Director Heo Beom-wook, whose film 'The pig that came back alive from the foot-and-mouth disease' was about to be released, suddenly passed away. He was 43.
On the 28th, Baek Jae-ho, chairman of the Korean Independent Film Association, announced on his SNS, "We respectfully inform you that the late director Heo Beom-wook passed away on July 28, 2026."
The deceased's wake was set up in Special Room 3 of the Han River Seongshim Hospital funeral hall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, and the funeral service will be held at 8 a.m. on the 30th.
Director Heo Beom-wook was one of the leading creators representing Korean independent feature animation, and his second feature animation, 'The pig that came back alive from the foot-and-mouth disease,' was scheduled to be released on Aug. 5.
In particular, because a free preview screening of 'The pig that came back alive from the foot-and-mouth disease' and a stage greeting by director Heo Beom-wook were scheduled at Lotte Cinema Gwanggyo auditorium 1 on Aug. 1 and 2, the news of his death is even more shocking.
Meanwhile, director Heo Beom-wook completed the 27th regular course and the feature production course at the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA) and pursued a career in animation direction. Starting with the short film 'An ordinary meal,' he drew attention for his original direction through 'The city of good people' and 'Galapagos,' and made his name known with his feature debut 'Pale faces.'
Director Heo Beom-wook was to meet audiences with his new work in about 10 years, 'The pig that came back alive from the foot-and-mouth disease,' on Aug. 5, but he died before its release, leaving the work as his final film.
[Photo] SNS, Indiestory Co., Ltd.
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