'Humint' Director Ryoo Seung-wan① "'Humint' is a film that started with actors Jo In-sung and Park Jung-min"

Director Ryoo Seung-wan has expanded the landscape of Korean action films with each work. From the rough brawls of his early films to spy action films like 〈Berlin〉 and 〈Mogadishu〉, to the humor and thrill of 〈Veteran〉 and 〈Smuggling〉, he has used action not merely as a genre decoration but as a language that reveals the emotions of characters and the fractures of the times. While based on a dark and gloomy sense of reality, the fast-paced direction, rhythmic scene design, and a humanistic perspective grounded in people are the core elements that define 'Ryoo Seung-wan's action'.

The new film 〈Humint〉 is a work that pushes deeper along that line. The protagonists in Ryoo Seung-wan's films have always been tested on how to remain human amidst violence. In this work, while showcasing the world of 'Humint' that conducts espionage activities through people, what this film ultimately gazes upon is not the ruthless espionage but the desperate emotions of people standing on a precarious boundary. Once again, Ryoo Seung-wan infiltrates humanism within the genre's exterior, inscribing the amplitude of emotions that create small yet massive ripples alongside the shockwaves of action on the screen. I met with Director Ryoo Seung-wan to hear about the film.

After the film's release and receiving the results of the Lunar New Year holiday, you participated in this interview. There are various reactions to the film, and I'm curious about your thoughts.

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Honestly, I'm quite busy with stage greetings right now. But what was nice during the stage greetings was that I felt the theater was bustling again after a long time. Many families came to see the film, and there were many people who told me they enjoyed it during the ending and stage greetings, so I felt really good and grateful, and I had a great time during the holiday.

Also, Director Jang Hang-jun of 〈The King’s Affection〉 has really worked hard and is now doing well. That's great too. The cinematographer there is someone I've worked with my whole life, and there are also senior actors like Yoo Hae-jin and Yoo Ji-tae. So it's nice to see our films and completely different films bustling in theaters again. There are always different opinions, so I think we should consider them, and I'm grateful for the praise.

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〈Humint〉 is a story that has been conceived since 13 years ago, and after much contemplation about whether to make it or not, it has finally come to fruition. Is there a reason you decided to create this work now?

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The idea for this story and its setting began when I was researching 〈Berlin〉. The materials and major events I heard during interviews became the motifs. However, during that time, I also worked on 〈Veteran〉 and other projects. The media environment has changed a lot since then. While going through 〈Mogadishu〉 and 〈Smuggling〉, I collaborated with actor Jo In-sung, and actor Park Jung-min also worked with me on the short film of the omnibus movie 〈Zombie in Sinchon〉 and 〈Smuggling〉. I wanted to create a film featuring these two actors, showcasing their completely different charms. As I pondered what to do, this script came to mind.

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Looking back now, I realize I had never done this before. The first time I considered the actors first was with 〈Veteran〉. As the actors were determined, I changed the 〈Humint〉 script a lot. Previously, it had humor and a playful tone, but I chose to remove all the complexities and focus on the characters. So ultimately, I think it started from the actors.

I thought 〈Humint〉 was entirely a spy action film, but the romance between Park Jung-min and Shin Se-kyung is actually highlighted. I'm curious about the reason for emphasizing romance in this work and how you viewed Park Jung-min's romantic performance.

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Both Park Jung-min and I did not expect the romance to be so highlighted. Of course, there were stories and emotional lines between these characters in the script. The public's reaction to Park Jung-min's romance is somewhat of an incident that occurred just recently. (laughs) So we didn't intend for that, and it's just surprising. However, I think it was possible because of the wide acting spectrum of actor Park Jung-min. Even in a short scene from 〈Decision to Leave〉, he shows a brief but truly intense performance. We immediately understand the nature of their relationship. I wanted to bring that power that such an actor possesses into the film, and after completing the film, I thought Park Jung-min did really well.

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While the film does not clearly show how much Park Geon and Chae Seon-hwa loved each other in the past, there are parts where they emotionally push through to the end. Did you not have concerns about whether people could empathize with that?

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I thought it would be good to focus on their current state. In human relationships, when forming a connection with someone, we don't always know the trivial past stories, yet we can still feel a strong bond. When applied to the characters, I think the experience of feeling attraction to a character can differ based on whether we know a lot about them or not. I don't think showing a lot necessarily leads to that attraction; if a character is attractive, we can feel that even if they are just standing still. Moreover, the events happening to the characters in the present are dramatic and significant enough, so I believed that if we remained faithful to the present, the audience would naturally follow along. The curiosity arising from not explaining things could become another strength of this film and a driving force for viewing it.

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You mentioned that you called actor Jo In-sung during the scenes of Park Geon and Chae Seon-hwa. I'm curious about what kind of help you received.

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I asked him to help. (Actor Jo In-sung) really sat me down like he was teaching a child math, saying, 'When I worked with writer Noh Hee-kyung, it was like this,' and explained everything in detail. (laughs) And when shooting the romantic scenes, just by looking at actor Jo In-sung's expression while watching, I could tell whether it was good or not. In a way, he is someone who has achieved a grand slam in melodrama. Just having him there was helpful.

Working with actor Jo In-sung is great because we have built a rapport over time. Good actors tend to have similar attitudes. They look beyond their roles to see how the whole will be completed. In a way, I think he played a lighthouse-like role, illuminating not himself but the surroundings, thereby making his presence even more distinct.

When considering why the character Jo should exist as a key figure in this work, I thought he represents a true adult who protects Park Geon and Chae Seon-hwa, two young people whom the state could not protect. Could you elaborate on the character of Jo in this regard?

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I absolutely did not want him to be a character that forms a love triangle. In fact, if I wanted to give a stronger melodramatic feel, creating a love triangle would have been much more advantageous. But strangely, I didn't want that. It felt like following the formula. Moreover, because he is played by Jo In-sung, I wanted to break the mold by removing the melodramatic nuances and giving that to Park Jung-min.

Also, everyone experiences a moment in life when they feel like they might die. We all have thoughts of wanting to die at some point. However, I once spoke with someone involved in suicide prevention, and they said that just having one person beside you can help you live. Not a big hope, but just someone who listens to you. I feel that way about actor Jo In-sung. So I think I had that perspective you mentioned. I wanted to create a character who could be a shadow for others.

If actor Jo In-sung played a lighthouse-like role, did you have expectations for actress Shin Se-kyung when casting her?

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I thought it would be good to have someone with a calm yet strong presence. But when I met actress Shin Se-kyung, she was very solid like a stone. Even without strongly asserting herself, she has a firm attitude. So I thought she was the person I wanted. Actress Shin Se-kyung has done a lot of acting, from playing a tomboyish character to very emotional performances. While working on this project, I felt that she had prepared thoroughly.

Also, having previously made two films related to North Korea, many actors must have performed in dialect. But actress Shin Se-kyung did the best. When I first heard her lines, I was very surprised. Especially when she sang, she captured the dialect so well that all the actors were amazed. When they saw actress Shin Se-kyung acting, they were fascinated and watched from the side. (laughs)

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▶ The interview with Director Ryoo Seung-wan about 〈Humint〉 continues in part 2.