[Interview] Park Jung-min of 'Humint' ② "I think action is also an expression of emotion"

※〈Humint〉 Park Jung-min Interview Part 2 continues from Part 1.

Park Geon is a lonely character. I feel that this character trait resonates with the characters from past French noir films. I'm curious if there are any movies or characters that you referenced in expressing the character's loneliness.

I thought Park Geon's loneliness begins when someone who has never experienced conflict starts to face it. I wanted to express the feelings of someone who has never conflicted between their beliefs and personal life when they finally start to experience conflict. Also, while going through that conflict, I see him as a very clumsy person who, despite always having to make choices, ultimately meets a tragic end.

And when I work with the director, he often gives me old movies on a USB or lends me DVDs. This time, among them were the 〈007〉 (1962~) series, the French films you mentioned, and Hong Kong movies. There was also the film adaptation of John le Carré's spy novel 〈Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy〉 (2011). However, the director mainly talked about Hong Kong films. There were stories about men who risk their lives to protect something during that time. Films like 〈The Killer〉 (1989) and the 〈A Better Tomorrow〉 (1986~1989) series. Watching those films left me more confused about what to do since I'm not Chow Yun-fat. (laughs) I kept watching those movies, thinking it would be strange to act like Chow Yun-fat with my face. Of course, I learned some things, like the atmosphere and their actions, which I tried to incorporate.

The interpretation that someone who has never experienced conflict begins to face it is impressive. Ultimately, what drives Park Geon is Chae Seon-hwa. I thought Chae Seon-hwa is not just Park Geon's first love but could also be a mirror reflecting the pure version of himself that he lost. I'm curious if you approached your acting with this thought in mind.

That's right. When Park Geon listens to the recording on his phone in the movie, his voice and tone differ from when he was in Vladivostok. So, the young and pure Park Geon, who truly loved Chae Seon-hwa, probably wasn't as violent or solely focused on his mission. But as he changes and the person he loves leaves, he feels a longing for that person, but also pain from the time spent with them. The happiness he felt during that time and the good moments would have come flooding back after discovering Chae Seon-hwa. And since he didn't break up with her because he hated the woman who made him happy, he probably wanted to hold onto her again. I thought it was a story about the choices of a person who has already changed becoming increasingly tangled.

​

It seems like you accept all offers from director Ryu Seung-wan. You've appeared in many of his works, not just his directorial projects but also productions he has produced (〈Svaha〉, 〈Start Up〉, etc.).

There are things I haven't done and things I couldn't do. But it's true that I'm relatively open-minded. He's a director I admire, and I have a deep connection with his production company. He was someone who believed in me and gave me important roles when I was in my mid-20s and really had nothing. It's natural to feel more inclined towards someone like that. If I can be of help, I think it's right to be more open-minded. However, unfortunately, there were things I couldn't do. And personally, I believe that Ryu Seung-wan and I have a good synergy, so I have faith that whatever we do will turn out fun. You need to have that belief. I have faith that it will turn out well, and so far, I haven't received a disappointing result from anything I've done with director Ryu.

​
You handle various actions like car chases, drift shootouts, and stair actions. If you had to pick the most challenging or memorable action scene, what would you mention?

The action scene where I fight against a Russian mafia boss two against one isn't difficult in itself, but the environment we were in was very harsh. It was actually in a closed airport underground. I had previously gone there to film a bar scene with Jo Woo-jin during 〈Harbin〉 (2024). At that time, I didn't realize how harsh it was, but my smartphone didn't work, and it was genuinely frustrating and difficult to film in many ways. Everyone was a bit sensitive, so we had to be more careful with the action.

Director Ryu Seung-wan appeared on the publisher 'Muje' YouTube channel, and you talked about how difficult it was to the point where your arms and legs were giving out. I'm curious about that experience.

That's the scene I just mentioned. I lost my mental composure in that closed airport underground, and I can't even pinpoint why I lost it. I just suddenly couldn't think straight and found myself unable to understand anything for about two hours, doing random things. I think that was one of the most disappointing moments for me recently. I completely lost my mental composure. The director must have wondered why I was acting like that, but there were so many people watching me. It was so embarrassing. I wanted to finish quickly and get help, but my body wouldn't cooperate, and it wasn't even a very difficult action scene, but I really struggled. That day, I was so embarrassed that I returned to my accommodation without greeting anyone.

​
It's surprising that even after being in the acting scene for a long time, there are moments when you break down. How do you lift yourself back up in such moments?

I don't think that's something I can do alone. If someone recognizes that I'm breaking down, I try to provide an opportunity for that person to help me get back up. But if it becomes a lonely battle, it's tough. Fortunately, this time, the director noticed that I was acting differently and quickly pulled me up by the hair. But there isn't always someone like that. Filming doesn't always go smoothly. There are usually hurdles during filming, and sometimes I can navigate through them alone, and sometimes my colleagues or the director can help. But it requires someone to recognize it for that to be possible.

〈Humint〉 is genre-wise a blend of spy action and melodrama. From the perspective of actor Park Jung-min, I think there must be differences in how you approach action acting versus melodrama acting. I'm curious about what aspects you wanted to emphasize in each type of performance.

In fact, while working on this film, I thought of action as an expression of emotion. Action is when the opponent hits once, I dodge, and when I hit, the opponent dodges. Anyone can do that with practice. But to embody the character of Park Geon, I needed to infuse emotion into it. I had to think about who I would be looking at while shooting, who I would be protecting, and what kind of expression I would have. Therefore, rather than distinguishing between the two genres, I wanted to show Park Geon's heart by merging them.

​
Finally, I'm curious about what differences you think 〈Humint〉 has compared to the works you've done before, and whether you are satisfied with this project.

I think this is the first time I've played a character aiming for a romantic interest. I'm not sure if I'm satisfied, but I hope people view it positively. I don't think it looks too strange in my eyes, so I think that's enough.