[On the Record] Kim Hye-su "Communicating with Haenyeo Underwater... I Still Tear Up"

Interview with Kim Hye-soo as Chunja in the movie 'Milsu'

37-year veteran actress "Tearfully 고민"
World's first underwater haenyeo action challenge

Kim Hye-su [Photo by Hodoo&U Entertainment]

Actor Kim Hye-soo (52) carries a fiery loyalty wherever she goes. This is also true in the film Smuggling (directed by Ryu Seung-wan). The character Chun-ja, played by her, is bold and cool. She is not weak. She plays a pivotal role in portraying the friendship of outstanding women as the protagonist. Chun-ja, who has done anything to survive since working as a housemaid at 14, now lives as a haenyeo (female diver) in Guncheon. It is unimaginable to picture Chun-ja without Kim Hye-soo.

Recently, when meeting Kim Hye-soo at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, she described Chun-ja as "a lonely character." She added, "She seems energetic and bright, but inside she is actually unstable and precarious," wiping away tears.

The Fiery Loyalty of Haenyeos Warming the Cool Sea

Smuggling, which opens on the 26th, is a maritime crime action film about people who make a living by salvaging daily necessities thrown into the sea, suddenly caught up in a life-changing big event. Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah play haenyeos Chun-ja and Jin-sook, respectively, living in a peaceful small seaside village in the 1970s.

When talking about her role, Kim Hye-soo’s face showed affection beyond immersion. She said, "Jin-sook (played by Yum Jung-ah), Chun-ja’s close haenyeo friend, is like family who took her in, a best friend, and more. I sometimes think Jin-sook might be everything to Chun-ja."

She continued, "Jin-sook is the one who warmly and comfortably stays by Chun-ja’s side, who has struggled precariously on the edge of survival." She added, "Chun-ja doesn’t reveal her true self. Isn’t it hard to live showing your true self freely? The only person Chun-ja reveals her true self to is Jin-sook. Jin-sook is the only person who saved Chun-ja’s life, her family, and everything."

'Smuggling' stills [Photo by NEW]

The film was directed by Ryu Seung-wan, a director with over ten million viewers for films such as Berlin (2013), Veteran (2015), The Battleship Island (2017), and Mogadishu (2021). Kim Hye-soo described Director Ryu as "an open-minded director." During the preparation process, he repeatedly asked for actors’ opinions and flexibly reflected them in the script. Through this, mutual trust was built, leading to a great outcome.

Kim Hye-soo said, "While preparing for filming, I was shooting Juvenile Justice. I communicated a lot with Director Ryu via text messages. We exchanged many opinions about the script, and he quickly revised and supplemented many parts, which was very good."

Chun-ja shouts at Jin-sook, who misunderstands her, "Don’t you know me?" Although she couldn’t explain the scene in detail, it is a powerful moment that deeply resonates. This scene was completed through ideas from Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah. During a break, the two actors met Director Ryu Seung-wan and spontaneously improvised lines that might come out in the situation, and the director busily wrote them down on set. That’s how the memorable scene was born.

Kim Hye-soo said, "Since we know each other like sisters, I think Chun-ja wanted to ask Jin-sook, ‘Don’t you know me?’ Others might see me that way, but you should know me. I think she wanted to ask that."

The scene where Chun-ja asks Jin-sook, "Weren’t you curious whether I was dead or alive?" was also created this way. Kim Hye-soo said, "Everyone empathizes with Jin-sook’s story, but I don’t think they cared whether Chun-ja was wronged. That’s sad. Even if no one was curious, I think Chun-ja wanted to ask Jin-sook if she wasn’t curious."

'Smuggling' stills [Photo by NEW]

She also built the relationship with Jo In-sung, who played Sergeant Kwon, based on feelings felt on set. Kim Hye-soo said, "Sergeant Kwon and Chun-ja cooperate and use each other. I didn’t expect this while reading the script, but during rehearsals on set, I felt something. I thought subtle things unknown even to us might come out. Chun-ja would have done anything to protect herself. They might not have known if it was love."

