[Interview] Yoo Hae-jin "A Drink with People and Delicious Food, That's the Reason to Live"

'Confidential Assignment 2: International' South Korean Detective Role Yoo Hae-jin
"The pandemic passed like an intermission, feeling the value of theaters"

Yoo Hae-jin / Photo by CJ ENM

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "What use is a chaebol without people? You have to make money and enjoy a drink with friends over delicious food. That's the reason for living."

The answer to any question was 'people.' On the afternoon of the 1st, Yoo Hae-jin (52), whom we met at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, said that those who share movies and travel with him are the most precious.

Yoo Hae-jin returns to theaters after three years since "The Battle of Bongodong" (2019). Having gone through the pandemic, he said, "It was like an intermission in a play." He added, "Like the intermission after the first act, it was a time to reflect on what has passed. I also realized how precious the audience, theaters, and works are."

The sequel to the 2017 film "Confidential Assignment," which captivated 7.81 million viewers, will be released on the 7th under the subtitle "International," meeting audiences during Chuseok. He reprises his role as South Korean detective Kang Jin-tae from the previous film.

He said, "It's a big film opening alone, so I don't know if it's good. It wouldn't be good if there were many competing films, but if there had been one or two other Korean films with different colors, we might have seen good results together." He added, "Still, I expect the audience who come to watch will view it positively."

Yoo Hae-jin reunited with director Lee Seok-hoon, with whom he worked on "The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure" (2014). He said, "The director said something impressive at a recent wrap-up party. He told me that when we worked on 'The Pirates,' I said, 'I don't think this is a comedy. I won't act like that.' After that, his thoughts on comedy changed."

"I prefer laughter that comes naturally from the situation rather than forced humor. I didn't think of 'The Pirates' as a comedy when acting. To make the audience understand and believe the background of the story, actors must passionately express sincerity. That leads to empathy and then laughter. The director didn't want us to act just to be funny in 'Confidential Assignment 2' either."

"Confidential Assignment 2: International" depicts an unpredictable triangular cooperation investigation by detectives who reunite to catch a global crime organization: North Korean detective Lim Cheol-ryeong (Hyun Bin), South Korean detective Kang Jin-tae (Yoo Hae-jin), and a new face, overseas FBI agent Jack (Daniel Henney), each united for their own purposes.

"I'm not usually a fan of sequels, but when it's mentioned jokingly, I just accept it. I didn't expect it to actually be made. This time, my task was to carry it well. I played the role of balancing between Cheol-ryeong and Jack. Daniel Henney's joining the second film brought freshness. Sergey Kim Won-hae was also impressive. It reminded me of when we were together during 'The Pirates.'"

Yoo Hae-jin said he looks for 'value' when choosing projects. He said, "It's important what story is told and how, and why this work should be done. It can give something to think about or deliver emotion. While you can't be completely free from box office concerns, I look for works with clear value." He added, "'Confidential Assignment' is a work where you can enjoy refreshing action and comedy while chatting and laughing."

Yoo Hae-jin is currently appearing on the tvN variety show "Outside the Tent is Europe," which captures him traveling in Europe with Jin Sun-kyu, Yoon Kyun-sang, and Park Ji-hwan, staying in tents. The scenes of kind people together against the vast European backdrop provide healing and have recorded the highest ratings in the same time slot.

"If people view it positively, there's no greater reward. It feels like a program blessed with good relationships. Through the program, I have grown closer with the actors. Sleeping in tents for ten days isn't easy. Your back hurts. Because you're sleeping outside. What made that time enjoyable was probably the members. Jin Sun-kyu and I are also filming another movie these days, and yesterday on set, he said, 'Hyung, you keep watching Hongbo and whatever these days. Today too, I like that I can keep watching.' I just smiled, but I liked that I could feel his kind heart."

Yoo Hae-jin said he likes the phrase "Nevertheless" the most. "I really like someone’s words: 'Nevertheless, I hope you can say Yes to life.' Many things happen in life, but nevertheless, I try to think that living is okay. I wrote it on a post-it and stuck it on the scale because I step on it five days a week. Sometimes it's hard, but it's okay more or less."