[On The Record] "Why read it so old-fashioned?" Ha Jung-woo, the 100 Million Actor Style

Interview with Ha Jung-woo as Minjun in the movie 'Bigoonsik Jakjeon'

Director Kim Seong-hoon and Ju Ji-hoon once again
Summer Big 4 competition "The score is the will of the heavens"
Preparing a directorial work... 'Lobby' set in a golf course

Actor Ha Jung-woo [Photo by Showbox]

'100 million actor' Ha Jung-woo (45, Kim Sung-hoon) is making a summer market appearance. It has been three and a half years since the movie 'Closet' (2020). He, who was constantly active in Chungmuro, worked with director Yoon Jong-bin on the online video service (OTT) Netflix series 'Suriname' during the time when everyone was keeping their distance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ha Jung-woo, returning with the movie 'The Unofficial Operation' (directed by Kim Sung-hoon), remains the same. His witty and sly charm fills the screen. This time, too, he runs, rolls, and escapes while facing extreme disasters. When he is in desperate situations, the audience gets excited. The reason audiences love Ha Jung-woo's face amid disasters is because they find 'hope' in it. Even in desperate situations, he does not lose humor and composure, overcoming them and delivering catharsis?Ha Jung-woo's unique forte shines again this time.

Recently, meeting Ha Jung-woo at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, he laughed and said, "I hope directors like Kim Sung-hoon and Yoon Jong-bin, who mainly work with me, don't write such scenarios." He questioned, "Why is that?" and casually continued, "I guess they think there's something to squeeze out."

Ha Jung-woo's Lebanon Survival Story After Escaping the 'Tunnel'

'Secret Operation' stills [Photo by Showbox]

'The Unofficial Operation,' opening on the 2nd of next month, tells the story of diplomat Min-jun (played by Ha Jung-woo) and local taxi driver Pan-su (played by Ju Ji-hoon) who head to Lebanon to rescue a missing colleague.

Ha Jung-woo said, "There was also talk that our enemy is our past works. There is a prejudice that background movies like this are boring. Audiences expecting such movies might be disappointed by the entertaining 'The Unofficial Operation.'"

He added, "Isn't it a great virtue for commercial films to be entertaining? 'The Unofficial Operation' is not a serious and heavy movie. It is planned as an entertaining film that you can enjoy. Because it is not serious, it will be fun to watch," showing confidence.

The main setting is Lebanon in 1987, in the midst of civil war chaos. Ha Jung-woo escapes from a narrow 'tunnel' and runs freely around chaotic Lebanon. While being chased and falling, he rescues the missing diplomat.

Ha Jung-woo decided to appear in 'The Unofficial Operation,' originally titled 'Abduction,' without even reading the script. This was based on his trust in director Kim Sung-hoon, with whom he connected through the movie 'Tunnel' (2016). He said, "I received the script in 2018, and it took five years until release."

"It was during the filming of 'Closet,' and I had to quickly give feedback to producer Jang Won-seok. Also, when a close director gives me a script, it's polite to respond within two weeks, but I couldn't. I called the director to wish him a happy Chuseok and said, 'I actually haven't read the script, but I'll just do it.' I felt through 'Tunnel' that the director never leaves any shortcomings or gaps in the movie. The director is a pure romantic. He wishes everyone to live peacefully, beautifully, and happily."

Director Kim Sung-hoon recalled the call at that time and said, "I was moved." He remembered Ha Jung-woo's words, "Do we make decisions by reading it in a rustic way among ourselves?" as a tear-jerker. 'The Unofficial Operation' started from solid trust.

On set with Ha Jung-woo and Director Kim Seong-hoon
Photo by Showbox

Ha Jung-woo and director Kim built solid trust during 'Tunnel.' They traveled together for 3 nights and 4 days in Osaka, Japan, developing the 'Tunnel' script. That experience remains a precious memory they cannot forget.

