[Limelight] "Suyeon is an actress who captivates others with just one look"

Actor Han Ji-il Remembers Late Kang Soo-yeon
Acted Together in Director Im Kwon-taek's 'Aje Aje Bara Aje'
Reunited at 2017 Busan International Film Festival... Heartfelt Request
Gained Strength from Those Words and Resumed Acting in Korea
"An Icon of the Era, I Feel She Lives Beside Me"

Nun washerwomen sitting around the valley rocks. A man (Hyunwoo) approaches and asks.

"Monks, what is ‘mu’ (nothingness)? What does it mean to have nothing, and what does it mean to empty the mind?" "Nothingness does not necessarily mean the absence of something. It refers to the most fundamental force of the universe. Cultivating the Way is a struggle to accumulate and store that force within the body."

"Isn't dying, when you think about it, returning to some fundamental element of the universe? Don’t you also say that when you die, you attain nirvana?" "Why would someone with a future as vast as ten thousand li delve into the problem of death first?" "Because I want to return it."

The man throws a stone into the water and suddenly disappears. Cheonghwa (Sunnyeo), who answered each question, looks on with concern.

This is the scene where actors Kang Soo-yeon and Han Ji-il first worked together in director Im Kwon-taek’s film Aje Aje Bara Aje (1989). Han Ji-il remembers it clearly.

"Director Im Kwon-taek, whom all actors admire, and Soo-yeon, who was at the peak of her popularity, were right in front of me. I was excited but nervous. It was filmed on film. I was anxious about making a mistake and causing a retake. Soo-yeon was not nervous at all. She performed any acting skillfully. I watched from the side and admired her."

Kang Soo-yeon never frowned even when Han Ji-il made mistakes. A representative example is the scene where Hyunwoo and Sunja first have a relationship at a guesthouse in the Taebaek mining village. It is a 3-minute 46-second long take where the camera changes from horizontal to a direct overhead shot. Han Ji-il was criticized for unnatural expressions. Kang Soo-yeon comforted the discouraged him and repeated the same acting several times.

"I was at a loss because it was hard to be forceful with Soo-yeon. One staff member sneered, ‘Have you never dated a woman?’ Soo-yeon, who might have had it even harder, never complained once. On the contrary, she said it was okay and encouraged me. She was younger than me but a veteran."

Mature acting makes even the co-actor dance. Han Ji-il realized this through Kang Soo-yeon. Just by looking into her eyes, the intended emotions welled up.

"There is a scene where Hyunwoo survives at the hospital and faces Sunnyeo. Her face asking, ‘Why did you save me instead of leaving me alone?’ is shown in a close-up shot. It is a scene where they fall in love immediately after escaping death, and I didn’t need to prepare any special emotions. Just watching Soo-yeon’s acting naturally brought it out. She was an actor who led with just one look."

Sunnyeo breaks her vows and wanders the secular world bare-bodied. She seeks enlightenment through Mahayana practice to save sentient beings. Kang Soo-yeon portrayed the religious theme humanely and won the Best Actress award at the 1989 Moscow International Film Festival. She also earned the title of ‘World Star.’ Han Ji-il said, "It was an achievement gained by insight into Sunja’s fate through extraordinary effort."

"This role cannot be portrayed by merely following director Im Kwon-taek’s instructions. One must first contemplate the life of a nun and the anguish of the secular world. Soo-yeon exceeded expectations. Acting felt like receiving salvation. I knew she was a capable actress after seeing her childbirth scene in Seemless (1987). Actually interacting with her, she understood all the flow of the film. It was a continuous surprise."

After that, Kang Soo-yeon appeared in various films with different colors such as The Road to the Racetrack (1991), Go Alone Like a Rhinoceros Horn (1995), Fierce Love (1996), Virgin’s Dinner (1998), and Trout (1999). She did not receive as much praise or acclaim as before. She distanced herself from acting for a while. Han Ji-il also did not have a long-lasting career as an actor. He established the production company Hans Cinematown and made the Milky Lady’s Affair series a hit, becoming a giant in the adult video market, but he fled to the U.S. due to bankruptcy caused by the IMF financial crisis and divorce. After struggling through various jobs in Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and other U.S. cities, he returned to Korea in 2017.

Han Ji-il said, "In the early to mid-1990s, large-scale projects decreased and a generational shift occurred, narrowing my place. I wanted to keep acting, but there weren’t many good opportunities. The years working on literary works with directors like Im Kwon-taek and Lee Doo-yong felt like luck. Soo-yeon probably felt the same. All the ominous rumors circulating at the time were false. Soo-yeon had her own philosophy about acting. Even an actor like me was selective about projects, so imagine how much more so Soo-yeon was."

The two actors reunited in October 2017 at the Shin Sung-il retrospective held at the Busan International Film Festival. Kang Soo-yeon was the festival’s executive committee chair. She immediately recognized the now white-haired Han Ji-il and greeted him with a deep hug. Holding both his hands tightly, she said, "Senior, I heard you had a hard time in the U.S. Now it’s time to come back. Live doing the acting you love." Han Ji-il recalled, "It was an unforgettable encouragement, just like Aje Aje Bara Aje."

"It was when I came to Korea with just one carry-on bag. That phrase gave me strength, and I have stayed since then. I participated in one mid-length film and one web drama. I think I will also appear on stage in a play for the first time in 40 years this coming October. I want to show those who remember me that my skills have not rusted."

Kang Soo-yeon’s passing was more than just a shock. Upon hearing from Kim Jung-do, the head of Andr? Kim Atelier, that she was in critical condition, he rushed to the hospital. Since visits were prohibited, he only stared at the firmly closed door and shed tears.

"Soo-yeon was living diligently as she said... She shouldn’t have left so suddenly and meaninglessly. Everyone felt the same. Kim Dong-ho, chairman of the Gangneung International Film Festival, and director Im Kwon-taek also wept passionately while setting up the funeral hall. Junior actors like Kim Hye-soo, Kim Seung-woo, Ye Ji-won, Moon So-ri, and Lee Byung-hun also reddened their eyes and couldn’t find words. They all shared only good memories of Soo-yeon. She was that precious to us."

Han Ji-il will accompany from the funeral on the 11th to the burial site. He cherishes the bond made through film and takes a new step forward. On the path of acting led by Kang Soo-yeon. "Soo-yeon, I really liked your cheerful personality like a rabbit. Even if not through movies or dramas, many people will remember you. You are an icon of the era like Marilyn Monroe. I will feel that you live among us like that. Rest well in a good place." We respectfully pray for the deceased’s happiness in the afterlife.