"People Are the Real Weapon"... Ryoo Seung-wan, Jo In-sung, and Park Jung-min Prove 'True' Action on Frozen Ground

Espionage Thriller Set in Vladivostok, 'HUMINT'
"Instinct Over Technology, Desperation Over Glamour"
To Be Released on February 11, Ahead of Lunar New Year Holidays

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"It was right after filming 'Smugglers' had wrapped. I was left with a strong desire to make another film with these two actors, Jo In-sung and Park Jung-min, in the leading roles. This movie began entirely with these two actors."

Director Ryoo Seung-wan's choice was clear. At the production briefing held at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University Entrance in Seoul on January 12, he unveiled his new film 'HUMINT', bringing Chungmuro's box office stars into the unfamiliar world of espionage. Casting Jo In-sung, who has come to understand Ryoo's cinematic language best through 'Escape from Mogadishu' and 'Smugglers', alongside Park Jung-min, whose brief appearance in the previous film left audiences wanting more, is seen as a strategic move to ensure the film's quality.

As the title 'HUMINT' (Human Intelligence) suggests, referring to intelligence gathering through human networks, this work conveys the weighty theme that, even in modern warfare dominated by technology, it is ultimately people who determine victory or defeat. This is why the production team chose the desolate landscape of Vladivostok, Russia, as the backdrop. The stark contrast between the coldest land and the hottest human struggles is intended to be highlighted. The exotic snowy fields, created through filming in Latvia and sophisticated computer graphics, serve not just as a backdrop but as a grand mise-en-sc?ne that visualizes the characters' isolation and tension.

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On this cold stage, Jo In-sung exudes both the composure and sharpness befitting Ryoo Seung-wan's 'persona'. Playing Chief Cho, a National Intelligence Service agent, he breaks away from the stereotypical spy mold. Jo In-sung stated, "I focused on unconventional and desperate action, fighting with whatever I could, even throwing my gun when I ran out of bullets." Rather than smooth movements, he expressed the character's desperation through instinctive, survival-driven struggles. The deepened trust between him and Director Ryoo, which Jo described as "like family," translated on screen into an efficient chemistry that needed no words.

If Jo In-sung was responsible for the 'style' of the action, then Park Jung-min, playing Park Gun, a team leader in North Korea's State Security Department, is the film's 'emotional trigger.' He projected the inner turmoil of a character torn between the regime and the individual, duty and conscience, into his action scenes. Park Jung-min explained, "Park Gun is a character whose emotional fractures affect his rhythm and coordination in action. I wanted to show just how desperate a person can become, to reveal the absolute bottom."

Director Ryoo also cast Park Hae-joon as the North Korean consul general consumed by ambition, and Shin Se-kyung as a North Korean restaurant worker holding the key to the incident, further enriching the narrative. In particular, Shin Se-kyung, returning to a leading film role after 12 years, brings a unique presence that anchors the film's tension.

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Director Ryoo said, "Even while watching the monitor, the actors' performances were so intense that they made me flinch," expressing confidence that the film surpasses the emotional depth of his previous work 'The Berlin File.' Focusing on people rather than technology, and desperation rather than spectacle, 'HUMINT' will be released on February 11, just before the Lunar New Year holidays. It remains to be seen whether the passionate breath of these characters, cutting through the cold winds of Vladivostok, will ignite the first box office hit of the Korean film industry in 2026.