She vividly recalled the first moment acting while looking into Jo In-sung’s eyes on set. Kim Hye-soo said, "Looking into his eyes was so intense it woke me up. He was cool and chilling. I can’t forget it. Eyes are the most important for actors, and I was surprised acting with him."

Earlier, at the production presentation, Kim Hye-soo revealed, "Park Jung-min found the role of his life in Smuggling." She laughed, saying, "Am I right? I’m not just flattering." She added, "When there’s an actor who acts well in front of me, I get excited. I feel proud and confident that we are going strong and doing well. I felt that watching Park Jung-min. I kept watching his acting monitor."

Communication Beneath the Surface... A Valuable Experience Beyond Friendship

Kim Hye-soo [Photo by Hodoo&U Entertainment]

She said Smuggling was different from other roles. When she received the script, it came with special meaning, and the filming site with many actors playing haenyeos was also unique.

Kim Hye-soo said, "At first, it started from personal interest, but the experiences on set were very intense." She added, "I thought a lot about what my role was in a team running toward a common goal, about my identity as a team member."

She emphasized, "There was a force that strongly led me from beginning to end. I can keep recalling that while acting in the future. That is the greatest meaning of Smuggling."

Since the sea, the home of haenyeos, was the backdrop of Smuggling, many scenes were shot in water, including aquarium sets, water surface sets, and on-location sea shoots. Through this, she felt exceptional teamwork.

Kim Hye-soo recalled, "There was a scene shot on a water surface set with two boats floating. Everyone on set?managers, staff, women, men?pulled the boats by hand, turning them around while filming. It was touching."

The atmosphere among the haenyeo team was especially good. Kim Hye-soo became emotional recalling this and seemed to relive the feelings. She said, "There is a sense of unity that only Yum Jung-ah and I, my partner, can understand." She continued, "Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes."

"We went into the underwater set together, looked into each other’s eyes, exchanged signals, and then acted. We did the 'shoot' ourselves. It was my first experience in life. I like Yum Jung-ah as an actor, but how could I know everything? No matter how much we trust and rely on each other, in that moment underwater looking at each other, I fully felt the other person. At that moment, I was that person, and that person was me. It was really wonderful. Where else could you experience this?"

Kim Hye-soo recalled that Smuggling was a tough set. She said she never felt happy on set, meaning it was a filming site where she put in a lot of effort and repeated worries. She explained, "I had to think and check my acting by the minute."

She added, "Checking my acting is painful. That’s why some actors don’t watch monitors on set. But I do. So it’s painful. No matter how much I prepare on set, seeing my bare face is painful."

Acting Can Be Painful Enough to Bring Tears, But Still I Do It

Kim Hye-soo debuted in 1986 with the film Gambo and has played countless roles over 37 years. The confession of "it’s painful" from such a veteran actor was striking. When asked about it, she said, "Sometimes I feel ‘I really can’t do it,’ and I cry. But I still have to do it."

She continued, "There came a moment when I wanted to accept and acknowledge myself. Some people are born actors who can do what others can’t even after more than 20 years of effort. There are flaws that no matter how much you try, you can’t overcome. There are many things to be cautious about."

The underwater action scenes of the haenyeos in the latter part of Smuggling are spectacular. They are so unique that they stand out among all Korean films and all films worldwide. Kim Hye-soo expressed confidence, saying, "It’s the only one in the world." She added, "Haenyeos exist only in our country. It’s an action you can’t find anywhere else."

She said, "When I saw the storyboard, I was like ‘Wow.’ Are we really doing this? All the actors acted. Above all, the director must have prepared the scenes most meticulously." She added, "It was the first time in film history to do this kind of work, but the actors trained, adjusted their condition, and focused on acting."

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