Kang Je-gyu

Born: December 23 1962
Where: Anyang, South Korea

The writer and director made his international breakthrough with the 1999 spy thriller Shiri.

The movie, which was watched by more than six million people, is acknowledged as the film which launched Korea's new wave.

Kang began his career as a scriptwriter on Well, Let's Look at the Sky Sometimes in 1999 and assumed writing duties for Who Saw The Dragon's Toenails and Days of Roses.

He made his directorial debut in 1996 with The Gingko Bed, a mythological love story that became the Korean hit of the year.

Recent work includes the big-budget Korean War drama Brotherhood which has earned comparisons with Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan.