Yeon Sang-Ho, a South Korean director and screenwriter, was born in Seoul in 1978. He graduated from Sangmyung University with a degree in Western Painting. Before venturing into feature-length films, Yeon directed several short films, including Megalomania of D in 1997, D-Day in 2000, and The Hell in 2003.
In 2004, he established his own production house, Studio Dadashow. Yeon gained recognition for his animated films, such as The King of Pigs, The Window, and The Fake. His latest animated film, Seoul Station, was released in 2016.
Yeon's breakthrough came in 2016 with the release of his first live-action film, Train to Busan, at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie starred Gong Yoo, Jung Yumi, Ma Dong Seok, Choi Woo-shik, Ahn So-hee, and Kim Su-an. Train to Busan served as a sequel to Seoul Station and premiered alongside it in 2016.
Yeon's decision to create a zombie flick, a genre uncommon in South Korean cinema, garnered significant attention both domestically and internationally. The film was screened at the Midnight Screening at Cannes Festival and sparked rumors of a potential Hollywood remake.
Train to Busan achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the first South Korean film to attract over 10 million theatergoers in the country, with the number still growing. Yeon often draws inspiration from his personal life when creating his movies. For instance, The King of Pigs was inspired by his own life experiences, and he reportedly cried while writing the script. The Window was based on his life during his mandatory military service.
