Lobby (film)

Lobby (Korean: 로비) is a 2025 South Korean black comedy film written, directed, and produced by Ha Jung-woo. Ha leads a ten-actor ensemble cast as Chang-wook, a startup CEO who tries to win a government project through lobbyist golf.^[2] The film was released on April 2, 2025.^[3][4]

Lobby
Theatrical release poster
Hangul	로비
RR	Robi
MR	Robi
Directed by	Ha Jung-woo
Written by	Kim Kyung-chan Ha Jung-woo
Produced by	Byun Bong-hyun Kim Young-hoon Ha Jung-woo
Starring	Ha Jung-woo Kim Eui-sung Kang Hae-lim Lee Dong-hwi Park Byung-eun Kang Mal-geum Choi Si-won Cha Joo-young Park Hae-soo Kwak Sun-young
Cinematography	So Jung-oh
Edited by	Kim Sang-bum Kim Ho-bin
Music by	Dalpalan
Production companies	Walkhouse Company Film Momentum
Distributed by	Showbox
Release date	April 2, 2025 (2025-04-02)
Running time	106 minutes
Country	South Korea
Language	Korean
Box office	US$1.8 million[1]

Plot

Chang-wook, a startup CEO who knows nothing but research, constantly loses opportunities and technology to his rival CEO, Kwang-woo, due to shady under-the-table deals. His company's only way out is to win a ₩4 trillion government project, a one-shot chance to secure capital. But Kwang-woo, who is one step ahead in the lobbying game, has already won over Minister Cho. Turning his sights elsewhere, Chang-wook approaches Choi, the minister's husband and her closest confidant who holds real influence behind the scenes.

Cast

• Ha Jung-woo as Yoon Chang-wook
• Kim Eui-sung as Choi Woo-hyun
• Kang Hae-lim as Jin Se-bin
• Lee Dong-hwi as Park Yong-hoon
• Park Byung-eun as Son Kwang-woo
• Kang Mal-geum as Cho Hyang-sook
• Choi Si-won as Ma Tae-soo
• Cha Joo-young as Da-mi
• Park Hae-soo as Bae-min
• Kwak Sun-young as Director Kim

Production

Development

Ha Jung-woo conceived the idea for Lobby during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he first began learning golf. Intrigued by the isolated and exclusive nature of golf courses, where private conversations often unfold among powerful individuals, Ha was inspired to set a political satire against this backdrop.

Filming focused heavily on ensemble scenes involving politicians, businessmen, and lobbyists during a golf round, blending dark comedy with tightly orchestrated dialogue. Ha emphasized precision during production, conducting more than ten full cast script readings and numerous scene-specific rehearsals to ensure rhythm and timing. Despite being a comedy, Ha directed the film with a serious tone, instructing the actors to treat their characters as if they were in a high-stakes drama, enhancing the film's satirical impact.^[5]

Casting

Ha cast Kang Hae-lim as pro golfer Jin after prioritizing natural presence and an authentic golf swing over acting experience, aiming for realism on the course.^[6] Kang Mal-geum joined the film later in production, replacing Ra Mi-ran as the corrupt Minister Cho. She was drawn to the script and learned golf for the first time to prepare for the role.^[7]

Filming

Principal photography for Lobby began on 14 September 2023 and ended on December.^[8]

Release

Lobby premiered in South Korean theaters on 2 April 2025, distributed by Showbox.^[9][10] The film was released on digital platforms in South Korea on April 29.^[11]

Box office

The film was released on April 2, 2025 on 1,010 screens.^[12] It opened at second place at the South Korean box office with 37,157 admissions.

As of April 5, 2025^[update], the film has grossed US$1,071,184 from 165,311 admissions.^[12][1]