Ha Jung-woo, Lim Si-wan, Son Ki-jeong, and Seo Yun-bok brought to life with their all-out acting (comprehensive)

Marathoners Son Ki-jeong and Seo Yun-bok will come to life on the screen this fall. For the first time since liberation in 1947, the thrilling run of a marathoner wearing the Taegeukgi on his chest is on the hunt for box office hits at Chuseok theaters. ‘1947 Boston’ is an attractive movie with the power of a touching true story and the breathtaking performances of Ha Jung-woo and Im Si-wan.

Director Kang Je-gyu (60), who directed the films ‘Taegukgi’ (2004), ‘My Way’ (2011), and ‘Jangsu Store’ (2015), returns after 8 years with the film ‘1947 Boston’. Director Kang said at the movie press screening held at the Lotte Cinema Konkuk University entrance in Jayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 11th, “The charm of the marathon is great,”and “It is the most passionate sport in which humans challenge the extreme barefoot.”

On this day, director Kang Je-gyu said, “After ‘Taegukgi’, I was preparing a science fiction movie, but it was canceled. Many movies set in the future are shot in Hollywood. In the end, looking into the past we lived in is the same as predicting the future. “I started to think,” he recalled. He continued, “I naturally became more interested in the precious footsteps of the past,”and “I sometimes gain courage and strength by looking back at the past.”

Ha Jung-woo plays Son Ki-jeong, a gold medalist at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and Im Si-wan plays Seo Yun-bok, a member of the national team at the 1947 Boston Marathon. Ha Jung-woo said, “I filmed while discussing with the director what kind of person Son Ki-jeong was. I was curious about how he felt in each scene. Those feelings built up one by one.”

In his country, liberated in 1947, Son Ki-jeong finally wears the Taegeuk symbol on his chest and becomes a marathon coach who strictly trains athletes to participate in international competitions.

Ha Jung-woo said, “When filming the Berlin Olympics scene, I couldn’t easily leave. My heart was heavy because it felt like I was experiencing that time. I also felt a solemnity that I had never felt before while filming.”

Im Si-wan increases immersion with his vivid acting, as if the real Seo Yun-bok came to life on the screen. This is the result of his outstanding efforts. From her firm and muscular muscles to her skinny face, she is Seo Yun-bok herself.

He said, “Ever since I was preparing for filming, I have been eating chicken breast and salad. I have also been exercising every day. In order to express my strong muscles, I exercised every now and then to see if they were bulging. I tried to resemble Seo Yun-bok’s appearance as much as possible, and achieved 6% body fat. “I did it,” he said.

The force that drove Im Siwan to run was the sense of responsibility he felt as a ‘real person’. He said, “I thought it was a job that no one should do, so I took on it with a sense of responsibility.” He went on to say, “Like Seo Yun-bok, who was the first player to go to an international competition wearing the Taegeuk symbol, I prepared with the mindset of an actual national representative.”

Coach Kang Je-gyu explained, “Seo Yun-bok gave great hope and courage to the nation during the Japanese colonial period. The boy who dreamed of becoming the next Son Ki-jeong was born as the youngest of three sons and three daughters, and ran toward his goal despite difficulties.”He continued, “There was a sense of pride in running under the Taegeukgi for the first time since liberation, but the challenging spirit of human victory, where one person achieves a precious dream, stood out.”

‘1947 Boston’ will be released in theaters on the 27th alongside the movies ‘Dr. Chun’s Exorcism Lab: The Secret of the Snowy Scenery?’ (Director Kim Seong-sik) and ‘Cobweb’ (Director Kim Ji-woon). Director Kang Je-gyu expressed his feelings ahead of the film’s release, saying, “I was both envious and heartbroken when I saw someone else’s film being released first.”

He continued, “The past few years have been a valuable time for me to refine and refine the film. Before releasing the film, I interacted with and listened to the audience through various channels. I realized once again how necessary the work was.”

Ha Jung-woo said, “The absolute number of theater audiences has not yet returned. I hope that both summer and Chuseok will work together to create synergy. I hope that ‘1947 Boston’ will contribute to the culture of audiences coming to theaters and watching movies like before.”.

Reporter Lee Yi-seul ssmoly6@asiae.co.kr