Secret: Untold Melody
2025 film by Seo Yoo-min
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Secret: Untold Melody (Korean: 말할 수 없는 비밀) is a 2025 South Korean romantic fantasy film directed by Seo Yoo-min and starring Doh Kyung-soo, Won Jin-ah, and Shin Ye-eun. The film is a remake of the 2007 Taiwanese film Secret by Jay Chou. It follows Yu-jun, a piano prodigy and music student, who accidentally encounters Jung-a playing mysterious music in an old practice room on campus, sparking a fantasy romance. The film was released on January 27, 2025.
| Secret: Untold Melody | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Hangul | 말할 수 없는 비밀 |
| Lit. | A Secret That Cannot Be Told |
| RR | Malhal su eomneun bimil |
| MR | Marhal su ŏmnŭn pimil |
| Directed by | Seo Yoo-min |
| Written by |
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| Based on | |
| Produced by | Kim Won-guk |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Yang Hyun-suk |
| Edited by | Kim Hyung-joo |
| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Plus M Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Box office | US$5.7 million[1] |
Premise
Kim Yu-jun's promising career as a concert pianist is tragically cut short by a debilitating injury. Seeking a fresh start, he travels to Korea to teach at a prestigious music school. There, he encounters Yoo Jung-a, a captivating and enigmatic musician whose playing possesses a haunting beauty. As Yu-jun falls deeper in love, he uncovers a series of unsettling clues that suggest Jung-a is connected to a long-forgotten past. He soon realizes their love is caught in a time-bending paradox, forcing him to make an impossible choice that will determine their fate.
Cast
- Doh Kyung-soo as Kim Yu-jun[2]
- Won Jin-ah as Yoo Jung-a[2]
- Shin Ye-eun as Park In-hee[2]
- Bae Seong-woo as Kim Seung-ho
- Kim Wook as Lee Jae-sik
- Ahn Seung-gyun as Gyeong-bong
- Kang Kyung-hun as Yeon-seo
- Kang Mal-geum as Min-sook
Production
![](#/media/File:"Secret_-_Untold_Melody"_showcase_on_10_January_2025_01.png)
The film, a South Korean remake of the 2007 Taiwanese film Secret by Jay Chou, was announced in February 2021;[3] it is produced by Hive Media Corp., directed by Seo Yoo-min,[3] and distributed by Plus M Entertainment.[4] Doh Kyung-soo was confirmed as the male lead on the same month,[3] while the round of auditions for the female lead lasted until June 2021,[5] selecting Won Jin-ah and Shin Ye-eun.[6][7]
Principal photography began on November 17, 2021,[8] and ended on January 21, 2022.[9]
Bae Seong-woo was announced in a supporting role in December 2021,[10] and Kim Wook confirmed his appearance in February 2022 after filming ended.[11]
Release
Reception
Shim Sun-ah of Yonhap News Agency described Secret: Untold Melody as a "well-crafted yet somewhat ordinary remake" that addresses some narrative flaws and features a realistic performance by Doh Kyung-soo despite his lack of sight-reading experience, but ultimately concludes that it is weighed down by additional subplots and excessive dialogue, failing to deliver "a memorable score or lasting emotional impact" and rendering it forgettable.[15] Kim Ki-joong of Seoul Shinmun described the film as a refreshing take on the original, praising the engaging performances of the lead actors and the incorporation of modern elements absent in the 2007 version, while lamenting that the iconic piano battle scene lacks its original impact, but ultimately appreciating the film's emotional depth and new musical interpretations.[16]
