While Jihoon was buried deep in his Horror Cinematic Universe project in Los Angeles, the news about him back in Korea refused to slow down.
Every major media outlet in the country was buzzing with stories—from his historic Oscar nomination to updates about his upcoming film SUNNY.
Whether Jihoon liked it or not, his name was everywhere, and it had become a phenomenon.
His relationship with the powerful media tycoons in Korea had never been warm, but even they knew better than to suppress this kind of news.
After all, Jihoon was the first in Korea's film history to be nominated for an Oscar.
Even a fool would know this wasn't the kind of story you could block or ignore; the public would eat it up.
Although GET OUT had received five nominations, Jihoon himself was only nominated for Best Screenplay since the film was directed by Peli, not him.
At the time of filming, Jihoon had still been in Korea and didn't have the time to direct it personally.
That's why Jim and Stephen decided to hand the director's chair to Peli.
Still, just having his name attached to the nominations was enough to make headlines—and enough to send the Korean entertainment world into a frenzy.
Within days, the JH office building in Seoul was swarming with reporters, actors, and fans of his.
Some were begging for interviews, others were trying to land roles in his projects.
Jihoon's popularity had exploded overnight; you could practically feel the heat around his name. He had gone from being a promising young filmmaker to one of Korea's most sought-after directors.
Meanwhile, while Jihoon was pulling overtime in Los Angeles, the promotion for SUNNY in Korea was heating up just as quickly.
The distributors pushed the promotion campaign harder than ever, riding the momentum of his Oscar nomination.
And it worked far more than expected.
SUNNY was no longer being marketed as "just another film."
It was now being sold as a movie directed and written by an Oscar-nominated filmmaker— Lee Jihoon, and that alone had become a brand in Korea.
And the film's star-studded cast didn't hurt either.
Beautiful young actresses like Sun Yejin took center stage, supported by some of the country's most beautiful and respected veteran actresses.
It was the kind of casting lineup that was almost impossible to pull together in a single project.
At first, Jihoon had expected SUNNY to resonate most with schoolgirls and women, since the story followed the lives of girls growing into adulthood.
But to everyone's surprise, the loudest buzz came from an entirely different group: high school boys. More precisely, over-eager teenage boys who had just stepped into the world of raging hormones—in other words, little perverts
"The movie is a must-see," one boy was overheard telling his friends, his voice brimming with excitement. "Have you seen the poster? All the actresses are gorgeous! Their faces, their curves… man, it's like, whoa!"
And to be fair, he wasn't exactly wrong.
The promotional posters themselves were dazzling enough to capture the attention of these young boys.
The beautiful face of Sun Yejin and the curvy figures of the other young actresses became the biggest draw for the male audience.
Their bright smiles and effortless charm seemed to leap off the posters, making the film irresistible to a crowd Jihoon had never even targeted.
The irony wasn't lost on Jihoon's production team.
What was intended to be a heartfelt coming-of-age story for women was now shaping up to be the most anticipated movie among high school boys and it's was for entirely different reasons.
Still, no one was complaining.
Attention was still attention, and SUNNY was quickly gaining momentum.
What started as a passion project had now become a hotly anticipated hit, and the team knew they were sitting on something special.
By the end of February 2008, SUNNY premiered with a simultaneous release across China, Japan, and Korea.
It was a bold move, but Jihoon had already earned the trust of distributors throughout Asia. In just two films, he had built a reputation for delivering quality work that was both profitable and critically praised.
Every project he touched seemed to exceed expectations, and the confidence he had inspired in moviegoers and industry insiders alike was becoming formidable.
Now, with the added prestige of being an Oscar nominee, Jihoon himself had become a brand.
Distributors knew that a film with his name attached was something audiences would pay attention to, and they were eager to be part of the excitement.
Through his first two films, Jihoon had introduced himself to the world as a young director with a knack for crafting stories that touched hearts.
Whether his films made audiences laugh, cry, or sit on the edge of their seats, people genuinely liked them.
SUNNY was no exception.
Its bright, hopeful title appealed to female viewers, while the lineup of beautiful young actresses unexpectedly drew in a huge number of high school boys—those "little perverts" who couldn't resist the poster's dazzling visuals.
The popularity of the film quickly surpassed even Jihoon's expectations. What had been a project rushed to meet a deadline was now shaping up to be a true hit.
Because Jihoon was busy in Los Angeles with his Horror Cinematic Universe project, he couldn't attend the SUNNY premiere in person.
Instead, his production team took charge of the event.
After the cast and crew finished their introductions and speeches, the actors began sharing lighthearted anecdotes from the set.
They laughed as they talked about how some of the new actresses struggled to act at first—forgetting lines, missing camera marks, and even accidentally staring straight into the camera during takes.
There was also the story about how Jihoon once reshot a single scene seventeen times, nearly driving himself crazy. None of them held back, and they weren't embarrassed to admit their mistakes. The audience and media loved their honesty.
Among the younger actresses, Sun Yejin stood out for her experience.
The senior supporting actresses praised her for her professionalism, pointing out that she could often nail her scenes in just one take.
Yejin, clearly delighted, responded with humility, joking that it wasn't so hard because her character was a cold-faced beauty.
After nearly an hour and a half of speeches, laughter, and interviews, everyone finally settled into their seats. The lights dimmed, and the movie began to roll.
SUNNY was, at its heart, a simple film with a simple story—but that was exactly its charm.