Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time was the first major investment by SK Telecom's film division, which had been established in late 2007, and the movie was released under the company's CH Entertainment banner.

The film was directed by Jeong Yong-ki and adapted from a screenplay by Cheon Seong-il, set in Seoul in 1945 during the final days of Japanese colonial rule.

Several characters are referred to by both a Japanese name and a Korean name, reflecting the historical practice of forced name changes (Sōshi-kaimei) imposed on Koreans during Japanese rule.

The film opened in South Korea on January 30, 2008, ranking third at the box office on its opening weekend with US$1,971,473 in grosses, before rising to number one in its second weekend.

By March 23, 2008, the film had grossed a total of US$10,614,012, with 1,562,752 tickets sold by March 31, 2008, when it was also released on DVD.

The film screened internationally at the 7th New York Korean Film Festival and at the Hawaii International Film Festival's 2008 Summer Fest, both in August 2008.

Lee Bo-young received a Best New Actress nomination at the 44th Baeksang Arts Awards, and costume designer Yang Min-hye was nominated for Best Costume Design at the 45th Grand Bell Awards.