[Official Interview] Director Woo Min-ho talks about his thoughts on the film ”Harbin”: ”It absolutely had to be Hyun Bin”

The suspenseful PENG SOO action blockbuster "Harbin," starring Hyun Bin, which has been ranked number one in Korean audience numbers for four consecutive weeks (according to KOFIC as of April 22, 2025), is now showing nationwide. (Distribution:
KADOKAWA, KADOKAWA K Plus) 1909─An Jung-geun (An Jung-geun), a member of the Korean Righteous Army, and his comrades headed to Harbin, China, risking their lives to secure the independence of their homeland.
"Harbin" is a supreme suspense action entertainment film that reinterprets a historical event that shocked Asia from a modern perspective.
"I wanted to make a film that could only be experienced in a theater."
An interview with director Woo Min-ho has arrived in which he talks about his passion for the film.
Since its release on July 4, the movie "Harbin" has been a big hot topic. Director Woo Min-ho's official interview was held during his visit to Japan to promote the movie's release.
An interview has arrived. He talks about his passion for the film, including his commitment to casting, the harsh shooting episodes in which they could only shoot one scene per day, and what he wants Japanese audiences to feel.
Whether you have already seen the film or are planning to see it in the future, the director's words will surely help you to experience the world of "Harbin" more deeply.
--After watching the movie "Harbin," I wondered if people were overly concerned about historical events.
I felt that Director Woo Min-ho wanted the film to not look too gloomy. How did you create the story by weaving historical facts and fiction together?
The most important thing in making this film was that Hyun Bin's character, An Jung-geun, and his comrades in the Korean Righteous Army
How could I convey what I really felt? I had to stay calm and maintain a certain distance, in case I got too excited and exaggerated their true feelings.
Therefore, I did not use many close-ups of people. Also, I realized that behind Ahn Jung-geun's achievements were the sacrifices of many of his comrades.
I wanted to tell the story of dedication, so I added fictional characters to make it happen. Other than that, I wanted to make it interesting as a movie while keeping the historical facts that are well known.
As for the unknown parts that were not recorded historically, I was free to create them however I wanted.
--The film features a famous cast including Hyun Bin and Lily Franky.
What did you pay particular attention to when casting the main character? The main character, Ahn Jung-geun, has strong convictions and always believes in his comrades. I think Hyun Bin has the same kind of beliefs.
I think he is an actor with very strong convictions. I could see him working tirelessly towards what he believes in. I also felt sincerity in his attitude towards the people around him.
From the first time I met him, I knew he could express the character of Ahn Jung-geun. Also, as you can see when you watch the movie, I knew it was going to be a very difficult filming location.
I thought Hyun Bin was an actor who could withstand any difficult situation without wavering. For these reasons, it had to be him.
On set, he insisted on doing the action scenes himself, no matter how difficult they were, without a stuntman. I said it was okay to use a stuntman because I didn't want the actor to get injured.
(laughs) I find joy in looking at actors and thinking, "What other faces can they have besides the ones they've shown so far?" When I create a work with them, I first think about the actor.
I've always been a big fan of Lily Franky, who plays Hirobumi Ito, and he's an actor I respect very much, but he also shows a different side of himself in "Harbin" than he has in the past.
There are many fans of Lily in Korea, but many of them did not realize that it was him who played Hirobumi Ito.
-- In order to find the perfect location for the film's backdrop, he traveled "around the world two and a half times"
You traveled around a lot, I understand. Filming took place in Mongolia, Latvia, and South Korea. Which scene was the most difficult to shoot?
This is the battle scene at Mount Shina that appears early in the movie. The snow was actually about 60 centimeters deep, and the
Sometimes we could only shoot one scene a day. Some actors had to wait shivering for the next scene without being able to change out of their wet clothes.
So the main cast, the extras, and the staff all had to film in the cold, with extreme feelings. --What do you want Japanese audiences to feel when they watch the film "Harbin"?
It deals with a historical event, but I hope you will enjoy the film's appeal without being too concerned about that. Recently, it has become mainstream to watch video works on Stream.
But isn't a movie something you watch together with other people in a movie theater, feeling their emotions? I feel like the power of movies is a little weak these days.
All the staff members, including the director of photography Hong Kyung Pyo, shared the same idea of "making a movie that can only be experienced in a theater," and they worked hard to improve the quality of the sound and visuals.
In terms of theme, I want to convey that such a tragedy must never happen again. <Overview of the film> Production: HIVE MEDIA
CORP "Spring in Seoul" Director: Woo Min-ho ("The Chiefs of the Namsan Cop Team", "The Insiders") Screenplay: Kim Kyung-chan, Woo Min-ho
Cinematographer: Hong Kyung Pyo (Parasite, Baby Broker) Starring: Hyun Bin (Crash Landing on You, Confidential: International Cooperative Investigation)
, Park Jung Min's "Smuggling 1970" Jo Woo Jin's "The Insiders" and Jeon Yeo Bin's "Vincenzo"
Park Hoon "Spring in Seoul", You Chae Myung "Itaewon Class", Lee DONG WOO "To
Lily Franky "Shoplifters", Jung Woo Sung (special appearance) "Spring in Seoul"
2024 / Korea / 114 min. / Color / Cinemascope / 5.1ch / Eirin G / Subtitle translation: Nemoto Rie
Original title: Harbin Release date in Korea: December 24, 2024 ⓒ 2024 CJ ENM Co., Ltd., HIVE MEDIA CORP ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED Provided by: KADOKAWA K Plus MOVIE WALKER PRESS KOREA Distributed by: KADOKAWA, KADOKAWA
K Plus Official Site harbin-movie.jp OfficialX https://x.com/harbin_movie Now showing at Shinjuku Piccadilly and other locations nationwide