Korean Stars Yoo Hae-jin and Lee Je-hoon Bring Bromance to the Big Screen in 'Soju War'

The much-anticipated film 'Soju War' is set to bring a wave of bromance to theaters this June, starring Yoo Hae-jin, a man who loves soju, and Lee Je-hoon, who can't handle his liquor.

On May 24, a production briefing for 'Soju War' was held at Megabox COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul. The event was attended by actors Yoo Hae-jin, Lee Je-hoon, Son Hyun-joo, and Choi Young-joon.

'Soju War' is set against the backdrop of the 1997 IMF financial crisis and tells the story of Jong-rok (played by Yoo Hae-jin), a finance director for whom the soju company is life itself, and In-beom (played by Lee Je-hoon), an employee of a global investment firm who is solely focused on results. The two face off over the fate of Korea's national soju.

Yoo Hae-jin shared, "The story revolves around soju, and perhaps because of that, the script was a breeze to read. I was drawn to the human aspect of the character," explaining his reason for choosing the role. He plays the role of Pyo Jong-rok, the finance director of Gukbo Group, who puts everything on the line to save the company.

Lee Je-hoon portrays Choi In-beom, an employee of the global investment firm Solqueen, who initially clashes with Yoo Hae-jin's character but gradually becomes enamored with the taste of soju. Lee remarked, "There are moments of conflict and friendship with Yoo Hae-jin's character, and each scene was fascinating and surprising. He inspired me to keep up with him."

He added, "I'm not much of a drinker, but through this film, I found myself enjoying soju. If audiences feel like they want to try soju after watching the movie, that would be the happiest moment for me."

Son Hyun-joo plays Seok Jin-woo, the chairman of Gukbo Group, who firmly believes that the people's companion, soju, will never fail. Choi Young-joon takes on the role of Gu Young-mo, an anonymous lawyer in charge of crisis management for Gukbo Group.

Son Hyun-joo humorously noted, "I've played many good roles before, but lately, I've taken on more villainous ones. However, this time, I think my character wouldn't have failed if Jong-rok had just listened to me. There's a sense of injustice," bringing laughter to the event.

Known for his love of soju, Yoo Hae-jin commented, "I naturally enjoy soju, so it wasn't hard to portray that on screen. I hope viewers feel like having a glass of soju after watching the film."

'Soju War' is set to premiere on June 3.

Reported by Ryu Ye-ji, TenAsia ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr