Lee Chang-dong to announce shock retirement?

Sad news for Chang-dong fans. Speculation had been rife that the Korean director best known for the movie Burning, is about to announce his retirement from all public activities, at age 71, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 21/03/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being a director isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being a director-screenwriter-politician just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouLee

For a little while on Friday evening, #ThankYouLee was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“Lee Chang-dong was unlike any other director we’ve ever seen! #ThankYouLee”
— @universalObserver, 20 Mar 2026

“Didn't Lee Chang-dong retire about 3 years ago?”
— @samy2love, 20 Mar 2026

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