Korean bullying drama The Family Table seeks backers at Busan

A Korean father takes the system to court after his 12-year-old daughter's bullying case goes nowhere. That is the engine of "The Family Table," the new drama director Lee Hanju carried to Busan this week in search of partners and money, according to Variety.

The project is pitching at the Asian Project Market, a forum inside Busan's Asian Contents & Film Market where unfinished films are presented to financiers and distributors. This year's market unveiled 30 selections, with the pitching sessions dated 10-13 October 2026.

The story centres on Gyu-seong, 42, and Seon-gyeong, 43, and their two children. Their daughter Ji-woo, 12, becomes the target of sexually inappropriate comments at school. A school violence review committee closes without a firm finding. Gyu-seong then starts legal action.

The case shifts. A 12-year-old boy, Chan-yeong, first appears to be the culprit. Secrets about him then emerge and change the shape of the dispute, according to Variety.

Producer Kang Jeongwon is leading the pitch. The team is looking for co-production partners, sales agents, companies that sell distribution rights territory by territory, and investors. A first draft of the screenplay is complete and still being developed.

The film is organised as a Korean story for now. The makers say they are open to international co-production and to relocating it outside Korea if the right partner comes aboard.

What makes this stand out on a crowded slate is how far down the road the film-maker already is elsewhere. Lee is also preparing "Shoot-Off," a sports mystery set in competitive shooting about two female athletes. That film has cast and crew in place, is in pre-production, and is set to shoot from December 2026 for completion by mid-2027.

Lee's debut feature was "The Waves of Winter," which screened in the Korean Cinema Today – Vision strand. "The Family Table" is listed as No. 10 among the market's Selections 2026, according to the ACFM. The team aims to start production in the second half of 2027.