Minister of National Defense Oh Kuk-sang in ‘Seoul Spring’

‘Spring in Seoul’ 10 million countdown
'Original Myeongjonse' Kim Eui-seong "'Seoul Spring' 10 million pledge? Kick Jung Woo-sung's butt"
Actor Kim Eui-seong (58), wearing a navy knit with a character on it, expressed his gratitude for the movie, which is about to turn 10 million, with a comfortable and humble smile. Kim Eui-seong said that meeting the audience that filled the IMAX theater through this movie was the most joyful and memorable.

On the 21st, Kim Eui-seong met with Ten Asia at Megabox in Seongsu-dong, Seoul and told stories about the movie 'Spring in Seoul' (directed by Kim Seong-su).

On this day, Kim Eui-seong said about his role as Minister of National Defense that he focused on the scenario rather than being buried in history. He said, “Although it is based on a historical figure, this film is not a documentary but a drama, so I did not intentionally think about looking into that person in depth.”

“It was important for me to draw a fictional character in the scenario rather than to recreate the character, so I studied the character through simple Internet searches. Other than that, I think it would be better to think of it as a character I created while thinking about it. Compared to a real person, it may have been caricatured. “It could have been more or less. I acted based on the scenario as I interpreted it. I wasn’t buried in the real person.”

'Original Myeongjonse' Kim Eui-seong "'Seoul Spring' 10 million pledge? Kick Jung Woo-sung's butt"
In the movie, Kim Eui-seong, who plays the role of the Minister of National Defense, was talked about for his unique fashion, such as turning around in his pajamas. In a play that is all about military uniforms, Kim Eui-seong's fashion left an impression on the audience as it helped them catch their breath. He laughed, saying, "Actually, several people wrote Guidori together, and I thought it would be good for me to write it too, so I wrote it. I chose the one I liked the most and wrote it."

"When I first heard the news, I started using Guidori, but later on, I used it until I was captured by the rebels, so the character seemed very insignificant. But I'm glad that there were many people who found it cute. I think of this every time I see Guidori." There were also people who said I was flying, so in the end, it became a prop that will go down in history for me. Also, I thought walking around in my pajamas would stand out more in the scenario, but I didn't know it would stand out this much. Haha."

Kim Eui-seong expressed his satisfaction with the character, which left a deep impression on the audience, even though he did not have much screen time in the movie. He smiled happily, saying, "The movie came out really well. I'm satisfied. The effect is really good compared to my acting."

"I had a lot of fun filming. It's all thanks to the director. The director gave me a lot more than I prepared, so I reflected a lot. He studied my character more than I did and gave me a good situation. It was my first time working with director Kim Seong-su. “But it was a truly perfect scene.”

Kim Ui-seong, who coined the new term 'Myeongjonse' (meaning a character who wants to hit the solar plexus very hard) through movies such as 'Train to Busan' (director Yeon Sang-ho), was asked what promise he would make if 'Spring in Seoul' exceeds 10 million, " “Every time I make a pledge, it’s almost like self-harm, so I’m going to try to be more cautious this time.”

“I got hit all the time and did a lot of things like that. There were a lot of people who wanted to hit me, right? Ah, but this time, I think I was a really hateable yet cute character. He was a bit of a strange character. Was it because he was a bit of a bitch? Well, I still made promises that fit the character. “If you think about it, this time, since there was talk of ‘I want to get my butt kicked,’ why not just get my butt kicked by Jung Woo-sung?”

Kim Eui-seong chose the 'packed audience seats' as the most impressive scene while greeting the stage of 'Spring in Seoul'. “More than anything else, I was really moved by the fact that the theater was full. It was a strange feeling. In fact, the number of 10 million is an impossible number. It can only be possible if it is a phenomenon. People who have seen the movie must see it again, and people who have never seen the movie before will want to see it again. “You have to see it. I think this movie fits the criteria. I’m really happy that there are so many people watching it.”

'Original Myeongjonse' Kim Eui-seong "'Seoul Spring' 10 million pledge? Kick Jung Woo-sung's butt"
‘Spring in Seoul’ depicts the Seoul military revolt on December 12, 1979, which changed the fate of the Republic of Korea. It contains 9 hours of tense action between Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jung-min)'s rebel army and Lee Tae-shin's (Jung Woo-sung) suppression army. Kim Eui-seong plays the role of Oh Guk-sang, the Minister of National Defense who is only concerned about his own safety when the coup breaks out, drawing the ire of the audience.

Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr