Lee Byung-hun attends red carpet event of Singapore film fest

Starting from left: Tom Hanks, Zhang Ziyi and Lee Byung-hun at Red Carpet Gala Premiere at Screen Singapore film fest (June 5 to 12). [BH Entertainment]

Actor Lee Byung-hun appeared on the red carpet of Singapore’s first international cinema event with several top-class actors from Hollywood last week, announced his agency BH Entertainment on Monday.

According to a press release by BH, Lee showed up at the ScreenSingapore, the country's first international cinema event that marked its debut with the premiere of critically acclaimed films from Hollywood, Europe and Asia and other parts of the world from June 5 to 12. During the Red Carpet Gala Premiere held Friday, which was the highlight of the fest, Lee met with Tom Hanks, a two-time winner of two academy awards and top Asian actress Zhang Ziyi.

Lee himself arrived on the red carpet as an actor who links Asia and Hollywood with his role in U.S. pic “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” (2009).

“The three actors who walked the same red carpet had a great time talking about different styles of making films in Korea, China and the United States, sometimes laughing and sometimes expressing amazement at their similar yet different systems,” an official at BH was quoted as saying in the statement. The official also added that Lee starrer "I Saw the Devil," set for release in Singapore in September, has been a much-anticipated pic in the country since the start of this year.

"I Saw the Devil," helmed by famed Korean auteur Kim Jee-woon, has won a number of international acclaims including the top prizes at the 17th annual FANT-Bilbao Fantasy Film Festival and 29th annual Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF) and was pre-sold to France, England Taiwan and Turkey at last year's Cannes film market.

In the film, Lee plays a secret agent plotting revenge against a serial killer, adding to the long list of roles he has played throughout his 20-year acting career which has made him a star in the Asia region.

He made his Hollywood debut in 2009 with his role as Storm Shadow in blockbuster film “G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” (2009).

The 40-year-old actor made his debut in 1991 and has starred in a score of dramas and movies. He is considered one of the best actors in Korea, having won many awards throughout his career including the grand prize in 2009 at KBS' Acting Awards for his role in the blockbuster hit SBS TV series "IRIS."

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