[On the Record] Yoo Ji-tae "Facing Ma Dong-seok? I don't want to get hit, what can I do?"

Actor Yoo Ji-tae Interview

Disney+ 'Vigilante' Jo Heon Role
Divided Society... Personal Revenge as 'Proxy Satisfaction'
"Filmmakers Sweeping Cannes and Oscars Should Not Be Subcontractors"

"Do you love me? How can love change? Let's break up." (From the movie 'One Fine Spring Day') Actor Yoo Ji-tae (47) has long been the face of youth. We passionately cheered for the disheveled young man who purely shouted "I'll do better" to his departing lover. He is a 'movie star' born from Korean films such as 'Ditto' (2000), 'One Fine Spring Day' (2001), and 'Oldboy' (2003). In the industry, he is called a 'gentleman.' This time, he returns as a monstrous detective with a conviction to follow the right path even if the law is flawed.

Actor Yoo Ji-tae [Photo by Walt Disney Company Korea]

Recently, I met Yoo Ji-tae at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. The interview took place after the release of the OTT (over-the-top) streaming service Disney+ series 'Vigilante' (directed by Choi Jung-yeol). His broad shoulders caught my eye at once. His massive build could not be hidden even by a black hoodie. Tall stature, broad shoulders, and a deep voice made a strong impression.

Soon, a bursting, bulky wallet placed before him caught my attention. (The wallet showed signs of age.) When I asked what was inside, he smiled brightly and said, "There’s no money." His bright smile with crescent-shaped eyes revealed a childlike face.

"Contradictory Korean society, private revenge scratches the itch"

'Vigilante' constantly raises questions through the character Vigilante (played by Nam Joo-hyuk), who directly judges criminals who evade the law using money and power, showing his own sense of justice in place of the flawed legal system. Is Vigilante’s action just or criminal? Through a dark hero born from a world rampant with evil, it explores law and justice from various perspectives.

Yoo Ji-tae said, "Dark hero stories are usually difficult to raise social issues and leave a strong impression, but 'Vigilante' scratches the itchy spots well, such as social absurdities and contradictions in Korean society. If it had only been portrayed realistically and factually, it would have been dark and boring, but by unfolding it as an action genre, it interestingly raises approachable topics. I approached it thinking it would be an opportunity to focus on the character while also showing the narrative well."

He emphasized that it differs from existing dark hero stories. Yoo Ji-tae said, "Classic heroes like Hong Gil-dong and Batman felt realistic yet detached, but 'Vigilante' fully reflects our society and provides a sense of pleasure. Tim Burton’s 'Batman' feels like a comic. Later, Christopher Nolan’s 'Joker' is a completely realistic person. It focuses on Joker to evoke empathy and likability. It is a grounded hero story that resonates."

Actor Yoo Ji-tae [Photo by Walt Disney Company Korea]

Recently, content dealing with private revenge and private punishment has been flooding out. This is also a key theme running through 'Vigilante.' When asked about this phenomenon, he calmly switched to 'professor mode' and spoke continuously.

"Our Korean society is sharply divided left and right. It seems strangely mixed yet separated. It’s a zero-sum game with particularly strong black-and-white logic. Because of that, witch hunts happen easily. Through a series of incidents, you feel how much contradiction and irrationality are mixed in society. The public feels fatigue from reality. 'Vigilante' shines a light on those parts while having mass appeal."

Yoo Ji-tae plays Jo Heon, the head of the Metropolitan Investigation Unit. He believes criminals have no human rights and chases Vigilante to uphold law and order. He viewed the character as "a realistic person who understands justice well. It’s very difficult to have such a character."

"Our society’s ideology is ambiguous. The culture of the new generation is different too. It’s a society hard to define. The distinction between good and evil changes with the times, which is contradictory. Aren’t there many individuals like Jo Heon? They understand the social system and its contradictions and absurdities. They know the faults in their groups but continue living that life, dreaming of change and engaging in such activities. They live life as adults. Jo Heon is a fictional character reflecting fantasy but is well made to provide pleasure and vicarious satisfaction."

[Photo by Walt Disney Company Korea]

Kim Ji-yong (played by Nam Joo-hyuk), a police academy student acting as Vigilante, hunts down criminals who evade the law at night and judges them directly. Ji-yong and Jo Heon both pursue justice but take different approaches to realize it. Yoo Ji-tae said, "I completely agree with Jo Heon’s sense of justice."

