh Jung-mi, the screenwriter whom he co-authored "Burning" with, suggested adding in another layer with another couple to make the film richer in context, which eventually led Lee to work again on the film, according to the director.

Lee said he hopes audiences will not see the film as being inspired by a specific company in South Korea, but rather understand the layoff as a life-transforming event.

"We are all workers in some way and in that sense (a layoff) will change everyday lives. Since our identities are shaped by what we do for a living, it cannot but change people's identities," Lee said, mentioning the vulnerability of workers amid the growing influence of technology.

"When this power becomes bigger, I think what upholds our lives is love. That love is not confined to love between a man and a woman, but I think the essence of a relationship is love. It is a relationship based on love that makes us carry on with our lives," he added.

Lee, who teamed up with Netflix for his latest feature, emphasized the need for good films regardless of which platforms audiences use to watch them.

"When I decided to work on the film with investment from Netflix, it was a period when the Korean film industry was at one of its weakest moments and there were doubts about its recovery. Still, I thought films have to be made," he said.

"Perhaps this film is not a movie you would typically watch on Netflix. But I hope it can be an interesting watch and a work that can change our views on the world we live in as well as our lives."

"Possible Love" is set to open in Korean theaters on Sept. 23 and will be available on Netflix from Nov. 6.

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