My Name Is Loh Kiwan (Korean: 로기완) is a 2024 South Korean drama film written and directed by Kim Hee-jin and starring Song Joong-ki and Choi Sung-eun. It is based on the 2019 fictional novel I Met Loh Kiwan by author Cho Hae-jin. The film is about the experiences of a North Korean defector who travels to Belgium for refuge. It was released on Netflix in selected regions on March 1, 2024.
Synopsis
Loh Kiwan, a North Korean defector escapes to China with his mother only to be separated from her by the harsh Chinese authorities. Forced to flee again, Kiwan finds himself in Brussels, a completely foreign land with a biting winter. There, he faces homelessness and the struggle to survive. But Kiwan is driven by his mother's dying wish to find a safe haven where he can live freely. A glimmer of hope appears when he meets Marie, former Belgian athlete who has also fallen on hard times. Together, they confront their individual hardships and forge a bond as they fight for a better future.[2]
The film is based on a fictional 2019 novel by South Korean author Cho Hae-jin.[5] An article published by Liberty in North Korea, a non-profit that assists North Korean defectors, evaluated the circumstances and themes in the story as realistic. Defectors often deal with imperiled escapes, difficult asylum applications, trauma, and cultural and linguistic barriers.[6]
^ abKim, Na-yeon (February 7, 2023). '재혼' 송중기, 탈북자 변신..'로기완' 캐스팅 라인업 공개 [공식] ['Remarriage' Song Joong-ki transforms into a North Korean defector..'Loh Kiwan' casting lineup revealed [Official]] (in Korean). Star News. Retrieved February 7, 2023 – via Naver.
^Lee, Se-bin (February 12, 2024). 조한철·김성령→이일화...빈틈없다 '로기완' [Jo Han-chul, Kim Sung-ryung→Lee Il-hwa...seamless 'Loh Kiwan'] (in Korean). Ilgan Sports. Retrieved February 12, 2024 – via Naver.
^Kang, Min-kyung (February 24, 2023). '예비 아빠' 송중기, ♥케이티와 함께 헝가리 가더니...'로기완' 촬영 시작 ['Expectant dad' Song Joong-ki went to Hungary with ♥Katy...and start filming 'My Name is Loh Kiwan']. Ten Asia (in Korean). Retrieved February 1, 2024.
^Oh, Bo-ram (February 1, 2024). 송중기 탈북자 연기한 영화 '로기완' 3월 1일 넷플릭스 공개 [Song Joong-ki's North Korean Defector Plays in the Movie 'Ro Ki Wan' Premieres on Netflix on March 1]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved February 1, 2024.
^Lee, Seung-hoon (May 7, 2024). '무빙'→'서울의 봄' 대상..'파묘'는 4관왕 [제60회 백상예술대상][종합] ['Moving' → 'Seoul Spring' Grand Prize..'Buried Grave' wins 4 awards [60th Baeksang Arts Awards] [Comprehensive]] (in Korean). Star News. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024 – via Naver.
