'Assassin(s)' Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, Lee Min-ho Return to That Day in 1974 Ahead of Chuseok [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actors Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho trace the truth behind the assassination of the late First Lady Yuk Young-soo.

On the morning of the 10th, a production report conference for the film 'Assassin(s)' was held at Seoul Yongsan-gu CGV Yongsan i-Park Mall, with director Heo Jin-ho and actors Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho in attendance.

The film 'Assassin(s)' tells the story of investigating the suspicions and masterminds behind the sniper attack on First Lady Yuk Young-soo that occurred on August 15, 1974. It is director Heo Jin-ho's new work, who previously directed 'Christmas in August', 'Princess Deokhye', 'Ogamdo', 'Happiness', 'Going Out', and 'Spring Day'.

Yoo Hae-jin plays Detective Cheol-gu of Jungbu District Police Station, a character driven by an inspector's obsession with the truth and heavy conviction. Park Hae-il takes on the role of Jae-hwan, the head of the social affairs department at a newspaper who uncovers the facts of the case without yielding to countless instances of censorship and external pressure. Lee Min-ho portrays Young-il, a rookie reporter at Dongseong Ilbo, united by passion and spirit.

On this day, Director Heo stated, "'Assassin(s)' is a film based on true events, so we had to balance the perspectives looking at that incident. While reviewing materials and interviews, I tried to avoid forming preconceptions and maintain a balanced viewpoint. We worked hard to create tension and pacing suitable for a mystery pursuit thriller."

He continued, "The reason I wanted to make this story into a film is because it continues to be discussed. There are questions and mysterious aspects regarding the actual incident, so I considered it a cinematic subject matter."

'Assassin(s)' was also officially invited to the Gala Presentation section of next month's 51st Toronto International Film Festival. Regarding this good news, Yoo Hae-jin expressed confidence, saying, "The character in the film is a police officer, and since I did physical acting, perhaps that kind of excitement came through."

How was it to act against the historically accurate backdrop of the 1970s? Park Hae-il explained, "I was also born in the 1970s. The main year in the film is 1974, which was just before I was born, so I had curiosity. Director Heo showed incredible detail, and through open sets that captured the actual sense of the era rather than built sets, he made the realism stand out. The high level of completion was a great help to the actors performing, and it was a magical experience."

He added, "During Chuseok, don't all families gather? The basic subject matter of our film is something that men, women, young, and old can watch. The fast-paced drama of the actors' performances meshed with Director Heo's detailed composition. I understand that many Korean films are releasing this Chuseok. I think it will offer a varied feast for audiences."

Lee Min-ho, who had to immerse himself in an era he did not experience, expressed high satisfaction: "I played Young-il entering the newsroom while pursuing his convictions and the value of truth. I tried to act with the feeling of experiencing the moment, so all situations felt real, allowing me to act freely."

Lee Min-ho further said, "I am at an age where it is not easy to be the youngest anywhere, but I was grateful to be able to act with senior actors this time. Although I grew up in a very good environment, I analyzed the character as someone longing for something unfulfilled in one corner of their heart," revealing the points of concern he felt while portraying the role.

Park Hae-il reunited with director Heo Jin-ho about 10 years after the 2016 film 'Princess Deokhye'. Park said, "I was grateful that Director Heo called me again like this after 10 years. Director Heo left only a few short words in 'Assassin(s)', such as 'I hope you show a seasoned character.' It was indeed both gratifying and burdensome."

Regarding Park Hae-il, Director Heo praised him: "The character Jae-hwan in the film is very logical. When I first read the script, Park Hae-il immediately came to mind. On set, we continued to converse with (Park Hae-il), and even during scenes where only Lee Min-ho appeared, Park Hae-il would come out to the set on purpose to converse with (Lee Min-ho)."

Meanwhile, Yoo Hae-jin is acting alongside Park Hae-il for the first time since the 2010 film 'Moss'. Yoo Hae-jin shared, "When I acted with Park Hae-il back then, what I envied most was his eyesight. It was good to see those eyes on set again after a long time."

Regarding Lee Min-ho, Yoo Hae-jin said, "I thought he was really smart. When I heard what (Lee Min-ho) said, I would think, 'Oh, I see,' and showed his satisfaction while praising him."

Hearing this, Lee Min-ho replied, "It was beyond good to act with two senior actors who are most respected in Korea. Ultimately, the dignity formed from their character was admirable. It was a set where I could feel a sense of stability."

After receiving great love with the February release of 'The King and the Clown', Yoo Hae-jin now targets the movie theaters during the Chuseok holiday with 'Assassin(s)'. He said, "It's good to be back for a holiday. I hope people watch 'Assassin(s)' as much as we worked hard. Of course, all three elements must align, but please still watch it well. Fortunately, it seems like the movie theaters are regaining their color, which makes me feel good, and I hope our film helps make the movie theaters' color even better."

How does he feel about facing the Chuseok holiday movie market? Yoo Hae-jin said, "It feels good that good Korean films have come out for once. I don't know which work will win in terms of box office, but from the audience's perspective, there is fun in choosing when coming to the theater."

Park Hae-il said, "Presenting a single work after four years is truly nerve-wracking even if it's not a holiday. I think it's a pleasant opportunity to feel for the first time in a while and urged many people to come to the theaters." Lee Min-ho added with a joke, "Since each film has a different story it wants to tell, I hope everyone watches them all. Among them, I hope you watch 'Assassin(s)' first."

Finally, Director Heo revealed the reason for the film's title 'Assassin(s)'. He said, "By adding '(s)' in parentheses, I think curiosity and tension can arise. When you watch the film, you will understand why '(s)' is in parentheses."

Meanwhile, 'Assassin(s)' is scheduled to be released in theaters this Chuseok.

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*This content was translated by AI.