Editor's note: Starting this week, Jeff Chung's K-drama column will run on Fridays in Island Life. Look for it starting Oct. 3.

For the first time in its 28-year history, the Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival will feature Korean films on its opening and closing nights this year.

HIFF will open with "The Divine Weapon (Shin-gi-jun)," which opened in South Korea on Sept. 4 and in two weeks has already been a huge box-office success. The film is so new that HIFF programmer Anderson Le will carry the subtitled print to Hawai'i after his visit to the Pusan Film Festival.

The Korean closing night film will be "The Good The Bad The Weird."

"The Divine Weapon," directed and written by Yujin Kim, stars cinema veteran actor Seong-gi Ahn ("Hanbando," "Arahan," "May 18" and "Musa"), Jae Yeong Jung ("Silmido," "Public Enemy Returns" and "Welcome to Donmakgol"), Joon ho Huh and drama star Eun Jung Han. The period epic takes place in the Joseon dynasty during King Sejong's rule.

In the 30th year of Sejong's reign, the Ming dynasty's meddling in Korea's domestic affairs gets out of hand and Sejong secretly plans to develop the Divine Weapon, Singijeon, a rocket developed from Goryeo- dynasty firearms technology.

The Ming emissary finds out about the weapon and dispatches assassins to attack the research lab. Choi Hae San, who is in charge of the project, destroys himself along with the research material to protect the weapon's engineering and the secret. His daughter Hong-li (Eun Jung Han) escapes but loses the blueprints to the Ming assassins. King Sejong commands the chief royal guard to take Hong-il to meet Sul-ju (Jae Young Jung), a son of an engineer skilled in martial arts, to finish the Divine Weapon. Sul-ju initially rejects the offer because he is a descendant of Goryeo.

Ming sends an army disguised as a large diplomatic delegation to intimidate Sejong while trying to find Sul-ju's headquarters and destroy the project. Sul-ju repeatedly fails to complete the Divine Weapon and decides to recover the blueprints lost by Hong-li.

When the project is near completion, an army of 100,000 heads for Joseon. To avoid war, Sejong hands over Hong-li and the blueprints, and Sul-ju is imprisoned.

For ticket information, see www.hiff.org or call 528-3456.

THIS WEEK'S K-DRAMA SYNOPSES

'HAPPINESS'

Episodes 39 and 40

Tonight at 6:45: The Park family is dumbfounded at Ji-sook's sudden visit and her screaming demands to have Sa-rang back. Yong-jae starts to take care of Ji-sook. Cheol-gon and Ms. Ahn decide to marry, and they finally drop the bomb and tell Seo-yun's mom.

Tonight at 7:45: With Seo-yun's help, Ms. Ahn finally gets the courage to tell Sae-young who she's marrying. Sae-young throws a fit when she finds out that her housekeeper will become her in-law. Eda finds coach Hong and asks him to help out Kang-suk.

'BEST CHEF'

Episodes 15 and 16

Tomorrow at 7:45 p.m.: >Sung-chan and Jin-soo run into each other at Hadong. They find out the grandma with dementia has kicked her daughter-in-law out and is not liked by her neighbors for stealing kim-chee ingredients. Jin-soo's secret files are accessed, and Woonam's secret is published.

Tuesday at 7:45 p.m.: Sung-chan and Jin-soo end up going to the peach farm owned by Jin-soo's mom together. Sung-chan finds out Jin-soo's mom can't taste food because she underwent tongue-cancer treatment and cooks her a great meal, impressing both Jin-soo and her mother.

'WORKING MOM'

Episodes 7 and 8

Wednesday at 7:45 p.m.: Jae-sung is dumbstruck when his mother-in-law takes the news of his resignation nonchalantly and tells him to become a stay-home dad. Jae-sung follows Ga-young on her business trip with the boys and loses them at the beach.

Thursday at 7:45 p.m.: Jae-sung and Ga-young's relationship takes a turn for the worse after the incident at the beach. Bok-sil suggests Ga-young divorce Jae-sung. Eun-jin talks Jae-sung into stealing Ga-young's presentation file for her.

'INTO THE SUN'

Episodes 3 and 4

Friday at 7:45 p.m.: Suk-min decorates Hye-rin's office with lilies, but Hye-rin, who's allergic to pollen, erupts in a sneezing fit when she walks in. Suk-min is crushed, but the incident reminds Hye-rin of the first time her late fiancee gave her flowers.

Saturday at 7:45 p.m.: Hye-rin tries to push Suk-min away, but he doesn't budge. Suk-min is overjoyed when Hye-rin asks him out, but is heartbroken when she tells him that she's married and that her husband is away at the moment.