[Interview] Lee Sung-min: "Another Pro-Japanese Collaborator? It's History Everyone Must Remember"

Actor Lee Sung-min as Pil-ju, an octogenarian in the movie 'Remember'

Actor Lee Sung-min, who played the elderly Han Pil-ju in the movie 'Remember'. Photo by Ace Maker Movie Works

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "'Is this another story about pro-Japanese collaborators?' I worry that people might say this. The film carries multiple messages, but it portrays the memories of a grandfather who lived through that era and a young person who empathizes with him. Just as both those who experienced that time and those who did not must remember history, I hope we can reconcile, empathize, and walk together."

On the afternoon of the 17th, Lee Sung-min (53), whom I met in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, said, "We must live together by understanding the elders who endured the pains of the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War."

Opening on the 26th, Remember (directed by Lee Il-hyung) tells the story of Pil-ju, an Alzheimer’s patient who has planned revenge for 60 years against the pro-Japanese collaborators who killed his entire family, and In-gyu (played by Nam Joo-hyuk), his 20s best friend who unintentionally gets caught up in Pil-ju’s revenge.

Lee Sung-min, who plays Pil-ju seeking revenge on the pro-Japanese collaborators who took his family away, said, "I empathized with the grandfather’s emotions who lived with the pain of losing his bloodline for 60 years." He added, "If I had lost my family, I would have acted like Pil-ju." He also requested, "Please see it as the personal revenge of a grandfather who lost his family in that era, rather than a message about any belief or will."

Lee Sung-min underwent special makeup to play an elderly man in his 80s. After applying silicone, wrinkles and age spots were created on the skin, and more than 150 hours were spent on makeup for the hands and neck wrinkles alone. He said, "When I did theater and wore old man makeup, I thought I resembled my father. Now I wonder how natural it will be. Wrinkles are made and fixed, but they slightly smooth out over time. Right before filming, I would frown and then relax to make the wrinkles appear naturally." He continued, "When I was young, I thought wrinkles looked cool, so I even tried to make them appear on purpose, but it didn’t work well. Then one day, wrinkles started appearing little by little on my face. As an actor, I should have cool wrinkles," he laughed.

Actor Lee Sung-min, who played the elderly Han Pil-ju in the movie 'Remember'. Photo by Ace Maker Movie Works

Movie still from 'Remember'. Photo by Ace Maker Movie Works

While the elderly Pil-ju relentlessly pursues his goal, the 20-year-old In-gyu (played by Nam Joo-hyuk) serves as a device to help the audience empathize. Lee Sung-min said, "In-gyu grabs the audience by the collar and pulls them along more than Pil-ju does." He explained, "In-gyu allows the audience to immerse themselves in the story. Nam Joo-hyuk made the process of stepping into and joining this journey very convincing." He emphasized, "It was amazing to see a tall, handsome actor play an ordinary character. His acting, reacting after learning about his grandfather, was very persuasive."

Having worked with director Lee Il-hyung again after Memoir of a Prosecutor (2016), Lee Sung-min said, "I like him as a person," and added, "His friendly demeanor is charming." He said, "He has matured compared to his previous work and become a seasoned director. I appreciated how easily he explained his thoughts and calculations as a director. Over time, I realized how much he had planned, and it was impressive."

This year, Lee Sung-min left a strong impression with special appearances in the OTT series Suriname (directed by Yoon Jong-bin) and the film Hunt (directed by Lee Jung-jae). He said, "As an actor, I think it’s right to help if help is needed. I also recommend it to juniors," but laughed, "Though I’m not good at saying no." He added, "I worked with director Lee Jung-jae on the film Big Match, and it’s right to support director Yoon Jong-bin, who I worked with on Secret Zoo, as a colleague."

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