'Blood of the Landscape' Stubborn Jo Jin-woong → Slender Choi Woo-shik, Intense Action Clash [Comprehensive]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Iseul] Crime drama "Gyeonggwan-ui Pi" led by actors Jo Jin-woong and Choi Woo-shik opens the new year at the box office.

Jo Jin-woong stated at the online production briefing for "Gyeonggwan-ui Pi" (director Lee Gyu-man) held on the morning of the 25th, "I appeared in the film because I felt a unique kind of fun."

"Gyeonggwan-ui Pi" is a crime drama depicting the dangerous investigation of Gwangsu-dae ace Kang Yoon (Jo Jin-woong), who boasts an unparalleled arrest record while receiving anonymous donations, and Min Jae (Choi Woo-shik), a principled police officer assigned to secretly monitor him. The film is set to be released in January 2022.

Director Lee Gyu-man, who took the helm, said, "I believe being a police officer is impossible without conviction. I portrayed the events that occur between characters with different beliefs," adding, "Through this, I wanted to raise questions about the value of differing convictions."

On this day, Jo Jin-woong said, "I thought it would flow well following a well-structured roadmap," and added, "I felt a unique kind of fun, so there was no reason not to participate in the project."

Regarding his role as police officer Park Kang-yoon, who receives massive anonymous donations, he said, "He was a character with a firm conviction who trusted his ultimate goal and went straight ahead." He continued, "His tone and actions were restrained and sharp, making him different from typical police roles. I think there was a heavy weight on his shoulders, and I wondered how he could bear that weight and still make arrests well. I focused on creating a character with controlled speech and behavior."

Choi Woo-shik, returning to the screen after two years since the film "Parasite" (2019, director Bong Joon-ho), explained, "I played undercover police officer Choi Min-jae, who is assigned to monitor his superior," adding, "He is a character who acts first with his body." He continued, "I wanted to show a new side and a strong character, so I performed various action scenes."

Jo Jin-woong, who opposed Choi Woo-shik's character with a different conviction, praised him, saying, "He is slender and soft, but once filming started, his inherent charisma came out."

Choi Woo-shik shared behind-the-scenes about hearing the news of "Parasite" being invited to the Academy Awards (Oscars) during the filming of "Gyeonggwan-ui Pi": "I was filming frantically on a cold winter day when I heard the news. I didn't know if it was a dream or reality." He added, "Originally, I wasn't scheduled to attend. Later, the media spotlighted whether I would attend, and thanks to the production team's consideration, I finished filming and boarded a flight to the U.S. the next day."

Park Hee-soon, who played Hwang In-ho, the head of the inspection division uncovering the rotten roots of the police, explained, "I have played corrupt police roles many times before, but this time I played a role that catches corrupt police," adding, "In existing crime films, villains who commit illegal acts wear stylish suits and drive nice cars, but in our film, the police are like that. We will flaunt the visuals to the fullest."

In this work, Kwon Yul challenges himself with a villain role as criminal Na Young-bin, who only deals with the unreachable top 1%. He said, "He is a character who subtly touches on the convictions of both sides," adding, "He has overwhelming power that makes it impossible to catch him legally, and he has strong power that makes it impossible to catch him even when he commits illegal acts. I wanted to create an untouchable character."

Kwon Yul, who gained 12kg for his intense role, said, "My usual weight is around 69-70kg, but the director told me there was a sauna scene, so I worked out. Then I lost 3kg, which surprised him. I thought I had to gain weight." He laughed, saying, "I am a picky eater, so it wasn't easy, but I gained weight while hanging out with Jo Jin-woong."

"Gyeonggwan-ui Pi" is being released two years after filming due to the impact of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus infection). Jo Jin-woong said, "It is the actors' job to bring laughter and emotion to the audience. I want to give great fun to the audience who have waited. I hope the film conveys comfort and hope."

Photo = Ace Maker