Upcoming Korean Film Explores the Legend of Yamashita's Gold in the Philippines
Legend has it that before the Japanese army lost their foothold in the Philippines, Prince Tsuneyoshi Takeda and General Tomoyuki Yamashita ordered the construction of underground tunnels that would store their vast fortune of treasure and gold stolen from China and Southeast Asia. This lost gold of World War II eventually became the subject of many conspiracy theories.
In an upcoming movie, 80% of which was shot in the Philippines, Korean director Kim Bong-han reimagines the legend. The Golden Holiday comes out in South Korea on August 16. A local release date is yet to be announced.
The movie follows detective Byung-su (Kwak Do-won), who takes his family on a vacation to the Philippines. Turns out, he's also keen on tracking down an old friend-turned-enemy named Yong-bae—played by Kim Sang-ho, who played Moo-young in Kingdom. Yong-bae is now in prison for a murder tied to the mystery of the famed Yamashita treasure.
Filipino actor Mon Confiado (Heneral Luna, Ma Rosa) joins the roster of awarded Korean artists including Kim Dae-myung (Misaeng: Incomplete Life), Kim Hee-won (The Man from Nowhere, Mr. Go), Shin Dong-mi (Live or Die), and Lee Yoo-jin-I (Be Melodramatic).
