[On the Record] Kim Yoon-seok, the Resentful Yi Sun-sin Like a Prayer "My Body Was Trembling"

Actor Kim Yoon-seok (56) became Admiral Yi Sun-sin (1545?1598), who defended Joseon's seas in the final year of the Imjin War. He took the baton for director Kim Han-min's 'Yi Sun-sin Trilogy.' Following the brave general Choi Min-sik and the wise general Park Hae-il, he faces the end as the virtuous general. The face of an actor with a fierce, lion-like spirit overlaps with that of Joseon's greatest general, layered with the passage of time. His cautious yet bold charisma and the wise and sagacious leader that the era demands shine like a perfectly fitting shoe when combined with the actor. He leads the audience from the center of the film with a calm yet fierce momentum.

Actor Kim Yoon-seok [Photo by Ace Maker Movie Works·Lotte Entertainment]

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On the afternoon of the 20th, at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Kim Yoon-seok said, "I am in my 50s, and the age of Admiral Yi Sun-sin during the Battle of Noryang was similar. Yi Sun-sin lived on the battlefield for seven years 400 years ago. He achieved overwhelming victories but never received praise, lost his family, and ultimately lost his life on the battlefield. As a human being, he was very unfortunate."

He added, "Although it was a war won by the strength of our people, it gives us a lesson to reflect on our lives again. The film says that a proper ending is necessary for a new beginning."

'Noryang,' which premiered the day before, is a war action film depicting Admiral Yi Sun-sin's final battle to completely annihilate the retreating Japanese forces after seven years since the outbreak of the Imjin War. Following Choi Min-sik in 'The Admiral: Roaring Currents' (2014) and Park Hae-il in 'Hansan: Rising Dragon' (2022), Kim Yoon-seok plays the last Admiral Yi Sun-sin in the trilogy.

Kim Yoon-seok said he wanted to take on the role of Yi Sun-sin in 'Noryang' among the trilogy. He said, "When I was in elementary school, I watched an Yi Sun-sin movie as a group. I remember the scene where Yi Sun-sin was tied in a cart prison and transported to Seoul, and the scene where he said, 'Do not announce my death' as he passed away. I've been acting for over 30 years, and since Yi Sun-sin's age then and my current age are similar, and 'Noryang' contains a lot, I wanted to do it." He added, "The film talks about the meaning beyond the victory of war. Also, it required dense acting that captures the end of the war."

Yi Sun-sin's mother, Lady Byeon of the Chogye clan, tried to guide her son toward a greater path. In 1593, during the height of the Imjin War, she left Asan and moved alone near Jeolla Left Naval Command in Yeosu, Jeollanam-do, where her son was stationed. On the journey from Yeosu to Asan to meet her son, who was serving in white clothes (a symbol of loyalty), the 83-year-old mother passed away on the boat.

"They say if you turn the torture wheel twice, you die, but Yi Sun-sin only turned it once. Half of him was dead. His mother died on the boat while going to see her son. The sea route must have been so rough. As soon as Yi Sun-sin was released from prison, he heard the news and ran there in tears. She couldn't even hold a three-year mourning period and went out to fight; how heavy her heart must have been. Then her son also met such a fate. Between 'The Admiral: Roaring Currents' and 'Noryang,' she must have been the loneliest and most distressed. How great the psychological pain must have been. He came across as a lonely and unfortunate figure."

Actor Kim Yoon-seok [Photo by Ace Maker Movie Works·Lotte Entertainment]

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Yi Sun-sin fought relentlessly with a desperate strategy until the end. Kim Yoon-seok emphasized, "The film carries the message that war must never happen." He continued, "Those who start wars must pay the price."

Yi Sun-sin beats the drum to encourage his troops to completely annihilate the retreating Japanese forces. This represents the spirit of Joseon and comes across like the heartbeat of Yi Sun-sin himself. When reciting the general's last words, it feels like a prayer. This is considered the most impressive scene in the film.

Kim Yoon-seok said, "Watching that scene in the theater, my heart pounded. After the technical screening, the 'Noryang' team even suggested placing a drum in front of the theater so that the audience could play it. During filming, the actors tried beating the drum once each. Everyone wanted to beat that drum."

He also expressed his affection for director Kim Han-min, who completed the 'Yi Sun-sin Trilogy' over a decade with 'Noryang.'

"The only war that happened in seven years was the Imjin War. I think Admiral Yi Sun-sin said, 'They will come again, they will definitely come.' So, even if I die, it's okay; I dedicate my body because a proper ending is necessary for a truly new beginning. The director focused on that. Including the preparation period, it must have taken almost 20 years. There is probably no one in Korea who knows Yi Sun-sin as well as Kim Han-min. I can only pay my respects in that regard. Also, there are parts that are overwhelmingly exhausting. (laughs)"

When asked if he referred to Yi Sun-sin's War Diary, he replied with a laugh, "Is it good to read someone else's diary?" He immersed himself fully in Yi Sun-sin and continued, "How would anyone feel if someone read their elementary school diary? It's a joke, but the War Diary is a story told to no one but himself. People who met the general said he was a man of few words, little laughter, and did not talk about others. Recording seven years of war must have been a thorough sense of responsibility. That's just my thought."

Still from 'Noryang: Sea of Death'
[Photo by Ace Maker Movie Works · Lotte Entertainment]

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Having faced war head-on in the 1991 Somali Civil War with the film 'Mogadishu' (2021), Kim Yoon-seok once again confronted war with 'Noryang.' The visual effects (VFX) that vividly completed the Battle of Noryang stand out. He said, "Our country's technology is truly amazing. I often say with close directors over drinks in private, 'Movies are now made together.'"

"The era when one outstanding director made a great film is over. Of course, there are good films like 'Minority Opinion' (2019). (laughs) Our film industry has great staff who are all professionals and artists. They collaborate to create. When presenting content to the global market, you can't make it alone if you don't want to fall behind in scale and quality."

Kim Yoon-seok began acting 35 years ago with the play 'A Streetcar Named Desire' in 1988. He said, "In my first year of university, I suddenly caught the 'theater epidemic.' I lived as an actor so busily that now I am playing Admiral Yi Sun-sin. That's life," laughing heartily. He added, "Yi Sun-sin must have been very lonely. He fought a war for seven years. It was an inevitable fate and destiny. During those seven years, there were people who betrayed and parted ways."

He cited the scene where he watches his son die as the most difficult. Kim Yoon-seok said, "My body trembled." He explained, "Thinking that my child is being killed right before my eyes made my body really tremble. My face trembled so much that I could barely deliver my lines. It was the most physically and mentally challenging."

Actor Kim Yoon-seok [Photo by Ace Maker Movie Works·Lotte Entertainment]

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Kim Yoon-seok also made his directorial debut with the film 'Minority Opinion' in 2019. When asked what a 'good film' means in this era, he did not hesitate to choose 'people.'

He said, "A film must show people. And it must show human life. Not a fanciful life, but people living in the world we live in. Even if it's a sci-fi film, if the work shows 'us,' it is an excellent work. 'Noryang' is the same. Although it is a story from 400 years ago, it is a film with lessons and meanings that allow us to reflect on our lives again."

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