Actor Park Jung-min (37) transformed into an independence fighter.
The film 'Harbin' (directed by Woo Min-ho) depicts the breathless pursuit and suspicion between those heading to Harbin for a single purpose and those chasing them in 1909. After its release on the 24th, it quickly surpassed 1 million viewers.
Currently filming 'Humint' in Latvia, Park Jung-min expressed his gratitude for surpassing 1 million viewers during a video interview on the 26th, saying, "I feel distant as I receive this from afar. It's a film with deep meaning, so I'm cautious about measuring it by numbers, but I'm happy that many people watched it during the holidays."
He continued, "It wasn't intentional, but I hope it serves as an opportunity for people to think about the country and its citizens, even a little, in this chaotic current situation, and to share positive thoughts. Each person inevitably interprets the film differently. Nevertheless, I hope the audience appreciates the power of this film and the intentions of those who made it."
In 'Harbin', Park Jung-min plays the steadfast comrade Woo Deok-soon of Ahn Jung-geun. He expressed the pressure of portraying a real person when he played Song Mong-kyu in the past film 'Dongju'. The reason he took on the role of a real person again in 'Harbin' was due to the excellent script and the people involved.
He stated, "Over time, I forgot the pressure. Before that, I really wanted to work with the director and the seniors. I thought it wouldn't make sense personally to give up on this good script and meaningful project because of pressure. The director mentioned that it was a story of independence fighters from that era led by General Ahn Jung-geun. They were also afraid and shaken, and I was shocked that I hadn't thought about the fact that they were someone's children. I used to think of those who fought for independence as just heroes, but I felt that those heroes were also human, so I really wanted to participate."
Regarding the character Woo Deok-soon, he said, "There wasn't much material, so I had to rely on my imagination. I looked for various materials, but there wasn't anything applicable to the film. So, I focused on expressing the character of Woo Deok-soon as portrayed in the script. Our film and the novel 'Harbin' are different works, but I borrowed a bit from the Woo Deok-soon in the novel that stayed in my mind. I thought of him as someone who silently supports and helps Ahn Jung-geun, and I acted accordingly."
He added, "The director wanted to create a different face from what I had shown to the audience so far. He wanted me to express a more solid and strong feeling. I wanted to portray a solid character that doesn't lean too much on sentiment."
Above all, Park Jung-min expressed his respect for Hyun-bin, who led 'Harbin' as Ahn Jung-geun.
He said, "I was one of the youngest on set. I kept asking Hyun-bin hyung various questions and shared a lot about the film. I had many questions about the history of the actor Hyun-bin, so I asked a lot and shared my thoughts. I relied on him at every moment. Later, I felt sorry. As the protagonist, not just an ordinary character, but someone who is known by all citizens of Korea, I wondered if I was of any help to him. These days, hearing about his burden and responsibility during promotions made me feel a bit guilty. When I return to Korea, I want to visit him and share various stories."
He also mentioned Lee Dong-wook, who played the opposing character Lee Chang-seob.
He said, "I met him for the first time this time. I was captivated by Lee Dong-wook as a person, and I can't get enough of his charm. If there are scenes where an actor has to confront another in front of the camera, personally, if I'm not comfortable with that actor, it's not easy to create that confrontation. I need to trust that person and believe that they will accept everything for the performance to come out naturally. I had that trust in Lee Dong-wook. Although we didn't have many scenes together, I was grateful that I could act freely because of my trust and fondness for him."
He also mentioned that he learned a lot while acting with Jo Woo-jin, who played Kim Sang-hyun, with whom he had the most interactions in the film.
Park Jung-min said, "He was a comrade who continuously moved forward alongside General Ahn Jung-geun, and perhaps because we created scenes together, he stands out the most in my memory. I learned a lot from him. I could feel his sincere attitude towards acting in the film. The way he created and approached his character reminded me of my own actions when I was young and really wanted to act well. I didn't want to repeat the mental isolation that I had to push myself into, as it was painful. However, seeing my respected senior still not shying away from such pain made me reflect. He was a senior I really wanted to work with, and I was happy to meet him this time."
He added, "While we were in the car heading to Gangwon-do for a test shoot, he mentioned a scene that he couldn't resolve and said he wanted to work on it together during the reading. It was the first time I heard a senior say they wanted to create something well when they couldn't resolve it. I wondered if I could say that to a junior, and I thought it required great courage, so I was grateful and surprised. The memory of discussing things together in the same space was also happy and good."
Despite the physically demanding journey, including battle scenes filmed in snowy Gwangju and overseas shoots, Park Jung-min said it was not difficult at all.
He said, "We filmed in Mongolia, Gwangju, and Latvia in the snow and cold. It was physically tough, but looking back, I can't remember what was difficult, so it's a mysterious work for me. It was that enjoyable while filming, and we were good comrades to each other, just like in the movie. Even with Park Hoon, who appeared as a Japanese person, there was a strong feeling of heading towards the same place, so I don't have any difficult memories."
He continued, "The director said he didn't want to film the hearts and journeys of those who did the right thing at that time comfortably. The director had the will to create this film with a noble heart, and the actors tried to follow that straight path. The conversations we had during that process will remain significant," showing his affection for 'Harbin'.
Additionally, he said, "I talked a lot with the director about what the wisest choice for acting would be, and all the actors on set were amazing. Even after filming, conversations about the movie never stopped during dinner. On our days off, when we had a beer in the director's room, we reminded ourselves of the mindset we had when we started this project."
Having met the audience with 'Harbin', Park Jung-min continues his busy schedule with the upcoming film 'Humint' directed by Ryu Seung-wan, and the Coupang Play series 'Newtopia', which will be released in February next year.
He had previously announced that he would take a break from acting next year, but he said, "I never declared a break, but it turned out that way. I said I would take a little break, and I feel embarrassed," adding, "Something will come out in February next year. I have a few things I've filmed. The audience might think I lied. I apologize for that. However, I do plan to take a break next year. Even so, something will continue to come out, and I think the moment will come when I have to retract my declaration of a break. I apologize for that and will work hard."
[Yang So-young, Star Today Reporter]
