[Interview①] Director Woo Min-ho "From Loyalty to Gunfire in 20 Days, Why Did It Happen?"

[Lee Isul, Entertainment Reporter]

"The Paris Disappearance Incident and the October 26 Incident are only 20 days apart. Loyalty to the number one turned into gunfire. That was the beginning of the movie and the point I wanted to talk about."

Director Woo Min-ho expressed his feelings ahead of the release of the film The Man Standing Next, saying, "I am nervous and excited."

On the afternoon of the 21st, Director Woo Min-ho shared various stories about the film during an interview held at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, ahead of the release of The Man Standing Next.

He continued, "I am still remembered as the director of Inside Men. Every director hopes to be remembered for their new work rather than their previous one."

He added, "I hope for good results from this film," and said, "From now on, I want to be remembered as the director of The Man Standing Next, not Inside Men."

The Man Standing Next is a film depicting the 40 days before the assassination of the President of South Korea by Kim Gyu-pyeong (played by Lee Byung-hun), the second most powerful figure known as the Director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency in 1979. It is the new work of Director Woo Min-ho, who created a box office hit with Inside Men (2015), which attracted 9.15 million viewers and became a blue-rated success.

On October 26, 1979, at 7:40 p.m., the Director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency assassinated the President at the agency's residence in Gungjeong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. This event marked the end of an 18-year dictatorship and is recorded as a major event in modern Korean history. The film is based on a nonfiction bestseller written by author Kim Choong-sik, who serialized his investigative report during two months as a journalist. Director Woo Min-ho focused on the October 26 incident from the extensive original work to create the film.

Director Woo Min-ho said, "The Paris Disappearance Incident and the October 26 Incident are only 20 days apart. Loyalty to the number one turned into gunfire. What happened? My curiosity was sparked. That was the beginning of the movie and the point I wanted to talk about," and added, "Rather than giving an answer, I hoped the audience would find their own answers."

He continued, "I wanted the film not to be confined to facts but to have cinematic expansiveness. That is why the character names are not those of real people but role names."

He also said, "The historical evaluation is still divided, and it remains a mysterious incident. I discussed with Lee Byung-hun that we should maintain the mystery in the film and not provide answers."

The Man Standing Next will be released on January 22.

Reporter Lee Isul

Photo=Showbox