“Son Ki-jeong’s acting felt solemn”… Ha Jung-woo, marathon filled with sweat

[Dispatch = Reporter Gu Min] “While filming, I felt a solemnity that I had never felt before.” (hereinafter referred to as Ha Jung-woo)

Actor Ha Jung-woo played the role of Korean marathon legend Son Ki-jeong. Son Ki-jeong is the person who set a new world record (2 hours 29 minutes 19 seconds) at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

“I decided to appear without hesitation. It was an honor to play someone like a legend.”

He portrayed Son Ki-jeong leading the team as coach. Starting with the Japanese flag, they even win the first Taegeuk mark. A heartbreaking race was completed.

The movie ‘1947 Boston’ (directed by Kang Je-gyu) held a press screening at the Lotte Cinema Konkuk University entrance in Seoul on the 11th. In addition to Ha Jung-woo, Im Si-wan, Kim Sang-ho, and director Kang Je-gyu attended.

‘1947 Boston’ is the story of marathoner Son Ki-jeong, his students Seo Yun-bok, and Nam Seung-ryong. Son Ki-jeong won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and Nam Seung-ryong won the bronze medal.

Ha Jung-woo takes center stage in the role of Son Ki-jeong. The movie begins with Son Ki-jeong receiving his Olympic gold medal. With her head down, she hides her Japanese flag in a flower pot.

He hung the Japanese flag on his chest and burst into anger. Embracing his painful memories, he becomes the coach of the national marathon team. He is the first to participate in a competition wearing the Taegeuk symbol.

He recalled the preparation process for filming. He said, “I went into filming with the thought of ‘what kind of mind (Director Son Ki-jeong) must have been in each take’ and what emotions he must have had.”

He continued, “During the first scene, the medal award scene, I couldn’t easily lose my footing. My heart was heavy. I felt a solemnity that I had never felt before while filming.”

Since this is a real person, we focused on analyzing the character. “When I prepare a work, I start from the body, soul, and mind. However, Son Ki-jeong was a person I did not know well,” he said.

He confessed, “I discussed a lot with Director Kang. We talked a lot about what kind of person (Director Son Ki-jeong) is. The beginning of my acting, actions, and words was with Director Son Ki-jeong.”

I pointed out the acting points. “Son Ki-jeong led the team on a journey to Boston. (From Son Ki-jeong’s perspective) I thought of my responsibility for that,” he said.

Ha Jung-woo emphasized, “Son Ki-jeong was determined to participate in the competition wearing the Taegeukgi this time. As an actor, I thought about his feelings while working on the work.”

Director Kang expressed his gratitude to Ha Jung-woo. He smiled and said, “Ha Jung-woo gave me good ideas about the scenario, role, and function. Thanks to this, I am even more satisfied.”

The chemistry between Ha Jung-woo and Im Si-wan is also a point to watch. As a director, Ha Jung-woo leads Im Si-wan (played by Seo Yun-bok) sometimes harshly and sometimes kindly.

Ha Jung-woo recalled, “(Lim) Si-wan worked really hard. I watched him prepare from the side. So, when filming the competition scenes, I naturally got emotional.”

He continued, “I saw the finished version, and Im Si-wan did a great job and expressed it. I think teacher Seo Yun-bok will like it. I want to sincerely support Im Si-wan.”

Im Si-wan laughed, saying that he now has a trustworthy older brother. He confessed, “It was my first time working with Ha Jung-woo. I felt like I had met a dependable older brother. I actually relied on him a lot while filming.”

He added, “I actually played the role of a director and a player, but we were closer. I learned a lot, not only from working on the movie, but also because it was fun, I always looked forward to filming.”

Ha Jung-woo is having a busy year. Following the summer Daejeon (unofficial operation), it hits theaters during Chuseok. ‘1947 Boston’ will be released on the same day as ‘Dr. Chun’s Exorcism Lab: Secrets of the Snow Scenery’ and ‘Cobweb’.

He said, “It will be released in a short period of time during this summer and Chuseok. This is not the first time I have experienced this situation, so I just want to accept it well and stick to my schedule.”

Ha Jung-woo confessed, “The absolute number of audiences is not returning to what it used to be. I hope that ‘1947 Boston’ will contribute to the culture of watching movies in theaters like in the past.”

He also left messages of support for his competitors. She expressed her wish, “I hope all the works go well and we have good times. I hope everyone joins forces and creates synergy.”

Director Kang urged viewers to watch, saying, “There are many precious stories contained in history. It will be a time to check, ‘Are we really living well and are we on the right path?’”

Meanwhile, ‘1947 Boston’ will be released on the 27th.

<Photo = Reporter Song Hyo-jin (Dispatch)>