A Kazakh former special forces officer and a South Korean taekwondo champion find themselves on the same side when their shared mentor disappears. Their search takes them from Kazakhstan to Seoul, where they become entangled in a dangerous conflict rooted in their teacher’s past.
This is the story of KESU, a Kazakhstan–South Korea action film directed by Daulet Zhumabayev that opened in Kazakhstan on October 15. The film topped the country’s box office during its opening weekend, earning approximately 77 million tenge ($160,000), according to Forbes Kazakhstan.
The film was commissioned by the Kazakhstan Taekwondo Federation, whose president, Kudret Shamiyev, served as its principal producer. Shamiyev has said the project aims to attract young people to taekwondo and present the sport as a philosophy and a way of life.
The film stars Asylkhan Tolepov as Didar, a former special forces officer haunted by a fatal mission. South Korean actor Joo Woo Geon plays Ryu, a taekwondo champion visiting Kazakhstan for a tournament. Merey Makazhan plays Asiya, who also becomes involved in their increasingly dangerous adventure.
KESU opens with a special forces raid before shifting to taekwondo competition and confrontations with criminal gangs. The film is Zhumabayev’s second feature, following the boxing drama Arlan: The Final Round.
Video: Kesu Official Trailer
Taekwondo’s History in Kazakhstan
The story also pays tribute to Mustafa Öztürk, an ethnic Kazakh martial artist born in Türkiye who helped establish taekwondo in Kazakhstan in the early 1990s. Öztürk founded the Kazakhstan Taekwondo Federation in 1991 and trained some of the country’s first international competitors. He died in 1995, but his name remains closely associated with the development of the sport. A memorial tournament honoring Öztürk features in the film.
Although KESU is fictional, its connection to Öztürk provides a historical backdrop to the collaboration between Kazakh and Korean filmmakers.
The fight choreography was directed by Zhandos Aibasov, working with Kazakhstan’s Nomad Stunts team. The action draws heavily on taekwondo techniques, particularly its kicks and spinning attacks, while incorporating the elaborate confrontations familiar from Asian martial-arts cinema.
The fight sequences have attracted favorable reviews. Writing for Vlast, film critic Galiya Baizhanova praised the choreography and the clarity with which the fights were filmed. She also highlighted the film’s treatment of taekwondo as a discipline grounded in self-control and respect for opponents.
In a separate review for 365info, Aisulu Basenova highlighted the film’s combination of taekwondo, Korean crime drama, and family relationships. Both reviewers singled out the action sequences choreographed by Zhandos Aibasov and Nomad Stunts.
Zhumabayev recently spoke to The Times of Central Asia about directing the international cast. He described how Tolepov helped his South Korean co-star settle into the production and how the visiting actors were introduced to Kazakh traditions, including a trip to Shymbulak and a meal of beshbarmak.
The Korean actors also underwent physical training, studied Kazakh, and rehearsed demanding scenes. Zhumabayev said he applied the same standards to actors from both countries.
A South Korean Release
The filmmakers are now looking to bring KESU to South Korean cinemas.
In October, Zhumabayev and Kazakhstan Taekwondo Federation general secretary Aral Sadykov presented the film to Lee Kyung-woo, founder of the South Korean company STORYWORKS, during a special screening in Almaty. According to TravelPress, the meeting resulted in an agreement to pursue commercial theatrical distribution in South Korea.
In his October 23 interview with TCA, Zhumabayev said preliminary agreements were in place and that he intended to travel to Seoul for further discussions with distributors.
“We might get a wide release, or it might be more limited,” he said, explaining that the decision would depend on the distributor.
A South Korean release date has not yet been announced.
