Korea's United Pictures (UP) has sold director Yu Ha's upcoming period piece A Frozen Flower to Splendid for Germany and the Benelux, and to KNTV for Japan - for a cumulative total of $1.5m at the AFM.

The Japan deal was said to have been for more than $1m.

Lee Tae Hun, CEO of UP and executive producer of the film said: 'Buyers not only showed a high level of confidence in director Yu Ha, who previously directed A Dirty Carnival, but after seeing the short promo we had prepared, they also expressed admiration for this unconventional story about forbidden love, the spectacular swordplay, and the resplendent culture of the Goryeo dynasty.'

Formerly an acclaimed poet, Yu Ha also previously directed melodrama Marriage Is A Crazy Thing and action film Once Upon A Time In High School.

This next highly anticipated film stars Zo In-sung - who also starred in A Dirty Carnival - as a royal bodyguard in conflict with his king, played by Ju Jin-mo (200 Pounds Beauty). Starlet Song Ji-hyo plays a queen from Yuan.

The film features homosexual themes in a period of political unrest overshadowed by China 's Yuan dynasty. The two male leads have followings in Japan because of their film and TV work.

Produced by Opus Pictures, the film is presented by Showbox Mediaplex and UP. Showbox will open A Frozen Flower in Korea on Dec 30.

UP is an up-and-coming production and financing company involving Lee's Opus Pictures, Eugene Lee's Zip Cinema, and Shim Bo-kyung's Bokyungsa.

The company was in the Korean Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA)'s AFM booth as a last minute addition, promoting A Frozen Flower and Jeonwoochi - another highly anticipated film, from hit director Choi Dong-hoon (Tazza: The High Rollers).

Jeonwoochi is due for release in summer 2009.

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