‘No Other Choice’ Confirmed As Korea’s Nomination For The Oscars

lee byung-hun and Son Ye-jin - Neon/No Other Choice

No Other Choice, the new film from Park Chan-wook, director of Oldboy, The Handmaiden, and Decision to Leave, has been selected as South Korea’s submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards.

The film, which stars Squid Game’s Lee Byung-hun in the lead role, is a dark comedy about a former paper worker who is pushed to desperate, murderous extremes after being abruptly let go. Based on Donald E. Westlake’s novel, The Ax, the film has been described by critics as “the latest exhibit in the mounting body of evidence suggesting Park Chan-wook may be the most elegant filmmaker alive.”

The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Friday, August 29, 2025, where it is competing for the Golden Lion award. It is set to open the Busan International Film Festival and will release in Korea on Wednesday, September 24, 2025.

Expectations for the film will be high, following Chan-wook’s previous hits, as well as the success enjoyed by other Korean films, such as Parasite, at the Oscars in recent years.

The Oscar International Feature Shortlist will be announced on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, with the final five nominees to be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026. The 98th Academy Awards ceremony is to be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026.