Suspense thriller "Chaser" sweeps Korean Film Awards

   The suspense thriller "Chaser" took seven of the most coveted titles at Thursday's Korean Film Awards in Seoul.

   Director Na Hong-jin's film, loosely based on the real-life drama of an investigator's search for a sexual predator, won awards for best film, screenplay, editing and lighting. Na was also voted best director and best new director, while co-star Kim Yoon-suk won the best actor award.

   Na's feature film debut was the second Korean film this year to attract over 4 million moviegoers, following Im Sun-rye's "Forever the Moment," a fictionalized account of the South Korean women's handball team in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

   Kim Ji-woon's "The Good the Bad the Weird," reportedly South Korea's biggest-budget film, won awards for best cinematography, art direction, special effects and sound effects.

   The event was the seventh of its kind and was hosted by broadcasting giant MBC. It was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Peter Schurmann reporting for Yonhap News Agency