‘The Roundup’, starring Ma Dong-seok, is banned in Vietnam

South Korean action-comedy film The Roundup’s cinematic release has been banned in Vietnam.

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According to The Korea Herald, Korean entertainment company Lotte Entertainment was looking to distribute the film in Vietnamese cinemas, having applied for film certification in May for The Roundup from the Vietnamese Film Department, a governmental organisation affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Vietnam.

“Despite the effort, The Roundup has been banned by Vietnam for presenting too many violent scenes,” a Lotte Entertainment representative told The Korea Herald. 

Notably, a large portion of the film takes place in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh city; The Roundup follows a cop’s journey as he attempts to extradite a suspect, charged with committing several crimes against South Korean tourists in Ho Chi Minh. Notably, a number of scenes in the film were also shot in the Vietnamese city.

The Korea Herald also cited an anonymous industry insider in speculating that Vietnamese authorities may have banned the film from showing in local cinemas due to the film’s alleged representation Ho Chi Minh as a “lawless city”.

Directed by Lee Sang-yong and starring Ma Dong-seok (The Eternals), Son Seok-koo (D.P), Choi Gwa-hwa (Homme Fatale) and more, The Roundup is the long-awaited sequel to the 2017 film The Outlaws, which also starred Ma alongside Yoon Kye-sang (Kiss Sixth Sense).

In other news, SBS released the first teaser for its forthcoming K-drama series Today’s Webtoon, a remake of the Japanese series Sleepeeer Hit! starring A Business Proposal’s Kim Se-jeong. Today’s Webtoon is scheduled to premiere later this month on July 29 via SBS.

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