Director Kim Mi-jo presents her new film “The Journey to Gyeongju” as a revenge story rooted in grief and family bonds. Speaking at a press conference in Seoul on Monday, Kim says she is interested in how people left behind cope with the pain of loss and emotional rupture, and how they continue “until the very end.” The film centers on a mother, Ok-sil, played by Lee Jeong-eun, and her three daughters. They travel together by road to Gyeongju, a historic city in the country’s southeast, to avenge their youngest family member, Gyeong-ju, who disappeared during a school trip eight years earlier. Kim describes the premise as involving four women who have never harmed even an insect, but who decide to pursue their own form of justice. She also notes that the movie marks her commercial feature debut. Kim previously gained acclaim for her festival award-winning debut “Gull” (2021), and this new project follows her move into a broader commercial release while keeping its focus on family relationships and the aftermath of loss.