“My Name” Yeom Hye-ran: “In the role of Jeong-soon, compared with Gwang-ryeon in ‘Pokssak Soksasuda’...”

Yeom Hye-ran recalled the performance she showed in 〈My Name〉 and shared how she got involved.

On April 2, at CGV Yongsan I-Park Mall in Seoul, 〈My Name〉 was unveiled to the press through a media screening. After that screening at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, 〈My Name〉 was introduced in Korea for the first time. The film tells the story of Choi Jeong-soon (Yeom Hye-ran), a mother who has lost the memories of her childhood, and her son Lee Young-ok (Shin Woo-bin), who simply does not like the name his mother gave him. At the press conference held after the media screening, director Jeong Ji-young and lead actors Yeom Hye-ran, Shin Woo-bin, Choi Jun-woo, and Park Ji-bin were in attendance.

In this work, Yeom Hye-ran plays Jeong-soon, portraying a resident of Jeju Island again—this time after Jeon Gwang-ryeon in 〈Pokssak Soksasuda〉. When asked about the comparison between Gwang-ryeon and Jeong-soon, Yeom Hye-ran joked, “If you compare them, Jeong-soon’s life is longer,” easing the mood, and added, “They’re similar in that both of them endured a long history of hardship.” About her portrayal of Jeong-soon, Yeom Hye-ran explained, “Among the director’s remarks, he said something like, ‘I hope our characters’ faces resemble what we look like in real life.’ That really resonated with me. It was a message along the lines of, ‘It’s okay to forget. You don’t necessarily have to carry it around in your arms, even if it’s uncomfortable.’ So I expressed that Jeong-soon carries pain, but her day-to-day life itself isn’t uncomfortable.” She also said she prepared by reading the words left behind by survivors of the Jeju April 3 incident.

She further answered about how she came to take part in 〈My Name〉, saying, “Because it deals with a real incident, I was careful about how to approach it. However, it turned out to be a very good piece of literature.” She added, “It was good that 〈My Name〉 didn’t keep the story trapped in the past. It was also good that it addressed how we—who are observing the 78th anniversary—should view this incident.”

Director Jeong Ji-young, who directed works such as 〈Broken Arrow〉 and 〈The Boys〉, is back with his new film 〈My Name〉, which will be released on April 15.