Kim Ji-hoon is a South Korean film director who hails from Daegu and graduated from Hanyang University's Theater and Film Art Department. Starting as an assistant director, he marked his directorial debut in 2004 with "Mokpo, Gangster's Paradise," starring Cha In-pyo and Cho Jae-hyun. His 2007 film "May 18," depicting the Gwangju Massacre of 1980 and featuring Kim Sang-kyung, Lee Yo-won, and Lee Joon-gi, earned him the Best Director award at the 2008 Korea Movie Star Awards. Following this success, he directed "Sector 7" in 2011, an action/horror flick centered on a sea monster attacking oil platforms, starring Ha Ji-won and Ahn Sung-ki. While it became a box office hit in China.