[Limelight] "Japan Can Change Too, If It Faces the Truth..."

'Pachinko' Hasegawa Role Korean-Japanese Actor Kim In-woo
Frequent Cast as Japanese Characters... Mainly Portraying Oppression and Exploitation of Joseon People
"I Believe Good Movies and Dramas Can Change Perceptions"

In Apple TV+’s "Pachinko," Sunja (Kim Min-ha)'s husband, Isak (No Sang-hyun), is imprisoned. The charge is blasphemy. Sunja visits Hasegawa (Kim In-woo), who knows the background. He is a Japanese man who opposes the Japanese Emperor and dreams of communism. When his comrades are arrested, he goes into hiding. Facing Sunja, he calmly explains, "I tried to create a world where friends from different countries work together and earn money equally." Sunja bursts out angrily, "If men only chase such dreams, who will set the table and provide food, and where will the children get clothes to wear in the dead of winter?"

This scene shows the gap between ideals and reality. Actor Kim In-woo was impressed after reading the script. He is a third-generation Zainichi Korean. He has played countless Japanese roles in films and dramas. This is the first time he portrayed ideals collapsing in the face of harsh reality. He mostly played cruel characters who oppressed or exploited Koreans, such as Ito Hirobumi in "Mr. Sunshine," Captain Shimizaki Daisuke in "The Battleship Island," a judge in "Herstory," Interior Minister Mizuno Rentaro in "Park Yeol," and a senior detective in "Dongju."

When Kim In-woo met with Asia Economy on the 25th, he said, "I was glad that 'Pachinko' contained a fresh perspective," and "I hope the view toward Zainichi Koreans becomes warmer." He has not experienced discrimination recently. However, when he settled in Korea in 2008, he faced it several times. Strangers would suddenly pick fights, and taxi drivers refused to pick him up. Kim In-woo felt a sense of loss but understood and embraced it. "They didn’t know better. They thought Zainichi Koreans were people who abandoned their country and ran away. You just have to explain it step by step. With good films and dramas."

He gained firm belief from roles he acted with heart. One was the senior detective in "Dongju." He regarded Yun Dong-ju and Song Mong-gyu as criminals and treated them harshly, but as he interrogated them, he opened his eyes to the truth. He felt guilt and regained his humanity. "There was a scene cut from the final version where the detective mourned his younger brother who died in the war. It suggested that Yun Dong-ju and Song Mong-gyu could be seen as victims of the war alike. Japan can change that way too. If it faces the truth, not the fake."

Actor Kim In-woo, who played Director Daisuke Shimazaki in "Gunkanjima"

- Have you experienced a lot of discrimination in Japan?

"All Zainichi Koreans probably have. In 1983, when I tried to become an actor, I moved from Sendai to Tokyo and looked for a room. I paid a key money and even sent my luggage, but the real estate suddenly said I couldn’t move in because I was Korean. The landlord hated Koreans. It was also hard to find part-time jobs. When they saw my Korean nationality on my license, they waved me off. I took any job I could get. Fortunately, it was during the bubble economy era when there was a labor shortage. I worked as a mover, construction laborer, cook, furniture store clerk... I even did odd jobs at an entertainment agency. It was work I took on to become an actor. I earned a definite income. I appeared in minor roles in films like Akira Kurosawa’s 'Dreams.'"

- Why did you insist on keeping Korean nationality until the end?

"Both my paternal and maternal grandfathers were victims of forced labor during the Japanese colonial period. They worked in coal mines. I grew up hearing about what they went through. My maternal grandfather was a co-founder of the only school of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan in Sendai. He emphasized the importance of mother tongue and history. I developed patriotism and pride, but studying was hard. It took five hours round trip to commute from Ishinomaki where we lived. Many in my generation changed their nationality to Japanese in their twenties. Many in the entertainment industry did too. They hide their Korean identity because they are shunned if it is revealed."

- Why does the reality of hiding identity continue?

"The country hides the history of invasion. The related content is only briefly mentioned in textbooks. The media only floods reports commemorating atomic bomb victims on August 15. Most people don’t know why the war happened. Some even deny the invasion. Since the Liberal Democratic Party came to power, there are many like that. The Japanese government cleverly exploits this. Whenever criticism grows strong, they inevitably bring up Korea-Japan issues. It has been repeated countless times, but many still don’t realize it, which is regrettable."

Actor Kim In-woo portraying Mizuno Rentaro, the Minister of Home Affairs, in 'Park Yeol'

- Have you ever worried about playing bad Japanese roles?

"When I played the judge in 'Herstory,' I thought I might not be able to work in Japan anymore. But since it was a work that absolutely needed to be made, I wasn’t attached to that. I was only determined to do it well. So I even took charge of Japanese language education. I didn’t want Japanese people to say my acting was awkward. Thanks to the actors’ relentless efforts, we avoided such criticism."

- Discrimination against Zainichi Koreans exists in Korea too.

"Still, things are moving in a good direction. When I first came, I felt like Dokdo. It was sad to be treated as a foreigner in both countries. I expressed that feeling when I played Akito in the film 'Kkangcheol-i.' I came up with the line, 'The hometown of Zainichi Koreans is under the sea,' and acted it out. It wasn’t included in the final cut. I am washing away that regret with the musical 'The Now' I’m currently starring in. I reflected a lot of personal experience in the lines. It accurately conveys the concept of Zainichi Koreans and realistically expresses their feelings."

- Works like 'Pachinko' play a big role in understanding and acceptance.

"It’s an immense blessing. I was able to appear thanks to an introduction by actress Kang Yu-mi. Works set in the Japanese colonial period usually expose atrocities or recreate the years of persecution. 'Pachinko' was new because it deeply explored the inner lives of ordinary people. The filming process was not smooth. The Japanese lines were in literary style. The camera captured scenes in long takes rather than cuts. Regardless of screen size or angle, we repeated long takes more than twenty times. I was exhausted afterward."

Actor Kim In-woo who played a high school detective in 'Dongju'

- Still, you must feel proud to have such a positive influence.

"I feel an immense responsibility. It was a feeling I already experienced in 'Herstory.' I looked through countless materials on Japanese military comfort women. It’s dangerous to jump in trusting only simple information. Since it deals with history, even a single line was checked multiple times. Other production staff did the same. Maybe this is why Korean films and dramas do well. From the lead actors down, everyone fulfills their mission faithfully. When filming 'The Admiral: Roaring Currents,' I saw senior actor Choi Min-sik waiting all day on a boat to shoot his scenes. He didn’t even go to the waiting room and talked with minor actors. When he left without acting in a single scene, I asked if he was okay, and he said, 'We’re all doing this together.' This is unimaginable in Japan. I think this warm humanity is another driving force behind Korean cinema. I also want to be an actor and person with that kind of spirit."