[Limelight] The Resentment of Jeong Yak-jeon That Touched Seol Kyung-gu's Heart

Movie 'Jasan Eobo' Actor Seol Kyung-gu Performs with Understanding of Jeong Yak-jeon’s Heart
Reads 'Jasan Eobo' 1946 Manuscript at National Library of Korea
"Hope to Have Reached the Complex and Mixed Feelings Even a Little..."

On October 31, 2019, at the outdoor set of Chwiwhaseon in Namyangju Comprehensive Film Studio, over 100 crew members were bustling around the site. It was the final shoot of director Lee Joon-ik’s film Jasan-eobo. Unlike the other actors dressed in ragged clothes, Seol Kyung-gu was wearing a T-shirt. Having finished his scenes early, he was wandering around nearby. His face showed clear signs of anxiety. "This is a big problem. I kept avoiding Byeon Yo-han, but I ran into him in the restroom earlier. I feel terribly sorry."

The crew was filming a scene where Chang-dae (Byeon Yo-han), who had stabbed his mentor Jeong Yak-jeon (Seol Kyung-gu) in the chest and left, returns late and regrets his actions. Byeon Yo-han, dressed in mourning clothes, was unable to say a word in front of Lee Jung-eun and only shed heavy tears. Seol Kyung-gu thought he might interfere with the actors’ emotional immersion, so he kept his distance and kept glancing at the set.

"I came here to support them, but I couldn’t even make eye contact with the actors. As expected, Bang Eun-jin, whom I met earlier, grabbed my shoulder and just sat down. It really felt like a funeral. I had decided to avoid Yo-han at all costs, but I ran into him in the restroom just now. I didn’t say anything and quickly left. I’m worried I might have disrupted the emotions they worked so hard to build."

Seol Kyung-gu knows better than anyone how Byeon Yo-han prepared for this film. He himself put great effort into portraying Jeong Yak-jeon. He had to pay close attention to understanding and expressing the footsteps of this historical figure. Not only did he analyze the script meticulously, but he also visited the National Library of Korea to read the 1946 manuscript of Jasan-eobo. Rather than just understanding the content, he wanted to feel the background and effort behind writing Korea’s first fish encyclopedia.

"He was completely ignorant about fish until he was exiled to Heuksan Island. I wanted to know why he named each fish and described their characteristics in detail. Tracing his footsteps back, I thought this might have been the only thing Jeong Yak-jeon could do at the time. He was a man expelled from Hanyang for having dangerous ideas. Since he couldn’t express his thoughts openly, he must have devoted himself more to fish research. Thinking that every word carries pain broke my heart. It felt like a book containing his life, beyond just a scientific text."

Jeong Yak-jeon’s life was marked by tragedy. His younger brother Jeong Yak-jong (1760?1801) was beheaded while looking at the sky during the Shin-yu Persecution. His eldest son Hak-cho (1791?1807) died young, longing for his father who had gone to Heuksan Island. The sorrow of losing them can be glimpsed in a letter sent to Gye-go-jae.

"On Cloud Pass, ten ri are laid one after another / The boat in the waves breaks three times in ten days / On snowy days, I wait long for the promise of San-eum / On the stone tray, the worries of Shudao lie long."

There is no scene in Jasan-eobo that explicitly shows suppressed emotions. Rather, with a calm expression, Jeong Yak-jeon comforts Chang-dae and Jeong Yak-yong (Ryu Seung-ryong). The painful memories have not been forgotten over time. Whether catching fish with Chang-dae or spending time with the villagers, a hollow feeling remains in his heart. The sorrow tied up in Jeong Yak-jeon’s heart also reached Seol Kyung-gu’s heart.

"I think I acted while empathizing with Jeong Yak-jeon’s feelings. He was more positive than anyone, but he was still human. Even if he didn’t show it, anxiety and worry must have lingered deep inside. I hope I was able to touch even a little of that complicated and tangled heart."

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