Actor Lee Byung-hun‘s possessed acting was properly displayed on the screen this time as well. Lee Byung-hun’s acting transformation from Lee Byung-hun to Cho Hoon-hyun perfectly completed the movie ‘Sungbu’. In particular, it is a story that can draw the audience‘s immersion with the subject of baduk, and it catches the eye as it tells a true story that is more cinematic than the movie. ‘Sungbu’, which took a gamble by releasing it in theaters due to actor Yoo Ah-in’s drug charges, has finally been released for the first time.

On the afternoon of the 19th, a press conference for the movie ‘Sungbu’ was held at CGV Yongsan I-PARK MALL in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. On this day, actors Lee Byung-hun, Ko Chang-seok, Hyun Bong-sik, Moon Jung-hee, Jo Woo-jin, and director Kim Hyung-joo attended the press conference.



On this day, Lee Byung-hun said about his thoughts on filming ‘Gungbu’, “When I first read the script and watched various documentaries, I couldn‘t believe that something this dramatic was based on a true story. It was so interesting that these two legends had these stories and went through these processes. When we were actually filming, we had to spend almost all of the time in front of the baduk board with no change in emotion. I paid a lot of attention to expressing various extreme emotions such as explosive emotions and despair amidst such silence.”

Director Kim Hyung-joo said about his thoughts on releasing ‘Gungbu’, “The rule was that people should watch the movie even if they don’t know anything about baduk. And after many twists and turns, the movie was finally released in theaters. I‘m so happy and touched by that,” he said, drawing attention.

When asked about the part he put effort into while acting, Lee Byung-hun said, “It was the most difficult to express the emotions that moved greatly within the stillness with small movements, but it was also the part that I found fun. The life of Cho Hun-hyun, a 9-dan who has so many records, was like losing to his student and then going back to the beginning and climbing back up to the top again. In the movie, it was just a line, but I thought that his actual feelings must have been hard to imagine. I think it was hard to act out those things, read those feelings, and make them my own.”



Lee Byung-hun answered the question about the release of ‘Gungbu’, “When I make a movie and show it in theaters, I get nervous and excited no matter what the situation. I’m nervous about how much the audience will get and how much they‘ll like it. But the fact that this movie is finally meeting the audience on the screen after many twists and turns is so exciting. When I first heard the news, I was so happy that I could jump for joy. I’m so happy.”

He then said, “The scenes where I fail in the movie are actually real, but I wonder how something so dramatic can happen. I thought that the situations where I lose to my student and then challenge him were so dramatic that it was hard to believe they were real. While filming this movie, I met 9-dan Cho Hun-hyun and heard that the real-life protagonist of ‘All In’, teacher Cha Min-soo, was his best friend since childhood. Then, I suddenly had the thought that ‘All In’ is also a story about a gambler, so I think I approached filming with the thought that it had something in common,” he said, drawing attention.



Director Kim Hyung-joo said, “Senior Lee Byung-hun was cast first, and that alone made me feel like I had the world. I felt that much pressure.” Regarding Yoo Ah-in‘s drug scandal, he said, “To be honest, as a leading actor, I think it was an irresponsible and disappointing incident. I made a mistake as a member of society before being an actor, and I’m currently being punished, so I don‘t think it’s my place to talk about it. Personally, I felt like I was trapped in a hellish tunnel. There was nothing I could do about it, so I felt lost. Now that I see the light of opening at the exit, I feel like I can breathe a sigh of relief. He honestly confessed, ”I‘m touched.“



Director Kim Hyung-joo also emphasized, regarding the fact that ‘Match’ is only gaining attention because of Yoo Ah-in’s controversy, saying, ”It‘s up to the public to choose and judge. I can’t force you to do that, but I would like to make a difficult request that you watch the movie for what it is. I was hurt before the movie was released, so I would like to ask you to watch the movie warmly as if you were applying ointment to me.“

Lee Byung-hun talked about working with actor Yoo Ah-in, saying, ”When I first did ‘Match’ and heard about the casting, my expectations grew and I was excited. I thought it would be fun to film. Also, since this is my first time working with Yoo Ah-in, I was curious about that part too. He was a more reserved junior than I thought. We didn‘t talk much or have many company dinners. We didn’t really have much time to get to know each other. We focused on our roles on set, and we showed our serious sides during rehearsals. That‘s why I remember it was easy to get into that scene,“ he recalled, drawing attention.



Meanwhile, ‘Match’ is the story of Korea’s greatest Go legend Cho Hun-hyun (played by Lee Byung-hun) who, after losing to his student, challenges himself to the top once again with his natural competitive spirit. It will be released on the 26th.

Choi Yoon-na, Donga.com reporter yyynnn@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.