“It’s not a work that will get people stoned because of Yoo Ah-in.”

'Fool of the End', whose release date was postponed due to Yoo Ah-in's drug scandal, is now ready to meet viewers after a long wait. Both the director and actors showed extraordinary affection for the work and requested affectionate attention, saying, “It is not a work that will be met with stones.”

On the 19th, a production presentation for Netflix's new series 'Fool of the End' was held at the Mondrian Grand Ballroom in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Actors Ahn Eun-jin, Jeon Seong-woo, Kim Yun-hye, and director Kim Jin-min attended the event.

'Fool of the Apocalypse' is a Netflix series that depicts the story of the D-200, an asteroid collision with the Earth, a world in chaos due to the impending apocalypse, and the story of people who live today together until the end. It is based on a novel by Japanese author Kotaro Isaka.

Director Kim Jin-min said, "When I saw the original work, it was a very unique dystopian story. It was the kind of work that asks, 'How will I and you live?' when we face such an end. As a director, I was very greedy." revealed.

He added, "Looking at the characters played by the actors here, I had the feeling that there would be a version of me among them. If it was a work like this, I definitely wanted to do it well."

Regarding the difference from other survival works, he said, "There are quite a few works that focus on the struggle for survival, but I think another consensus will be reached by feeling 'that must be me'. It is the most philosophical work I have directed so far."

He continued, "This is a story about people who couldn't or didn't run away, so while I was directing it, I thought that everyone who appeared was a hero. It's not that it's not a hero story," and "I've seen a lot of stories about heroes saving the Earth, but I've seen a lot of stories about heroes who save themselves or people I've been with." “The choice to go together is meaningful, valuable, and worthy of respect,” he added. He then emphasized, “This work features a hero with a big heart.”

Director Kim Jin-min also mentioned Yoo Ah-in. He said, "Before I started working on a project, I spoke with Ain on the phone for a very long time. We had a Zen question and answer session, and there was a time when Ain tried to get to know me. I thought this actor was of a high level. I would like to work with this actor. “I felt like I had to prepare a lot to do it,” he said.

He continued, "It was a moment when I realized that I knew something about the world of actors, but I didn't know anything about it. Directing doesn't make actors, but the work makes the actors, and I think it's fortunate if the director can give even a small gift to the actor. Finding an actor He added, “I put a lot of effort into it, and until the end, I hung up the ensemble and dozens of paintings in the studio, moved them around, moved them around, and thought a lot about it. It was a work that no one regretted.”

Ahn Eun-jin played the role of Jin Se-kyung, who was once a middle school technology tutor, but after the asteroid outbreak, she volunteered at the Children and Youth Department of Woongcheon City Hall and secretly struggles to protect children in danger.

Eunjin Ahn said, “I remember the first time I read the script. “I felt that the situation of chaos and chaos was difficult to pass by, and even though it didn’t all come together in chronological order, the ending was so impressive that it made my heart pound,” he said, explaining the reason for his appearance. He continued, “The ending scene resonated with me personally. Please watch it carefully from beginning to end.”

Ahn Eun-jin said of Jin Se-kyung's character, "Ahead of the apocalypse, she is a character who changes subtly with the desire to protect children. I thought about what it would be like two months before the apocalypse. I would think that I want to live, but I will run with one mission until the end." “I’m going,” he explained.

Eunjin Ahn also talked about working with child actor Kanghoon Kim. He said, "I started when Kang-hoon was shorter than me, but as we continued filming, his ankles were visible under his pants and he grew taller than me. I met Bo-min as a small person at first, but he gradually became more mature. It was fun to film with him during the period of his growth. “Because we filmed a lot of scenes in extreme situations, just holding hands with the children made me feel like I had to protect them,” he said.

Woo Seong-jae, played by Jeon Seong-woo, is a character who became an assistant priest overnight in place of the chief priest who disappeared after the asteroid incident was announced. He takes care of the believers while calming down the confusion caused by various rumors. Kim Yoon-hye plays Kang In-ah, a company commander in a combat service support battalion who travels throughout the ruined city of Ungcheon to transport supplies and maintain public order. Kim Yoon-hye said about the character, "She is a person with a strong sense of responsibility and wants to protect her beloved friend. She is an attractive friend with a strong personality."

He also talked about the efforts he made to play the role of a soldier. He explained, "I practiced saluting and cut my hair in two blocks because I wanted to express Ina's strong and heavy appearance. I searched for materials and documentaries so that I could experience the military, which I had never experienced before."

What if the end was actually 200 days away? Ahn Eun-jin said that she would live a normal daily life. “I talked about that a lot when filming this work. While talking about what I wanted to do, I also said that I would live the same daily life. I would express some love to my family and face the same day. “I will try my best to live my daily life,” Jeon Seong-woo said, adding, “I think I will live each day while enjoying that moment.”

The release date of 'Fool of the End' was postponed as Yoo Ah-in began his trial on drug use charges. Director Kim Jin-min said, "I was asked several times if they would release it on Netflix. I had forgotten about it for a while. I am both surprised and glad that they are releasing it again. I never thought that this work would not be released. There is no reason for it not to be released. “I’m not talking about Yoo Ah-in’s issues, but I think it would be strange if this work wasn’t released. I worked hard to make it so I wouldn’t be embarrassed.”

However, in order to minimize viewers' inconvenience, Yoo Ah-in's portion was re-edited in a way that did not interfere with the plot. Director Kim Jin-min said, "The issue arose when the first three episodes were edited. At first, I thought it would pass because it was not a complicated situation. But the problem did not go my way. I told Netflix that I wanted to edit it again. “I was just about to do it, but to be honest, Netflix doesn’t let me do anything after editing,” he said. “It’s my duty to minimize viewers’ inconvenience, so I edited out the amount of content that could cause inconvenience.” However, I hope that Yoo Ah-in's role will not be overly uncomfortable, without overshadowing the efforts of many actors. “I sincerely ask for your understanding.”

Eunjin Ahn said, “We have a group message room. We always waited, talking about when we would have the company dinner. To celebrate the opening, we decided to have a company dinner. Since we were always together, we had meetings and waited during the waiting time. “I am grateful and happy to be able to show you what I worked so hard to film,” he said, expressing his affection.

‘Fool of the End’ will be released on the 26th.
Taeyuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr