“The Unofficial Ten-Million Hit Film” “Wish’s Sequel!” “AUDITION 109” Screening and Press Conference Coverage

Everyone who knows the story has already seen the film 〈Wish〉, which returned after 17 years. How has Shin-chan been spending his days lately, now that he has finally graduated high school—after plenty of twists and turns?

​In 〈Wish〉 (2009), Jeong Woo captured a rough, burning school-life chapter—now he’s back again as ‘짱구.’ This time, it’s Shin-chan, the late-20s unknown aspiring actor, who has ditched his school uniform and finds himself dropped right into the middle of Seoul. Opening on the 22nd, the film 〈AUDITION 109〉 takes place in the 2000s and follows the survival story of 20-something Shin-chan (Jeong Woo), who steps out of the “school” enclosure and into the real world. As he carves out his own life in Seoul, Shin-chan pursues his dream of becoming an actor and runs headfirst into reality.

​Actor and director Jeong Woo, who put his own story into 〈Wish〉 and helped it become the “unofficial ten-million hit film,” takes on both starring and directing in 〈AUDITION 109〉. On the 16th, at CGV Yongsan iPark Mall, a press screening for 〈AUDITION 109〉 and a press conference were held. At the event, attended by Jeong Woo, Jeong Soo-jeong, Shin Seung-ho, Kwon So-hyun, Jo Beom-gyu, and director Oh Sung-ho, we capture the candid remarks shared on the spot.

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“My first time directing a film—honestly, it was so much fun”

Director and actor Jeong Woo on his directing debut

Just as 〈Wish〉 reflects director Jeong Woo’s own autobiographical story, 〈AUDITION 109〉 also draws on his lived experiences. Regarding the fact that he handled both directing and starring, he said, “I was so grateful that, in a situation where the film market itself is difficult, I could turn the story I wrote into a film. I was able to shoot each day with happiness.” When asked whether the challenge of his first time directing wasn’t hard, he replied, “Honestly, it was just too much fun.”

​The film is based on audition experiences Jeong Woo truly went through as an unknown actor. Among the audition scenes, the swimming scene is something he experienced himself during the 〈Silmido〉 audition. Meanwhile, the dialogue in which Shin-chan delivers a monologue in the drama was drawn from a freedom audition Jeong Woo actually did at the audition site. Jeong Woo said, “I adapted it in a film way, but my own experiences are the foundation,” and added that the character of the friend was also inspired by people from his real life. As for Min-hee played by Jeong Soo-jeong, he added, “She’s a symbolic character who embodies the ‘wannabe’ men think about—and she also acts as a kind of wall in reality.” He made it clear that none of the people portrayed in the film are real individuals.

“My first movie audition in my life was director Jang Hang-jun’s work”

Jeong Woo on his first audition experience

〈AUDITION 109〉 features quite a few surprising cameos. One of them is director Jang Hang-jun, who recently caused a stir with 〈The King's Warden〉. In the latter half of the film, the scene where Shin-chan watches his 109th audition is the movie’s climax. In that scene, director Jang Hang-jun appears as a special guest, serving as one of the judges. Jeong Woo recalled the filming by saying, “My first movie audition in my life was director Jang Hang-jun’s work. But when it was time to play the part of watching an audition in front of him, my heart just swelled. At that moment, it wasn’t Shin-chan’s heart—it was Jeong Woo’s heart.”

“I acted thinking Min-hee was completely sincere—every step of the way”

What Jeong Soo-jeong understood about Min-hee

Min-hee, played by actress Jeong Soo-jeong, is Shin-chan’s girlfriend. She has an easygoing, free-spirited vibe, like someone who grew up with plenty of money, but she also has her own standards and an independent approach to life. Because Min-hee doesn’t easily show her emotions, viewers may wonder whether her true feelings even exist. In response, Jeong Soo-jeong said, “When you watch the film, you might think Min-hee is lying, or you might not be sure what she’s thinking. But when I acted, I believed that everything was real—every single bit of it,” sharing the sincerity behind how she interpreted Min-hee. She added, “At first, she treated Shin-chan playfully, but as time goes on, Min-hee genuinely faces her own inner feelings.”

“I was so focused on shooting that I forgot we were filming”

The chemistry of Shin-chan, Ggang-nyung (Jo Beom-gyu), and Jang-jae (Shin Seung-ho)

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The actors’ quick, natural back-and-forth also stood out, showcasing the close bond of youth from Busan. Shin Seung-ho, who plays Shin-chan’s longtime hometown friend “Jang-jae,” recalled, “We shot happily, like we were with our real friends—so much so that I even forgot we were filming.”​

Especially in this work, Jo Beom-gyu’s presence as newcomer ‘Ggang-nyung’ is undoubtedly a highlight. Jo Beom-gyu is a promising talent that Jeong Woo carefully selected. Jeong Woo said, “I think Jo Beom-gyu is the real Shin-chan in our film. For this film, we truly focused on nothing beyond even the level of recognition or star power of supporting actors—we cast purely through auditions. And among them, Mr. Beom-gyu really gave us a hard time.” He continued, “It was like we cast him after working together on set for about three to four hours—so much so that his back was soaked with sweat.” He also shared behind-the-scenes details about Jo Beom-gyu’s casting. Jo Beom-gyu said, “Senior Jeong Woo even recorded (the lines) himself and showed me how the acting should be done,” expressing his feelings about collaborating with director and actor Jeong Woo.

​The thick Busan dialect and the rhythm of real “men from Busan,” which helped drive the popularity of the previous work 〈Wish〉, also show up in this film. Co-director Oh Sung-ho said, “To recreate original Busan dialect, not a fabricated one, we practiced dialects a lot with the actors. And in terms of locations, we didn’t want it to look like a tourist spot—we tried to capture places where you can feel how locals actually live.”

Film 〈AUDITION 109〉 opens on April 22.