He said, "Jo Heon must have had pain and failures. In a society where it’s hard to distinguish good and evil, the police realize justice in their own way. Because he holds deep philosophy, he thinks it’s the right method. Maybe because I acted as him, I have much more affection for the character." He added, "If I were a passionate youth, I might have sympathized with Ji-yong. He might have acted somewhat rashly with 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.'"

Jo Heon is the 'strongest character' in the worldview. He has monstrous strength that can crumple a coin with one hand. Yoo Ji-tae bulked up his physique through exercise and gained 20kg to perform impressive action scenes.

Yoo Ji-tae said, "I thought natural heaviness would come from the physicality. I recalled Kudo derived from karate and Jeet Kune Do. Kudo covers areas MMA (mixed martial arts) cannot. I wanted to do real martial arts, not just one-cut man action. I also wanted to handle fast technical action. I think the director’s intention to put emotion into the action is well reflected."

Online, there were reactions wondering who would win in a fight between Jo Heon, the so-called 'strong character,' and Ma Seok-do, the detective played by Ma Dong-seok who is known for 'one shot one kill' in the 'The Outlaws' series. When mentioned, Yoo Ji-tae said, "I saw the reactions," and answered, "I’m curious who would win too." He laughed, saying, "My family talks about it too, so I said, 'Then I guess I have to get hit? But I don’t want to get hit.'"

[Photo by Walt Disney Company Korea]

"Korean films need institutional support... The hope for a second Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook"

It has become difficult for a 'movie star' to emerge through films nowadays. If Hollywood has its 'last movie star' Tom Cruise, Korea has Yoo Ji-tae and Park Hae-il. This also reflects the reality of the Korean film industry, which has suffered setbacks since the COVID-19 pandemic. Yoo Ji-tae sighed deeply as he shared detailed thoughts on this situation.

"It’s now an environment where it’s hard for 'movie stars' to appear. Still, films will continue, and I think we will watch that persistent vitality. What that means is, actually, directors like Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho, and Ryu Seung-wan did not grow up receiving government or institutional support. They made films while working part-time at video stores and doing manual labor. I believe someone with that spirit will create good films again."

He seemed to have a lot to say. Yoo Ji-tae spoke rapidly without pause. He hesitated at no words. His face flushed. After briefly adjusting his posture, he continued.

"It’s upsetting. Since COVID-19, Korean cinema has been on a decline, and as large corporations withdraw investments in Korean films, the question of survival is becoming a reality. As an actor who loves films, studies them, and has been involved for over 20 years, it’s heartbreaking. I felt deprivation, skepticism, and confusion. Other countries recovered from difficulties after the pandemic through institutional support, but only our country seems to be struggling. Europe actively implements cultural policies. France, while developing new businesses, has the CNC (Centre National du Cin?ma et de l'image anim?e), meaning government involvement. There are regulations requiring a certain portion of investment in domestic films. Korea has such systems, but lacks a system that can actively respond to new businesses. It can only be passive."

Actor Yoo Ji-tae [Photo by Walt Disney Company Korea]

Then Yoo Ji-tae said, "Our distribution system focuses solely on 'money.' It’s an 'industry' similar to the American style. It was a means to make money. Depending on the flow of money, culture can be nurtured. To protect this, institutional support or welfare systems for grassroots creators should have been established. Some directors achieved results, but when disaster struck, the system failed to respond and collapsed. It’s unfortunate that excellent talents who have swept the Academy (Oscars) and Cannes (Film Festival) have become mere subcontractors. The creators should own the IP (intellectual property rights)."

He said he has no interest in roles other than being an actor. Yoo Ji-tae said, "Actors must remain neutral, and I love the profession of acting. I believe actors can do greater things than public officials. Meeting reporters like you and voicing the parts that are lacking and need improvement?that might be a happy life," he said emphatically.

"The public is like reeds. Naturally, the creators must make things interesting. Enhancing the competitiveness of Korean content is about capturing the public’s attention. When we do well and create something, we can voice our opinions in our own way. I probably won’t meet (Minister) Yoo In-chon directly or anything like that."