Actor Park Hoon (43) showcased his presence once again as a new face.
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.
Park Hoon, who plays the role of Japanese Army Lieutenant Colonel Mori Tatsuo, met on the 26th at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Park Hoon expressed, "Already 1 million viewers, it feels like a Christmas gift. I received a Christmas gift from the audience during the film 'Seoul's Spring', and I am deeply moved as an actor participating in 'Harbin' as it has started to receive attention. When a work is good, I get a lot of calls from people around me, and this time I received many calls from acquaintances," sharing his joy over the release of 'Harbin' and surpassing 1 million viewers.
When asked about the process of joining 'Harbin', Park Hoon revealed that he received a love call from director Woo Min-ho, with whom he had a connection during the film 'The Man Standing Next'.
He said, "While filming 'Seoul's Spring', Director Woo Min-ho called me directly. We had a connection during 'The Man Standing Next', but we hadn't been in personal contact since then. He mentioned he was preparing 'Harbin' and thought of me for the role of Mori, saying he wanted to work together. This was my first love call as an actor. It was an exhilarating experience."
He continued, "When I heard it was a story about General Ahn Jung-geun, I wanted to read the script quickly and be a part of it. I have done a lot of historical works, and personally, I seem to like such stories. I believe they are not useless stories, but necessary narratives that allow us to reflect on the past and move towards the future. So I really wanted to be involved and wanted to take on any piece of 'Harbin'."
Park Hoon poured everything into transforming into the Japanese army. He underwent physical changes with a shaved head and scalp tattoo, and struggled to deliver natural Japanese dialogue.
He stated, "I met the director during 'The Man Standing Next', but I came to respect him even more this time. Both the director and the actors did not want to shoot any scene carelessly due to the burden and weight of the work. The director often became emotional while filming and shed tears," adding, "The director said he thought I was an actor who could portray Mori, even though he is a fictional character. Hearing that, I was determined to see it through to the end. I created my appearance and language materials and acted while considering the symbolic meanings of this work."
He further explained, "I saw Mori as a symbolic figure immersed in imperialism. If a villain in an entertainment film shows power by doing evil deeds and brings adversity to the protagonist, Mori is the opposite. He gets caught by Ahn Jung-geun right from the start and becomes obsessed with Ahn after being released based on Ahn's principles. If Ito Hirobumi is the head of imperialism, I thought Mori represents the obsession towards the continent through his actions."
Regarding the shaved head, he said, "The director suggested shaving my head first. I thought it was necessary to show this person through external images rather than explaining it with words, so I agreed. I changed the line with a scalp tattoo to show a face that I didn't even know myself."
On his Japanese acting, he confessed, "Since it will be released in Japan, I thought it shouldn't feel awkward. Since Japanese actor Lily Franky is also in 'Harbin', I didn't want to show a careless side as a Korean actor. With that sense of mission, I prepared fiercely, aiming to get as close as possible to native-like performance."
He continued, "Everyone has different breathing timings, and my Japanese teacher is a friend who also acts, so he taught me my Korean lines first, and I practiced and internalized them before he taught me the Japanese lines. It took twice as long, but since I had to act rather than just speak, I did it that way. Thanks to that, my friend also improved a lot in Korean acting. From the moment I joined this project until the ADR, he was always by my side like a shadow. I am very grateful for him being my comrade throughout this project."
He emphasized that all the actors in this project felt a sense of mission and worked hard to convey that sincerity.
He said, "This project started at the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall. I felt a sense of mission while making a declaration there. So I couldn't just be cheerful. Usually, I try to relax when not filming, but I felt a constant tension. I never felt liberated from that weight. What must the independence fighters have felt?" He added, "All the actors in this project felt that weight. The physical exhaustion was less than the weight of this work. There was a sense of mission, pressure, and weight to convey this story well to the audience. So I thought about what my role in 'Harbin' was and tried to ensure I was not lacking."
Park Hoon acted alongside Hyun Bin, who played Ahn Jung-geun, after their collaborations in the drama 'Memories of the Alhambra' and the film 'Confidential Assignment 2'. Notably, in all three works, Park Hoon played a character chasing Hyun Bin.
In response, Park Hoon, who earned the title of "Hyun Bin's man," joked, "Thank you for calling me Hyun Bin's man," and added, "It really happened by coincidence. During 'Confidential Assignment', the director didn't watch our drama, so I was cast, and Director Woo Min-ho also said he hadn't seen the work we did together. This time, I was again in a chasing role, and after being cast, I called Hyun Bin right away. Considering the weight of this work and role, it might be our last project together, so we agreed to do it without regrets, and Hyun Bin also felt the weight of General Ahn Jung-geun and said we should do it without regrets. I think it turned out to be a good project for both of us."
He added, "Hyun Bin is always humble while working together. I felt pressure and responsibility, wondering if I could do this, but if it weren't for Hyun Bin, who could have endured that? He held up well at the center of this drama, and I think he expressed Ahn Jung-geun's journey of taking steps forward with the strength of his comrades well. I feel like this project has opened a new chapter for him as an actor."
Regarding the actors he worked with in 'Harbin', he said, "I met them for the first time this time, and I always feel excited to work with new actors in any project. I want to find and learn what I don't have. I was happy to meet many new actors while working on 'Harbin'. Filming abroad also fostered a sense of camaraderie. Park Jung-min was a real fan, and I admire and envy his freedom. I wanted to steal Jo Woo-jin's focus and also wanted to have Jeon Yeo-bin's calmness. I want to praise Lee Dong-wook's transformation and courage, and I want to learn from him. I also learned a lot from Yoo Jae-myung's stability, who supported us from behind during this project," showing his affection.
Park Hoon described 'Harbin' as a film like poetry and urged audiences to enjoy it in theaters.
He said, "I thought this work was a film like poetry. If Ahn Jung-geun represents the spirit of Joseon, I see Lee Chang-seob as representing struggle and Woo Deok-sin as representing faith," adding, "I have filmed abroad before, but I think this time the scenery itself has meaning. The scene where Ahn Jung-geun crosses the river was shot not with CGI but in reality. Ahn Jung-geun crossing the cracked river towards his destination is vividly visible in the lonely landscape, and I believe that the scenery itself symbolically shows the independence fighters overcoming loneliness and moving towards the independence movement."
He continued, "'Harbin' is a symbolic and condensed film. I think it's natural for opinions about any work to be divided. Not everyone can be the same. However, I believe that this film's emotions can be better conveyed in theaters rather than on a mobile phone. Please come to the theater to see the essence and charm of this film."
“This year, I received warm love from the beginning of the year with 'Seoul's Spring', won an award at the Asia Film Awards, and heard many good stories throughout the year. It has been a happy year for me as an actor. Just as life has its ups and downs, I don't know what next year will be like, but as I have done so far, I will quietly continue my work. I think it's absurdly lucky for me as an actor to have 'Seoul's Spring' and now 'Harbin'. Box office success is always unpredictable, and I don't know what will happen in the future, but I sincerely thank the audience for their interest during this difficult time.”
[Yang So-young, Star Today Reporter]
