The touching true story of Korean marathoners… Ha Jung-woo

[My Daily = Reporter Yang Yu-jin] ‘1947 Boston’, which recreates the 1947 Boston Marathon run by former marathoners Son Ki-jeong and Seo Yun-bok, opened a new era in sports movies. It vividly conveys the emotions of marathon runners who took on the first international competition under the name of Korea on the screen, while at the same time maximizing the sense of vitality and urgency that the sports movie genre should possess, boasting a level of perfection that is close to perfection.

On the 11th, a press and distribution preview of the movie ‘1947 Boston’ was held at the Lotte Cinema Konkuk University entrance in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Attending the event were director Kang Je-gyu, actors Ha Jung-woo, Im Si-wan, and Kim Sang-ho.

‘1947 Boston’, a new film by director Kang Je-gyu of ‘Shiri’ and ‘Taegukgi’, depicts the challenges and heart-warming journey of marathon runners to compete in international competitions wearing the Taegeuk symbol for the first time since liberation in 1947. It is a film based on the true story of ‘Korean marathon legend’ Son Ki-jeong and another hero, Seo Yun-bok.

The production team received advice from national marathoner Lee Bong-ju and Kwon Eun-ju, who set a new Korean women’s marathon record, to enhance the realism of the race scenes.

Director Kang said, “We ask for your support and interest so that the movie can convey a lot of hope and courage. There are a lot of sports events. What I felt while watching the movie ‘Race’ was that of a marathoner running a long tunnel of 42.195km without any equipment or tools. “It felt like everything about the mind, feelings, and movements was challenging the human limit,” he said, explaining the reason for choosing the marathon as the subject.

Ha Jung-woo transformed into coach Son Ki-jeong, a gold medalist at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and the man who led the Boston Miracle in 1947. From Son Ki-jeong’s anger at having to go up to the podium with the Japanese flag on his chest to the leadership of the national marathon team coach, he is determined to create resonance by delicately expressing everything.

Ha Jung-woo reflected, “I filmed with Son Ki-jeong in mind that he wanted to wear the Taegeuk symbol because he could not wear it at the Berlin Olympics.”

Ha Jung-woo, who said, “I didn’t know Son Ki-jeong, so I consulted with the director and talked a lot about what he was like,” said Ha Jung-woo, “I went into it with an idea of ​​what Son Ki-jeong must have felt,” and added, “I felt like it was real. I felt a solemnity that I couldn’t feel while filming.”

When asked about his chemistry with Im Si-wan, he said, “He works really hard. I felt like an athlete. I watched the time Im Si-wan prepared to play the role of athlete Seo Yun-bok. When filming the competition scenes, I naturally got emotional.”He added, “Today is the first time I saw the finished product. “I saw it. I think Seo Yun-bok will like it because Im Si-wan is acting and expressing himself so well,” he praised.

Im Si-wan plays the role of Seo Yun-bok, a national representative for the 1947 Boston Marathon who dreams of becoming the ‘second Son Ki-jeong.’ Although he never learned running properly due to his difficult family circumstances, he is an indomitable marathoner who sweeps various competitions with his violence and wickedness. Siwan not only went through intense practical training, but also lowered his body fat percentage to 6% to increase his synchronization rate.

Im Si-wan said, “I thought that I should never become someone to a real person. I worked with a sense of responsibility. Seo Yun-bok was the first player to wear the Taegeuk symbol and go to an international competition. I played a character in this work, but I was determined to represent the country while doing so. “He emphasized.

“The running had to be shown professionally. I underwent professional training two to three months before starting the project. Until the end, I learned and trained with the coach in between filming and scenes,” he said.

The exterior also struggled to match Seo Yun-bok. Im Si-wan said, “To play the role of Seo Yun-bok, the thing I spent the most time on was diet and exercise. I lived on chicken breast and salad. I also had to exercise every day. I didn’t want my muscles to look solid, so between cuts. “I tried to maintain muscle mass by continuing to exercise. Although it wasn’t my goal, I measured my body fat percentage and it came out to be 6%.”

Im Si-wan, who was with Ha Jung-woo for the first time, said, “I feel like I’ve met a very dependable older brother. I relied on him a lot while filming. Although we worked as a mentor and mentee, we were closer,”adding, “He knew a lot more about the world than me in many ways.””It’s also fun to do. I looked forward to seeing what kind of unexpected laughter would come out at every moment,” he said.

Kim Sang-ho took on the role of Paik Nam-hyeon, a financial guarantor who helps the national team in Boston. As a Korean citizen who achieved success as a businessman in Boston, USA, he plays an active role both financially and spiritually as a local coordinator for the national team, including providing English interpretation, training support, and lodging.

Kim Sang-ho, who said that there was a lack of data related to Baek Nam-yong, said, “Actors have an instinct to imagine something. It actually helped that there wasn’t a lot of data. The part where I thought ‘it would be fun’ after receiving the script was that although Baek Nam-hyun helped, he wasn’t blind. “It was attractive,” he recalled, adding, “I did it freely because there was no data.”

‘1947 Boston’ will be released in theaters nationwide on the 27th.