Recalling that time, Ha Jung-woo said, "I remember every day clearly." He continued, "We wandered around coffee shops in Osaka and revised the 'Tunnel' script for 14 hours a day. In that process, we organized many parts, and the movie was born. I tend to throw ideas freely saying, 'I'll throw whatever comes to mind, don't get hurt,' and the director listened well. Step by step, we raised the temperature of the script. It's a movie containing our pure efforts."

He added, "'Tunnel' competed with strong movies in the summer market at that time and achieved miraculous success. Through that process, we received amazing results and were moved. Our working method succeeded, and 'The Unofficial Operation' was born in the same way," he said.

Familiar Yet Different... Buddy Movie with Ju Ji-hoon

Actor Ha Jung-woo [Photo by Showbox]

Ha Jung-woo teamed up again with Ju Ji-hoon following the movie 'Along with the Gods.' The two are close friends in daily life as well. They recently appeared together on the TVING travel variety show 'Two Feet Ticketing.'

He said, "Ju Ji-hoon seems like he’s not doing much but adds a spoonful to the comedy, and that’s funny. Fortunately, the audience recognizes that and laughs." He added, "It was important that Ju Ji-hoon and I lead the story. We thought together about how to avoid redundancy and keep the flow smooth."

Ironically, director Kim Yong-hwa's new film 'The Moon,' who directed 'Along with the Gods' starring both actors, opens on the same day, setting up a box office clash. Ha Jung-woo said, "Before the recent release, during the preview stage greetings, Ju Ji-hoon and I took a photo in front of the 'The Moon' poster and sent it to the director."

He continued, "Audience scores are the will of heaven, and I will wait with a good heart. I have released tentpole films in winter, summer, Chuseok, and Lunar New Year holidays, but this is the first time I have done stage greetings from three weeks before release. The atmosphere is tense," he observed.

Ju Ji-hoon (left) Ha Jung-woo
Photo by Yonhap News

Film Director Ha Jung-woo’s New Work Set in a Golf Course, 'Lobby'

Ha Jung-woo has appeared in films watched by over 100 million people. He led 10-million viewer films as the lead, including the 'Along with the Gods' series (2017?2018) and 'Assassination' (2015). He is also a director working with Kim Sung-hoon.

Ha Jung-woo, who directed 'Rollercoaster' (2013) and 'Heo Sam-gwan' (2015), is preparing his new work 'Lobby.' We asked director Ha Jung-woo about his upcoming project.

He honestly said, "After finishing 'Heo Sam-gwan,' six years ago, I developed a story set in a news agency as a script. After three drafts, I read it at home but didn’t feel 100% motivated to direct it. 'Rollercoaster' was rough, rustic, and lacking but fun, and 'Heo Sam-gwan' was intellectually demanding?I wanted to achieve something through film. For the third work, I wanted to do a project that my heart was drawn to."

Actor Ha Jung-woo [Photo by Showbox]

"When the world stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I learned golf. I took lessons and went out for rounds, meeting all kinds of people. Until 2021, meetings were allowed at golf courses, and it was a place of freedom. I saw a quiet neighborhood guy transform on the golf course field. Usually a beast-like person becomes a girl on the golf course. Also, many people make excuses before the game like 'I hurt my hand today' or 'I caught enteritis.' They get emotional over a single shot. I witnessed the raw face of humans. Situations where various sides are maximized are entertaining. I thought it would be fun to tell a story about entertaining while hiding one’s bare face. It’s about a smart parking lot charging company winning a bid against the country. I plan to star in it as the lead actor."

Ha Jung-woo’s voice rose a tone. He said, "I started preparing seriously from February last year. I have been working with the writer since last summer. We are writing the script together, reflecting my emotions and perspective. There are many characters," he hinted.

This year, Ha Jung-woo plans to shoot 'Lobby.' He also hinted, "I have decided on my next work not only as a director but also as an actor." He added, "The much-talked-about movie that you cannot watch without tears, director Kang Je-gyu’s '1947 Boston,' is scheduled to be released in the fall. Filming started in 2019 and finished in Melbourne, Australia, in 2020. I will promote it hard, so please continue to show interest in the movie," he urged.

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