Director of award-winning animated film dies ahead of release

Hur Bum-wook, the director of the acclaimed animated feature "Pig That Survived Foot-And-Mouth Disease," passed away following a fire, according to the movie’s distributor Indiestory on Tuesday.

He was 43.

Hur passed away Tuesday morning while receiving medical treatment following an accidental fire on July 23.

A press screening for "Pig That Survived Foot-And-Mouth Disease," which was originally scheduled for July 24, was abruptly canceled on the morning of the event due to the accident.

The film was slated to open in local theaters on Aug.

5, but its release has been tentatively postponed.

"We will announce future release schedules after the bereaved family and production crew have time to grieve and process this loss," Indiestory said in a statement.

Born in 1983, Hur established himself as a distinct filmmaker in the local independent animation scene starting with his 2009 short "Ordinary Meals," followed by "City of Good People" (2011), “On the White Planet” (2014) and "Galapagos" (2019).

"On The White Planet" won the Grand Prix for Best Feature Film at the Holland Animation Fil ...