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[On the Record] Director Choi Jeong-yeol: "Absurd Sentences for Criminals, Popularity of Private Revenge"

Director Choi Jeong-yeol Interview

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"'The door is opening, Joheon is coming in.' That line from a song comes to mind. (laughs) On the first day we met to work on the project, it wasn’t Yoo Ji-tae but just Joheon who showed up. His body was huge, and his manner of speaking too. I was overwhelmed by the way he sat with his arms wide open." Director Choi, whom I recently met at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, recalled the strong first impression, saying, "I had never seen an actor like Yoo Ji-tae before." He smiled, saying, "He was amazing as someone who became a completely different person, and it put my mind at ease."


[On the Record] Director Choi Jeong-yeol: "Absurd Sentences for Criminals, Popularity of Private Revenge" Director Choi Jeong-yeol Photo by Walt Disney Company Korea

The OTT (over-the-top) streaming service Disney+ series Vigilante is an action thriller series about Kim Ji-yong (played by Nam Joo-hyuk), a model police academy student who upholds the law by day but lives as a vigilante who directly punishes criminals who have escaped the law at night, and the intense conflicts among people with different motives surrounding him. It is based on the webtoon of the same name by writer Kim Gyu-sam.


Nam Joo-hyuk plays the vigilante, and Yoo Ji-tae portrays Joheon, the team leader of the Vigilante Metropolitan Investigation Unit at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Yoo Ji-tae gained over 20 kg to complete a striking appearance to embody the image of a monstrous detective.


Director Choi recalled, "Since he is an actor who has made a mark in the Korean film industry, my expectations were quite high. When I first saw him, I got a gentle impression. But when we met after deciding to work together, he appeared as Joheon." He added, "That seems to be his working style. Once he decides to appear, he reads the script and continuously works on character development. It was great."


He said, "Nam Joo-hyuk also worked out hard. It became a somewhat competitive atmosphere for exercising. Every time we had readings or meetings, we were surprised at how much each other’s bodies had grown. After that, we worked out even harder. When we matched moves at the action school, you could feel each other’s strength. That made us work even harder. (laughs) Yoo Ji-tae and Nam Joo-hyuk exercised together, creating synergy."


[On the Record] Director Choi Jeong-yeol: "Absurd Sentences for Criminals, Popularity of Private Revenge" 'Vigilante' stills [Photo by Walt Disney Company Korea]

"'From now on, I will speak to you informally' is a signature line of Joheon and quite famous. Since it left a strong impression in the webtoon and was popular among original fans, the pressure must have been significant. Director Choi said, "It’s not something used in everyday speech. It’s a webtoon-like and exaggerated tone, so I was curious how it would be expressed. The moment Yoo Ji-tae uttered the line in front of the camera, my worries disappeared. He made it into words grounded in reality. I thought he was an amazing actor."


Nam Joo-hyuk, who played the vigilante, enlisted in the military in March after finishing filming. Director Choi said, "It’s a shame we couldn’t promote together." He added, "These days, soldiers can use their phones on weekends. I heard they can do it during leisure and free time, so we kept in touch. The military company commander gathered them to watch Vigilante together. The seniors living with him said the work was fun," he shared.


Director Choi Jeong-yeol, who presented films such as Glory Day (2016) and Start-Up (2019), directed his first OTT series with Vigilante. He laughed, saying, "People around me really scared me. Since it’s a series released weekly, they advised me it wouldn’t be easy to wait anxiously until the last episode." He said, "I directed eight episodes, and it was quite fun and suited me well."


Vigilante is a story that can also develop into a spin-off format. It also seems suitable to be made into a theatrical film. Director Choi nodded in agreement, saying, "The original goal was to plan and develop both a movie and a drama simultaneously." He expressed anticipation, saying, "If season 2 or a spin-off is produced, there will be many stories to tell."


[On the Record] Director Choi Jeong-yeol: "Absurd Sentences for Criminals, Popularity of Private Revenge" Director Choi Jung-yeol Photo by Walt Disney Company Korea

He said he paid special attention to the ending direction of each episode. Director Choi said, "A movie has one ending, but having to deliver eight endings for eight episodes was a burden. Making viewers want to watch the next episode seems to be the fate of a series. The goal was to end each ending so that the theme and strengths of the work would continue. That kind of work was interesting because it’s different from movies."


"Since the characters are attractive, I tried to bring them to life well through direction. Although it deals with private revenge and private punishment, the beliefs held by the characters were very interesting. The goal was to portray those beliefs to the end. Watching Kim Ji-yong act as a vigilante punishing evil was exhilarating yet sad. Joheon, who blocks him, also seemed to be doing the right thing. I hoped such complex feelings would be reflected in the work."


Recently, content that revolves around keywords like 'private revenge' and 'private punishment' has been gaining popularity. Director Choi viewed this as "because there are parts that our society cannot satisfactorily address."


He said, "When looking at a series of incidents, some people who should receive heavier sentences and pay for their crimes receive incomprehensible sentences. I think there is institutional distrust about that, which is why people get more enthusiastic."


[On the Record] Director Choi Jeong-yeol: "Absurd Sentences for Criminals, Popularity of Private Revenge" 'Vigilante' stills [Photo by Walt Disney Company Korea]

Vigilante shakes the judicial system and steps forward as a judge above the law. How should we view this? I asked the director.


"I didn’t set a clear line for the character. I saw Ji-yong as someone who tries to break through with his own beliefs. But the social changes that arise from his actions, the appearance of copycat criminals, and the debates that question 'Is this really right?' come up. Also, with Joheon’s appearance, I wanted to create a story where a person with opposing beliefs clashes. I thought various questions would arise from the clash of beliefs, making people think. I wanted to ask whether Ji-yong’s actions are right or if it’s better to solve things within the system like Joheon."


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