Hyesun flees from North Korea and is granted asylum in South Korea where she spends three months at Hanawon, an educational institution where North Korean refugees undergoes training in democracy, freedom, equality, and the practical use of a credit card to withdraw money from an ATM. Everything she learns about becoming a modern South Korean citizen is new and foreign to her. After three months of training, Hyesun takes her first steps into South Korean society and settles into a modern high-rise apartment in Seoul. But her past still haunts her, and she is plagued by guilt for leaving her family behind in North Korea. Hyesun diligently saves money to send to her mother in North Korea only to find out that the mother has passed away two weeks before the money arrived. The death of her mother leaves Hyesun in deep sorrow. Unable to forgive herself for wanting a better life, Hyesun is comforted by Sook-hee, a fellow Hanawon student. Through their encounter, Hyesun gains the strength to question her approach to life once again. More than 30,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea, 70% of them are women. HANA KOREA is based on the true story of one of these women, Hyesun. Sharon Choi, known for her collaboration with Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho on „Parasite“ (2019), has joined the film as co-writer and has served as Sølberg’s right hand and interpreter on set. The film stars an internationally acclaimed cast consisting of Minha Kim (Pachinko, 2022), Joo-Ryoung Kim (Squid Game, 2021) and Seo-hyun An (Okja, 2017). HANA KOREA is a powerful tale of a young North Korean refugee’s pursuit of happiness, struggling to find her own place in a hypermodern society that demands sacrifice and surrender. This financing is made possible through and benefits from the support of the Cultural and Creative Sectors Guarantee Facility with the financial backing of the European Union under the Creative Europe Programme.   Hyesun flees from North Korea and is granted asylum in South Korea where she spends three months at Hanawon, an educational institution where North Korean refugees undergoes training in democracy, freedom, equality, and the practical use of a credit card to withdraw money from an ATM. Everything she learns about becoming a modern South Korean citizen is new and foreign to her. After three months of training, Hyesun takes her first steps into South Korean society and settles into a modern high-rise apartment in Seoul. But her past still haunts her, and she is plagued by guilt for leaving her family behind in North Korea. Hyesun diligently saves money to send to her mother in North Korea only to find out that the mother has passed away two weeks before the money arrived. The death of her mother leaves Hyesun in deep sorrow. Unable to forgive herself for wanting a better life, Hyesun is comforted by Sook-hee, a fellow Hanawon student. Through their encounter, Hyesun gains the strength to question her approach to life once again. More than 30,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea, 70% of them are women. HANA KOREA is based on the true story of one of these women, Hyesun. Sharon Choi, known for her collaboration with Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho on „Parasite“ (2019), has joined the film as co-writer and has served as Sølberg’s right hand and interpreter on set. The film stars an internationally acclaimed cast consisting of Minha Kim (Pachinko, 2022), Joo-Ryoung Kim (Squid Game, 2021) and Seo-hyun An (Okja, 2017). HANA KOREA is a powerful tale of a young North Korean refugee’s pursuit of happiness, struggling to find her own place in a hypermodern society that demands sacrifice and surrender. This financing is made possible through and benefits from the support of the Cultural and Creative Sectors Guarantee Facility with the financial backing of the European Union under the Creative Europe Programme.