[Interview] Director Kim Han-min: "Yi Sun-sin is the Icon of Unity That the Era Demands"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "Meeting Yi Sun-sin was destiny. He was a righteous and loyal general to the country, close to the people, and stood between the king and the people. I believe the icon of harmony and unity he represents has significance in this era."

On the afternoon of the 21st, director Kim Han-min, whom I met at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, gave meaning to continuing the story of General Yi Sun-sin with his new work, Hansan: Rising Dragon. He said, "It has been eight years since Myeongryang, which achieved unexpected box office success. Through that tremendous success, I vowed to make a good story about Yi Sun-sin. I prepared very diligently."

Hansan: Rising Dragon depicts the Battle of Hansan, five years before the Battle of Myeongryang, where General Yi Sun-sin and the Joseon navy, united by desperate strategy and courage, defend Joseon against the advancing Japanese forces. This is the second work in the Yi Sun-sin trilogy by director Kim Han-min, who directed Myeongryang (2014), which attracted 17.61 million viewers. Following Choi Min-sik as the brave general (勇將), this time Park Hae-il reveals his role as the wise general (智將).

Director Kim explained, "We filmed through pre-visualization work. We implemented storyboards beyond the usual level, reaching animation-level storyboards. Typically, some action scenes use pre-visualization video storyboards, but we went further and worked through virtual production." He added confidently, "About 70% of the high-level pre-visualization work was successful."

"If Myeongryang focused on Yi Sun-sin’s solitude and indomitable will, Hansan gives significant weight to the stories of the surrounding generals who supported him. In Myeongryang, Yi Sun-sin was fiery and passionate like fire, but in Hansan, he is like water?permissive and accepting, while demonstrating leadership. This was also a point where the casting differed. I think it was possible because these are historical figures."

This year marks the 430th anniversary of the Battle of Hansan Island. What does the great leader Yi Sun-sin from 430 years ago signify in today’s era? The director emphasized, "General Yi Sun-sin is the most politically untainted historical figure."

"If you ask why focus on Yi Sun-sin, I want to highlight that he is an icon of unity and harmony demanded by this era. Yi Sun-sin’s spirit is important. People often think of the Imjin War as a seven-year war between Joseon and Japan, but at that time, the Joseon people saw it as a battle between justice and injustice. Yi Sun-sin was a key figure who embodied this. Sergeant Kim Seong-gyu’s character says, 'My lord was busy using us as shields, but you stood up to save your people, and that was important.' After that, he became a general fighting on Joseon’s side. I believe that code exists through the turbulent modern history and democratization. I think this is a reason to remind the naval battle and reevaluate Yi Sun-sin."

The highlight of the film is the 51-minute-long naval battle scene. Director Kim drew a line, saying, "I did not want to create a showy naval battle." He said, "The Battle of Hansan is an unprecedented naval battle in world history. It was the only naval battle that completely annihilated the Japanese forces through systematic formations, sophisticated tactics, cannon fire, and the appearance of the turtle ship, an advanced weapon. I wanted to express pride."

"Yi Sun-sin conducted the war honestly and sincerely, communicating with his people and subordinate generals. There was also a matter of pride in showing the naval battle intensely and sharply, and I wanted to properly show his spirit. I couldn’t help but work hard."

Park Hae-il and director Kim collaborated for the third time after Paradise Murdered (2007) and War of the Arrows (2011). Their relationship has lasted over 15 years. Through various conversations, they deeply understood each other. The director naturally thought of Park Hae-il for the young and wise Yi Sun-sin in Hansan.

Director Kim Han-min said, "Yi Sun-sin was taciturn and spoke little but had excellent situational judgment and insight. Watching how he flexibly responded to situations, I found him very attractive. His subordinates would naturally trust such a leader, and this was very important in Hansan. To express Yi Sun-sin’s delicate strategic ability, such as using the enemy’s battle at Gwanggyosan to his advantage, Park Hae-il was necessary. He was young and fit the role well."

The use of sound in the battle scenes also stands out. The director said, "I fundamentally considered what would make the Battle of Hansan look most like the Battle of Hansan." He continued, "We built scale and drama with tense chases and the appearance of the turtle ship, using music rhythmically. We placed it appropriately to create tension."

The film is the first to include Korean subtitles for Korean dialogue. Although not throughout, a significant portion has subtitles. When asked about this unusual attempt, the director laughed heartily, calling it "a courageous attempt after much deliberation."

"It was a painful decision. We had to increase the intensity of the war and needed sound energy for that. But dialogue would suppress that, and I didn’t want to hear complaints about not understanding the words. To faithfully express the vivid intensity of war, we had no choice but to use subtitles. It was worth trying in the war scenes, so we took courage. I don’t know how this unfamiliar attempt will be received. We plan to decide on Noryang after seeing audience reactions."

No film has surpassed the highest score of the previous work Myeongryang. Wouldn’t it be burdensome to release a work under such circumstances? Director Kim replied, "Doing one’s best is important, and then waiting for heaven’s will is what I can say." The phrase "Jin-in-sa Dae-cheon-myeong" (盡人事待天命) means to do all that a human can do and then wait for the will of heaven.

"When making Myeongryang, it was like headbutting the bare ground, but with Hansan and Noryang, we didn’t do that. It took eight years due to numerous verifications including CG. The era when K-content is receiving attention is very precious and wonderful. The difference between Hollywood and Korean films lies in empathy. When genre and empathy combine, it gains great power. I believe this will play an important role in making content last globally. In that sense, Myeongryang received unprecedented love from audiences, and I hope you see Hansan as a work made with the same conviction and philosophy."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.