Actor Park Jung-min Dives into Romance and Action in 'Humint'

Actor Park Jung-min shares his experience of showcasing intense romance and masculine action in the film 'Humint' directed by Ryu Seung-wan.

Recently, at a café in Sogyeok-dong, Seoul, we met with actor Park Jung-min, who stars in 'Humint'. The film is set in Vladivostok, where secrets and truths are submerged in the icy sea, and people with different motives clash. Park Jung-min plays the role of Park Geon, a North Korean security officer. He portrays a character who fights to save his former fiancée, Chae Sun-hwa (played by Shin Se-kyung), when she is in danger.

Recalling when he first received the script, Park Jung-min candidly said, "I didn't expect the melodrama aspect to be this strong." He added, "What I liked was the significant emotional range of the character Park Geon. It felt like he was a pivotal character driving the film forward."

Following the film's release, both the action and romance elements have received praise. Park Jung-min commented, "For those who have seen a few of my films, I hoped they would think, 'Oh, Park Jung-min is playing a different character than what he's shown before.' However, I didn't expect to receive such positive feedback."

From a powerful first appearance to a devoted love story, Park Jung-min showcases his masculine charm in this film. He even lost about 15kg to enhance the character's external appeal. "After finishing the film 'Face', I started running around July or August two years ago," he said. "I started lightly, but at some point, I found myself competing with myself. I ran quite a bit, and naturally, I lost a lot of weight." He continued, "Running was the best diet method for me." He also noted, "It was more important to lose puffiness than weight itself. I wanted the character to have a gaunt look, so I worked on maintaining that appearance after running."

Park Jung-min also received help from a military journalist for the gun action scenes. "I received training on how to hold a gun, shoot while moving, and maintain situational awareness," he said. The 'life-like practice' was key to achieving natural gun action. "I bought a similar BB gun to the one Park Geon uses from Coupang. I kept it in the living room and practiced holding it," he explained. "Although I wasn't actually shooting, I practiced inserting the magazine in one go and drawing the gun from my waist repeatedly."

Reporter Kim Ji-won, TenAsia bella@tenasia.co.kr