The 16th Busan International Film Festival opened on October 6, and the red carpet to the opening screening — So Ji-sub and Han Hyo-joo’s tragic romance Only You — was awash with stars.

(For those of you used to seeing the festival called PIFF, it recently changed its spelling. The festival is in its 16th year and began back when the city was spelled Pusan. The spelling of the southern city officially changed to Busan in 2000, but the festival kept its former spelling, which naturally led to some confusion. Yeah, the Korean romanization system changes hasn’t been the most easy to follow.)

It’s been a while since we’ve had a big, star-packed red carpet, but this reminds me that we’re heading into awards season, and will soon be seeing lots of events like this. Which means, lots and lots of red carpets to ooh over, or, as the case may be, snark.

There were some questionable outfits (always fun), but overall I really like what I saw, even if there was an overwhelming trend toward leg slits Up To There and a good amount of side-boob. But the colors! Yay for colors!

So Ji-sub and Han Hyo-joo were two of the highlights of the night, seeing as it was their movie opening the festival. They both came in all-black, and they’re both looking sharp. I like the understated look on Han, who adds a few sparkles of interest with the shoes and jewelry.

 
Is Jang Dong-gun (My Way) aging well or what? The man defines dapper.

 
There were some overseas stars who flew in for the event, including Jang Dong-gun’s My Way co-star, Japanese actor Odagiri Joe. I’m thinking it’s a good thing it was So Ji-sub’s big night, for which he dressed up accordingly, otherwise he and Odagiri might’ve come wearing the same outfit. And we know how embarrassing that is.

 
Another My Way co-star, Chinese actress Fan Bingbing. She had one of the nice dashes of color at the event in this seafoam green number.

 
I promise I won’t say that every woman in a white gown is rocking a bridal look… but Kim Haneul (Blind) really does look like a bride, doesn’t she? Give her a bouquet and she’s on her way down the aisle.

 
Go Soo (The Front Line), mmmmm. Sometimes a simple, classic tux is best. The Go Soo inside it helps.

 
Park Jin-hee (Giant) is wearing a popular look, with the slit going up almost the entire leg, and manages to look tasteful doing it. Love that red on her.

 
The cow mustaches is back for Cha Seung-won (Best Love), which I actually dig, despite cheering when he shaved it off in Best Love. (It’s just the monstrous Athena version that I found a bit much.) Then again, a grown man trying to impress an indifferent girl every which way will always warm my jaded heart.

 
Kim Sun-ah came with her Fighting Spirit co-star Kim Joo-hyuk, and wears a gown with lots of flirty fringe. If I was wearing that thing, I’d be hopping all night, just to see it fly.

 
It doesn’t seem like the top half of her gown fits her as well as it should, but it’s Kim So-yeon (Dr. Champ, Athena), badass and gorgeous.

 
Omg so adorable, Yoo Ah-in (Sungkyunkwan Scandal). One moment all scruffy and hot, the next moment all boyish charm. The boy sure does clean up nice.

 
Sung Yuri (Romance Town) shows off another slitted gown, with a bared back for good measure.

 
Love the strong, confident look of soon-to-be-married Park Shi-yeon (Coffee House), who rocks the smoky eye and an unusual color. She doesn’t do the slit, but she still manages to bare some leg with that sheer skirt.

 
Daniel Choi (Baby-Faced Beauty), looking cutely baby-faced himself.

 
His co-star Gu Hye-sun (in The Musical) has worn some outrageous red carpet looks in the past, but not this time. I think the look itself suits her with the short hair and the prim collar, but it’s casual for a red carpet. It’s more something you’d wear to a screening. Or the office. Maybe in the seventies.

 
Lee Yoon-ji (Dream High), rawr. She wins for most daring slit of the night, though you might say it’s not so much a slit as it is a skirt that’s missing its left side. The back’s open, too, so overall she’s showing lots of skin, and looking glowy and confident as she does it.

 
Kang Hye-jung (Miss Ripley), also Mrs. Tablo, goes entirely the other way, opting for a mannish look in a pantsuit and glasses. And some stylin’ white shoes.

 
Aw, Kim Min-joon (Romance Town) is wearing a bowtie and a cummerbund. I find that so dorky and cute.

 
I absolutely love Min Hyo-rin‘s (Romance Town) look, as I tend to do. She just has a great red carpet fashion sense (or maybe an awesome stylist), whether she’s going cute, glam, or sexy. The patterning underneath the sheer outer layer adds interest and texture, and the flow of the gown is super pretty.

 
I would never have thought of Nam Sang-mi (Life Is Beautiful) as towering over a man at her modest 164 cm height, but add some heels and a floor-length gown and she looks practically statuesque with Ryu Deok-hwan (God’s Quiz) (at 167 cm).

 
Is Ji Sung going to keep his Protect the Boss curls? And take on more rom-coms now that it was such a hit? What a far cry from his previous image, no?

 
Pretty pretty. Wang Ji-hye (Protect the Boss) has a perfectly fitting gown on that makes her look (if it’s possible) even taller. See, here’s a white gown that doesn’t look bridal — they do exist!

 
Is that some weird lighting or is Mr. Lee Beom-soo (Giant) wearing eye makeup? Nothing wrong with that, of course; it’s just so different from his usual image. Something about guyliner just doesn’t scream “serious actor”…

 
Kang So-ra (Dr. Champ, Sunny) opts for flowy, frilly white:

 
Her Dr. Champ co-star Jung Seok-won slicks his hair back and buttons up for the event. I have this OCD impulse to straighten his bowtie. Must…resist…urge…

 
Park Jae-bum (Mr. Idol). Um. He’s an idol, so I guess I’m not supposed to understand his fashion?

 
As usual, a formal event means lots of blacks, like Hwang Woo-seul-hye (Believe in Love), who goes clean and classic with a red lip.

 
Jo Yeo-jung (I Need Romance, Bang-ja Chronicle) also opts for a clean, chic look:

 
…although I wouldn’t say Ji Sung-won (Bedevilled) does the same. After watching Ji show up to numerous awards ceremonies in the past year and usually finding her look perplexing at best (or tacky at worst), I’m concluding that the woman could really use a new stylist.

 
Lee Jin (Man of Honor) does more black:

 
…as does Yoon Jin-seo (Runaway Plan B), who opts for a mini-slit with her black number…

 
…while Oh In-hye‘s (Sin of a Family) slit is decidedly more maxi. Although that word doesn’t apply to her bodice, which is just present enough to avoid indecency. On the upside, she’s wearing a color.

 
And yay for colors! Byun Jung-soo (Manny) wears bubble-gum pink.

 
And while I’m not really a fan of Eom Ji-won‘s (The Woman Who Still Wants To Marry) sparkly slitted gown, she gets points for that electric blue:

 
…while Yoo Inna (Best Love) goes for a jewel-tone green:

 
And Lee Tae-im (Marry Me) wears brown:

 
Sohn Eun-seo is acting in period drama Love Rain; perhaps she’s getting into character with her sweet retro look:

 
I’ve seen Nam Gyuri (49 Days) wearing a variation on this look at multiple events. Maybe she really wants to get married.

 
Lee Je-hoon is definitely a new face to watch (The Front Line, Bleak Night) in the coming year(s):

 
Lee Chun-hee (Gloria):

 
Hong Su-ah (I Trusted Men, My Precious You) goes for slinky:

 
It’s been ages since I’ve seen Shinhwa’s Kim Dong-wan (The Person I Love), but he’s apparently got a movie lined up in the near future:

 
Some ladies opted for a bold pattern rather than color, like newish actress Sa Hee, who I barely recognized from Girl K (she was the whistle-blower) — must be because there’s no blood or gunfire here.

 
Yeh Ji-won (Ha Ha Ha) has a more understated pattern:

 
And Kang Ye-won (Quick, Haeundae) goes bolder. I’m pretty sure I hate this gown. Metallic looking stripes… sparkly sequins…white wings on the hem… Yup, hate.

 
But there’s nothing better for cheering you up than the “Ron Sisters”! Last year it was all about big sis Kim Sae-ron (Can You Hear My Heart) at all the awards, but this year her younger sisters Kim Ah-ron (Bobby) and Kim Ye-ron (Cat: Two Eyes that See Death) also have acting projects, and the matchy-matchy is adorably sweet. May we look forward to many, many more awards seasons with them.

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