Beginner Director Park Seong-gwang "I Dreamed of Directing Even Before Debuting as a Comedian"

16-Year Veteran Comedian to Film Director
Movie 'Ungnam-i' Released on March 22
Actor Park Sung-woong Stars in Dual Roles

Comedian Park Seong-gwang (41) became a film director with his comedic talent showcased in 'Ungnami'.

Director Park expressed his feelings at the press screening of the movie 'Ungnami' held on the afternoon of the 14th at CGV Yongsan in Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, saying, "It doesn't feel real," and "I will become a person who knows how to be grateful."

Director Park Seong-gwang Photo by CJ CGV

Director Park, who majored in Film Arts at university, began directing with the short film 'Yok' (2011). Since then, he has steadily continued his work with shorts such as 'Not Sad Because It's Sad' (2017) and 'Kkeun' (2020).

Director Park said, "'People might expect it to be funny if a comedian directs,' but I tried to relax and focus on the drama." He added, "I differentiated between comedy done on stage and comedy portrayed in film. I didn't put much effort into making people laugh. I aimed to blend humor in a way that wouldn't disrupt the flow of the story."

Park Seong-gwang debuted as a comedian through KBS's 22nd open recruitment in 2007 and has been active as an entertainer for 16 years. When asked about his reason for challenging directing, he answered without hesitation that he dreamed of being a director first.

Director Park said, "I majored in directing at university but became a comedian. Perhaps the first question should be why I became a comedian after entering the directing department. I originally dreamed of being a film director and have reclaimed that dream. I am gradually approaching my dream of making films. It is moving."

'Ungnami' is inspired by the Dangun myth where a bear eats garlic and mugwort and becomes a human. It is a comic action film about a man with a special secret of being a half-moon bear who uses his beast-like abilities to cooperate in an investigation against an international crime organization. The story depicts twin half-moon bear brothers managed by a pro-North Korean research institute who one day eat mugwort and garlic and disappear.

Lee Yi-kyung, Park Sung-woong
Photo by CJ CGV

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Park Seong-woong, who plays both the former police officer turned unemployed Ungnami and the second-in-command of the international crime organization Ungbuki, said, "We have known each other as brothers for 14 years. By chance, at a drinking party, I promised, 'When you become a film director, I will definitely give you a script.' Since the role of Ungnami was openly written for me, I had no choice but to appear." He added, "I said yes as soon as I received the script," and "We created it while having meetings with Director Park in a good direction."

Lee Yi-kyung expressed confidence, saying, "The day will surely come when Director Park Seong-gwang beats Comedian Park Seong-gwang," and Choi Min-soo showed confidence, saying, "We will not be ashamed, and many audiences will remember it as a pure film."

Lead actor Park Seong-woong also showed a strong sense of responsibility. He said, "It is a slump period for Korean films, but I hope the day will come when a film ranks first again at the box office. I hope that film will be 'Ungnami.'"

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