Movie 'Jeon Woochi' Kang Dong-won "I Didn't Know I Had Acrophobia, But It Was So Scary During Filming"

Actor Kang Dong-won expressed his belief that actors must perform high-level martial arts scenes themselves to provide true immersion for the audience.

On the afternoon of the 18th, Kang Dong-won attended the special program 'Carte Blanche' at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae, Busan, where he met with film fans. This program is a place where celebrities, including actors, share their experiences and impressions of their 'life films' chosen by themselves with the audience.

On this day, Kang Dong-won chose director Choi Dong-hoon's 〈Jeon Woochi〉(2009). Based on the classic novel Jeon Woochi, this film features a Taoist sealed in the Joseon era who engages in a delightful action drama in modern Seoul, receiving much love from audiences upon its release.

Wearing a red jacket reminiscent of Jeon Woochi, Kang Dong-won stated, "I really wanted to come to the Busan International Film Festival, and this program provided a good excuse," adding, "I wanted to introduce a film I know well and enjoy a fun movie with the audience. Isn't the purpose of the film festival to make the audience happy?"

Kang Dong-won, who loved comics since childhood, recalled being strongly drawn to the character of 'Jeon Woochi'. He said, "I have never taken a break since my debut and acting, but I rested for a year from the time I heard about the film preparation until I received the script," adding, "I like characters that act like they are out of their minds but have strong powers, so the Jeon Woochi character was to my taste."

During the filming process, he faced significant hardships due to the high-level martial arts scenes that required taking risks. Kang Dong-won revealed that he learned modern dance for six months for this purpose.

In particular, the scene where he appears at the king's banquet riding on clouds in the film's opening sequence was filmed using real wires. Kang Dong-won recalled, "I never thought I had acrophobia, but I was so scared while filming that scene," and added, "When we were filming at a building on Gangnam-daero in Seoul, I was actually standing on the roof, and the wind was blowing, making my legs tremble."

He continued, "These days, it would be a scene filmed with VFX (visual effects), but back then, I jumped over walls or stood on tiles with ten wires attached to me," and added, "There has never been a film that used so many wires, and director Choi Dong-hoon and the martial arts director worked incredibly hard."

This work, filmed through various experiences, had a significant impact on Kang Dong-won's acting career.

He recalled, "Previously, I would go home right after filming, but during 'Jeon Woochi', my seniors always invited me to dinner, which was so much fun," adding, "I was the youngest at the time, so everyone treated me well." He continued, "Since the waiting time was long, we would light a campfire and roast sweet potatoes or squid while chatting a lot," and smiled.

Currently active as a producer at Studio AA, Kang Dong-won also mentioned the possibility of producing 'Jeon Woochi 2'. In response to a question from an audience member, he said, "I wrote a synopsis for Jeon Woochi 2, and when I showed it to close people, they said it was fun," but honestly expressed, "I'm worried about the production cost, but the bigger issue is how many people would want to see it."

Regarding his future plans, Kang Dong-won stated, "I have a desire to fill what I have lacked and missed in my works," adding, "It is fun to develop the things I have only thought about in my head one by one, so I want to try something new in the future."