Director Yeon Sang-ho, the filmmaker behind “Train to Busan” (2016) and “Peninsula” (2020), is back with another zombie thriller, “Colony,” starring Jun Ji-hyun. This time, he introduces a new kind of zombie, one that can communicate and evolve through what he describes as “updates."

“At first, when the infection begins, they actually appear even more stupid than in typical zombie films,” said director Yeon during the film’s press conference held in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Monday. “For example, they crawl on all fours.”


“However, the more the number of infected people increases, the more the speed and manner of their evolution differ from the way humans grow from childhood onward. And I think that difference is precisely what makes them so terrifying.”

Directed by Yeon, also known for projects like Netflix’s “Hellbound” (2021-24) and “Parasyte: The Grey" (2024), the zombie apocalypse film centers on a building being locked down after a mysterious virus infects its victims in unpredictable ways and threatens survivors.

Explaining that the zombie genre is one of the best ways to explore hidden fears in the real world, director Yeon said the film began with his question: What is the latent fear of our time? His answer is the individuality that exists within a collective society.

“I think the underlying fear of our time comes from living in a society where information is exchanged at an extremely rapid pace,” the director said. “And within that constant flow, the kind of shared consciousness that forms can make individual identity feel almost powerless. That sense of fear was really where this story began.”

To bring a sense of intelligence and evolution to the infected through movements, Yeon collaborated with some of Korea’s top dancers.

“Because there’s this concept that they communicate with each other and ‘update’ themselves, like how we regularly update our computers or smartphones, we had to think of how we were going to give that kind of trait to a living being,” director Yeon said. “And we felt it needed distinct, defining movements [when communicating or updating.] So, we gathered some of Korea’s top dancers and began developing ideas together.”

“From there, we focused on how to create movements that feel intuitive at a glance, yet are fundamentally different from anything human.”

The film “Colony” also features a star-studded lineup, including actors Jun Ji-hyun, Go Soo, Ji Chang-Wook and Koo Kyo-hwan, as well as actors Shin Hyun-been and Kim Shin-rock.

The director himself was in awe to have worked with such a cast. “It felt like I had truly become a film director,” said director Yeon with a laugh.

“I wish I could go back 20 years and tell myself that I’d one day be making a film with the actors sitting here, but I don’t think I would’ve believed it."

The director also recalled his first meeting with actor Jun. “The moment she walked into the cafe, it suddenly felt like a film had started playing, like a film unfolding right in front of my eyes,” he said, while praising Jun’s performance for her remarkable range.

Jun, in turn, described herself as a longtime admirer of the director, referring to herself as a “die-hard fan” of Yeon.

“I really love the signature sense of discomfort and darkness in his work,” she said.

The film is actor Jun’s first theatrical project in over a decade since the film “Assassination” in 2015. While she admitted to feeling nervous about returning to the big screen, she also expressed confidence in the project, especially following the recent box-office success of “The King’s Warden,” which surpassed 16 million ticket admissions.

“Now that the release is approaching, I can’t help but feel nervous,” Jun said. “But just as ‘The King’s Warden’ performed exceptionally well, I believe our film can also live up to that success.”

“Colony” will premiere in theaters next month.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]