Director Kwak Kyung-taek's new film ”Firefighter” to be released in December... conveying the resonance of a true story

Director Kwak Kyung-taek, who has directed films such as "Friend," "Secret Investigation," and "9.15 in Jangsari," plans to convey the realism of a true story in the film "Firefighter."
Director Kwak Kyung-taek released the autobiographical film "Friend," which sparked the "Friend Syndrome" in Korea in 2001.
"Top Secret Investigation" is about a kidnapping case that actually happened in Busan in 1978, and "Changsha Landing" is about the people who participated in the Changsha Landing Operation, which was a diversionary tactic for the Incheon landing.
"Firefighter," director Kwak Kyung-taek's comeback film, depicts the 2001 Hongje-dong fire.
The film depicts the situation of firefighters who were deployed to extinguish the fire and rescue everyone in the harsh conditions at the time of the disaster, and details the story of the Seoul Seobu Fire Station personnel involved in the Hongje Fire Incident.
The reason why the director is so keen to adapt such true events into films is not only because of the interesting subject matter, but also because of the people at the center of the events.
Yu Oh Sung (played by Yun Sung) and Dong Soo (played by Jang Dong Gun), Detective Kong (played by Kim Yun Seok) and Master Kim (played by Yoo Hae Jin) from "Top Secret Investigation", and Captain Lee Myung Joon from "9.15 in Jangsari"
From Jong Un (played by Kim Myung Min) to the student soldiers who followed him, director Kwak Kyung-taek's focus has always been on the reality of the people at the center of the incidents rather than the tragic events themselves.
Before dealing with the worst of the disaster, "Firefighters" follows the stories of the firefighters at the Western Fire Station, allowing the audience to become as immersed in the situation at the time as possible.
Regarding this directing method, the director said, "The actors were not just parts to depict a true story. They were strongly motivated to appear in this film, and I had never made a film about firefighters before.
"I wanted to give each character something different from the original," he said, explaining the background behind breathing life into each character. The actors also said they chose "firefighters" because of director Kwak Kyung-taek.
JooWon said, "Most people in my generation are fans of director Kwak Kyung-taek. The script was good, but the fact that he was directing made me an immediate choice to take on the role.
The director gave detailed instructions to the actors, so I was able to act comfortably. Lee Jun-hyuk said, "The director was just like the director in the movie 'Firefighter.' He had charisma.
"The film is set to be released in theaters in Korea on December 4th.