'Top Concern' Why Itaewon? → Chita♥Nam Yeon-woo's Romance, Focus on the Movie [Comprehensive]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] The film Chomiui Gwansimsa (Hot Topic) has become one of the hottest topics in Chungmuro for various reasons: the romance between Chita (Kim Eun-young) and director Nam Yeon-woo, being the only Korean film amid the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus infection) pandemic, and its Itaewon setting overlapping with the club mass infection incident.

On the afternoon of the 18th, a press screening and distribution preview of the film Chomiui Gwansimsa was held at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University Entrance in Jayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Attending the event were Kim Eun-young (Chita), Terris Brown, and director Nam Yeon-woo.

Chomiui Gwansimsa is a film depicting an unpredictable chase between two polar opposite mother and daughter who join forces for just one day to catch the youngest who ran off with money. Jo Min-soo plays Park Chomi, a mother who is interested in everyone in the world but indifferent to her own family, and Chita plays her daughter, Soon-deok, a singer active in Itaewon, sharing a strong chemistry.

Director Nam Yeon-woo expressed his concerns about releasing the film amid the resurgence of COVID-19 mass infections in Itaewon. He said, “I feel very sorry. Safety comes first above all. The production team and the theater must have thought a lot about it, and they are taking many precautions, including social distancing in the theater seats, to ensure safety.” He added, “I hope Chomiui Gwansimsa can bring some vitality to the film industry in a safe environment.”

Regarding the casting process of Kim Eun-young and Jo Min-soo, director Nam said, “In chronological order, Kim Eun-young and Jo Min-soo joined the film first, and then I joined as the director. I wanted to set their relationship as an unusual mother-daughter. The relationship of a mother like a daughter and a daughter like a mother was interesting. Based on that, I built the characters.” Kim Eun-young said, “Just as I have an image as rapper Chita, senior Jo Min-soo also had a strong and tough image. I was worried it might be difficult or scary, but from the first meeting, she led me comfortably and gave me a lot of advice. It was an honor.”

Kim Eun-young and director Nam Yeon-woo have been dating for two years since meeting through Chomiui Gwansimsa. Previously, Kim Eun-young revealed on MBC’s variety show Be Jealous If You Lose that their relationship developed from meeting through the film. Despite the COVID-19 situation, their attendance attracted great attention at the event. Naturally, questions about the couple were asked during the press conference.

Director Nam praised Kim Eun-young, who challenged acting for the first time through the film, saying, “I was surprised by how well she did on set. I have been on the path of acting for nearly 20 years, and she needed no special directing. I only asked her to feel the character’s emotions in the moment rather than express them. I am grateful she did well.”

In response, Kim Eun-young looked at director Nam Yeon-woo with loving eyes as he spoke into the microphone, showing her affection.

Kim Eun-young, who also participated in the film’s OST production, said, “The big theme of prejudice stands like a pillar. There is a lot to empathize with. If there are parts we cannot relate to, shouldn’t we all think about them going forward?” She continued, “The film expresses prejudice naturally without alienation. The music also focused on portraying the film naturally without any sense of discord.”

Chomiui Gwansimsa unfolds against the backdrop of Itaewon. The city serves as a home for characters such as sexual minorities and transgender people. Regarding this, director Nam said, “Itaewon came to mind as a place without prejudice and discrimination. I thought it was the best background to express the film’s message.” Although scenes of singing and drinking in Itaewon clubs overlap with the recent mass infection incident, creating a chilling effect, the message about a society without prejudice shines even brighter.

Meanwhile, Chomiui Gwansimsa is scheduled to be released on May 27.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.