[Interview①] Jo Jin-woong "Jung Jin-young, a Sunshine-like Presence... Resembles 'The Vanished Time'"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Actor Jo Jin-woong shared his thoughts on starring in director Jung Jin-young's debut film.

On the afternoon of the 16th, Jo Jin-woong spoke about various aspects of the film during an interview held at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, ahead of the release of the movie Vanishing Time (director Jung Jin-young).

Vanishing Time is a film about a detective investigating a mysterious fire case who faces a shocking situation where everything he believed in disappears, leading him to search for his own life. Jo Jin-woong plays Detective Hyung-gu, who investigates a suspicious fire incident in a quiet rural village where an outsider couple dies. During the investigation, he discovers suspicious circumstances, notices the villagers' strange behavior, and pursues it. In the process, he encounters a shocking situation where everything he remembered?his home, family, and job?vanishes, and he sets out to find clues to restore his suddenly changed life.

Previously, Jo Jin-woong has played various roles such as a Japanese army general in Myeongryang, a livelihood-type independence fighter during the Japanese colonial period in Assassination, a detective risking everything to catch a drug organization in Believer, the overseas director of the Korean Intelligence Service directing the Black Gold operation in Fabricated City, and a reckless prosecutor who charges headlong into investigations in Black Money. In Vanishing Time, he returns as a trademark detective role, showing a different side from his detective characters in Believer, A Hard Day, and the drama Signal.

Vanishing Time is actor Jung Jin-young's directorial debut. He fulfilled a dream he had at 17 years old at the age of 57, taking 40 years to achieve it. The production gained momentum after meeting Jo Jin-woong. Originally, Jung Jin-young had been writing the screenplay to produce a short film at his own expense after establishing a production company. He handed the completed first draft to Jo Jin-woong, who then proposed production to Jang Won-seok, CEO of BA Entertainment, expanding the project.

"At first, when I read senior Jung Jin-young's script, I asked, 'Did you really write this?' and 'Did you copy it from somewhere?' I couldn't believe it was written by him. Receiving a script that had been written over a long time raised many questions. I wondered if the director had experienced something like Detective Hyung-gu in the film. Everyone feels the gap between how they see themselves and how others see them. I felt this was a concentrated question about that."

Jo Jin-woong expressed trust in Jung Jin-young beyond actor and director roles. This solid trust as a senior actor led to the collaboration on Vanishing Time. The two first connected through Majority Kim Chang-soo. Jo Jin-woong said, "At that time, it was during the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye. It was a turbulent time, and working on a film about the youth of Kim Gu felt especially meaningful. The actors and production team gathered and reaffirmed the meaning of making it well. I had many good conversations with senior Jung Jin-young."

He continued, "Senior Jung Jin-young is like sunshine. Not the sun itself, but sunlight. Like the warm feeling when dark clouds clear and sunlight shines through. The film seems to embody that person’s life. The filming was the same. There were no unreasonable demands," he said.

Jo Jin-woong said that the most important factor in choosing projects is the people. He enjoys creating new works with those he has built trust with through previous collaborations. Because of this, he is also loyal. This time was no different. Given Jo Jin-woong’s market value, Vanishing Time likely had no budget for him. However, he showed his willingness to appear without a fee, supporting the production. He played a major role in bringing the film to the public. Naturally, actors want to appear in hit films, but his approach is somewhat special.

Jo Jin-woong said, "Working with new people feels like transferring schools. It takes considerable energy to get to know new people. That is a fear for me. I want to use that energy to deepen the work’s density. I enjoy making films with people I have worked with before," adding, "If I were to do theater, I would like to do it in Busan. I would be happy to go on stage with people I have always worked with."

Vanishing Time opens on June 18.

Photo = Ace Maker Movie Works