“I hope ‘The Point Men’ will revitalize Korean movies” Hwang Jung-min and Hyun Bin’s sense of duty

Actors Hwang Jung-min, Hyun Bin, and Kang Ki-young entered into 'negotiations' that risked their lives. Director Lim Soon-rye said it was a desperate and desperate work.

On the afternoon of the 13th, a press preview screening of the movie 'Negotiation' (directed by Im Soon-rye) was held at Megabox COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Actors Hwang Jung-min, Hyun Bin, Kang Ki-young, and director Im Sun-rye attended the press conference held after the preview.

'Negotiation', which will be released on the 18th, is a movie depicting the negotiation operation between a diplomat and a local National Intelligence Service agent who went to Afghanistan to rescue Koreans who were taken hostage by the Taliban in the worst kidnapping incident.

Through 'negotiation', director Soon-rye Lim focuses on the sense of duty as a professional of 'those who went to rescue' and the life-threatening struggle to save their lives, rather than the provocative nature of the incident. In addition, the world of director Lim Soon-rye's work, which is about humanity and respect for life, is presented with a higher and broader thematic awareness and scale. In particular, 'negotiation' was based on the 'Saemmul Church missionary kidnapping incident in Afghanistan' that occurred in 2007.

On this day, director Lim Soon-rye said, "It is true that this incident can be a very sensitive subject depending on which perspective you look at it from. So it is true that I was hesitant at first. I think the same incident can be told a different story depending on which angle you look at it from. “I did,” he said.

He continued, "This country called Afghanistan is an unknown land, and we are civil servants who have the mission of protecting the lives of our people and coming to Korea against the Taliban, a cruel group we don't know about. “I decided to direct it because I thought I could make a unique film in Korea that talks about the responsibility of the nation, unlike anything that has been covered before,” he added.

'Negotiation' is the first Korean film to leave the Jordan location during the pandemic. Director Lim Sun-rye said, "Until this incident occurred, Afghanistan was an unfamiliar country to Koreans and unfamiliar to me. While preparing for this film, I couldn't help but study Afghanistan's history, political situation, and culture. So I studied “It’s done,” he said.

He said, "It was impossible to film in Afghanistan. I searched for countries with a similar atmosphere as much as possible. Jordan was similar in terms of scenery to Afghanistan and was the safest country in the Middle East. I filmed a lot of movies with Hollywood, so I had a good time in the film industry." “The infrastructure was also in place,” he said.

Director Im Soon-rye said, "I thought it was the best location after hunting several times. There are scenes in the movie that were actually shot in Afghanistan. I jokingly said, 'Should we go and film the scenes that appear in the inserts. and in between?', but the staff said they couldn't come back alive. “The scenes and sounds received from the local filming crew were inserted into the film,” he explained.

Hwang Jung-min said, "The word 'overwhelming' came to mind as I watched a movie in a large theater for the first time in a long time. Director Im Sun-rye said he would do it, so I said I would do it unconditionally. The director was the person who opened the door for me to do movies during 'Waikiki Brothers', so 'negotiations' were held." “When I was asked to do it, I said I would do it unconditionally,” he said.

Hwang Jung-min said, "I don't know much about sensitive parts because I said I did it before reading the script. Jung Jae-ho was a fictional character. Since Jung Jae-ho is a created character, he has the title of representative of the country and how to accurately express to the audience the energy of having to save people. “It was an important part to do. It didn't have a big impact,” he added.

Hyun Bin also said, "I am also similar to senior Hwang Jung-min. Although 'Negotiation' is based on a true story, the character Park Dae-sik is also a fictional character. Because he is a human being, he has a mission to save his country's citizens. Think about that and think about it." “I looked at it with my own eyes. I didn’t try to control it because it was a sensitive subject,” he said.

Ki-young Kang made everyone laugh by saying, “I am so blessed to be able to play the role of Kasim in 'Negotiation.' “I would like to thank director Soon-rye Lim.” He said, "I've said it all before. It would be a lie if I said I didn't feel this much pressure based on the scenario, but the charm of the character called Kasim was very appealing to me." He added, "I looked at the role as the focus. There was Hyun Bin, senior Hwang Jung-min, and Lim Soon-rye. “I was greedy for the character itself," he said.

Hwang Jung-min said of his co-star Hyun Bin, "He is like a close friend. Although we are close friends, when we met for work, there was something different about him. I definitely had high expectations. I saw him exceed Those expectations brilliantly. As you know, acting is not something you can do alone. “I was very happy because we exchanged energy with each other and felt like we were growing bigger,” he said. “It was fun and happy while working. Another thing is that there are some parts where I am more cautious. Because we are close, I can't just do it. I am more careful, and I am more careful than ever.” “It made me think more,” he said, expressing his affection.

Hyun Bin said, "I felt and learned a lot while working on this project with my older brother and senior. There were a lot of things to learn as an actor on set. I've been an actor for quite a long time, but I thought there were a lot of things I hadn't thought about. I told my senior before, 'I said, 'I really hope we do it again.' He said he wanted to show various things (in other works), such as the energy and vision that he felt from his brother at that time. It was received that positively, and I learned a lot,” he responded.

In addition, Hyun Bin said, "I could rely on him even if I didn't say anything on set. Because we are close, of course I am cautious, as my brother said, but I feel comfortable and can talk without hesitation when acting together or creating something that can amplify an idea." “It was a big help at that time,” he said.

Lastly, Kang Ki-young said, "I have been waiting for the release of 'Negotiation' for a long time. I hope it will be a work that can revitalize the difficult film market. I was happy to be able to participate in ' Negotiation' once again." Hyun Bin said, "Our movie opened in January, and as Ki-young said, I hope that starting with our movie, Korean movies that have been down will be able to prosper again and many audiences will come to the theater."

Kang Min-kyung, Ten Asia reporter kkk39@tenasia.co.kr