[Limelight] "Know Yourself" is 'Alien+ Part 2'

Actor Ryu Jun-yeol's Acting Novice Master 'Mureuk' Growth Story
Awakening Through Fate and Self-Reflection, Becoming a Superhuman to Save the World

In Part 1 of 'Alien+In', Mureuk (Ryu Jun-yeol) is attacked by Jajang (Kim Eui-sung) and loses consciousness. He is trapped in a coffin and abandoned in a river. He awakens underwater, breaks through the cover, and encounters a boy (Kim Min-jun). This is a vision of his younger self from 10 years ago, when he jumped into the river to find Ian's (Choi Yu-ri) new sword. The moment he recovers his lost memories, the boastful words he habitually uttered become reality. "Have you ever tried to catch the mist over a stream at sunset?"

This line also appears at the beginning. When an old man listening to the story asks, "Ah, is that some kind of magic? Catching mist with your hands?" Mureuk chuckles dryly. "If I just put my hand in, what is hand and what is mist? It’s a state where I and the mist become one..." However, the smoke rising from the hearth merely brushes past his hand. Mureuk earns the disgraceful title of 'quack sorcerer.' But after narrowly escaping death, things change. He easily grasps a handful of mist. He feels the energy to compete, confront, and struggle.

Part 2 of 'Alien+In' tells the story of Mureuk, who perceives an invisible power and saves the world. The series of events manifests as self-reflection, understanding his own existence and moving forward. The catalyst is the attraction felt from a new connection. Ryu Jun-yeol said, "If you think about it, it’s something anyone could have experienced. We often meet new people with vague attraction. Like the saying Geojapilban (去者必返), we sometimes reunite with those we parted from. Life is probably a process of forming relationships and getting to know oneself through them."

Mureuk’s self-exploration is a continuous confusion. For example, the feeling of certainty about something is completely separate from the actual nature of truth. It is experienced in a brain area entirely different from rational ability. He intuitively feels certain and uses reason to justify it.

In fact, this is the essence of humanity. Although humans may be the most delicate and complex beings in the universe, they are full of false assumptions, perceptions, and beliefs. Everyone knows this, but few fully recognize how distorted their own thoughts are. Most look around and think others are confused, dogmatic, and irrational. Meanwhile, they believe they have found the right beliefs and learned how to judge clearly.

Ryu Jun-yeol confessed, "As an actor, I have experienced similar confusion many times. When others praise me, I naturally show humility. But sometimes, inwardly, I think, 'I can do better than this. This isn’t all there is...' Conversely, when I have to promote something I did well, I hesitate and say a lot, while thinking the opposite: 'Honestly, I’m not quite at this level yet. I still have a long way to go...' Playing Mureuk made me reflect on myself. If you look closely, it’s a universal role that anyone can relate to."

A powerful external factor intervenes in Mureuk’s awakening. However, the key to self-control is still held by himself. Thanks to the cognitive development achieved in Part 1 of 'Alien+In', he grows into an independent subject. Director Choi Dong-hoon presents this augmented power as the driving force to save the world. He believes future disasters and dangers stem from defects in cognitive self-control. This aligns with the American psychologist Roy Baumeister’s observation: "Many evil acts are committed by people who believe they are doing very good things."

Most wars, massacres, and terrorist acts occur because perpetrators lack critical ability and wisdom. The root cause is biased beliefs and immense certainty about them. They accept baseless ideologies without doubt. Unable to make accurate judgments or reflections, they fall into shortsightedness, foolishness, and corruption.

The true value of Parts 1 and 2 of 'Alien+In' lies here. The aliens residing in human minds are all prisoners. Humans have no way to withstand their superhuman powers. Most are unaware of their existence. Mureuk joins forces with Ian (Kim Tae-ri) and rejects predetermined lives or circumstances. Through awakening via self-reflection, he completely overturns the conventional notion of 'Alien+In.' He is a subject who defies fate.