"Officer Black Belt" Kim Woo Bin on Battling Cancer: "I never thought I couldn't overcome it"

On September 19, Kim Woo Bin held an interview for Netflix's Officer Black Belt. 

The action film tells the story of Lee Jung Do (Kim Woo Bin), a third dan in Taekwondo, Kendo, and Judo, working with probation officer Kim Sun Min (Kim Sung Kyun) to monitor electronic anklet wearers 24/7 to prevent crimes. 

Kim Woo Bin mentioned that he first learned about the profession of martial arts officer for the first time through this film. "From the moment I first read the script, I found it intriguing. I could feel the director's desire to spread awareness about this profession, and that made me want to take on the role. It allowed me to learn about the real-life heroes we don't often hear about."

Kim Woo Bin also shared his experience meeting real-life martial arts officers. He said, "I visited a probation office to meet them. I learned how they work, what electronic monitoring bracelets look like, and how they respond to situations. They showed me bodycam footage, told stories, and answered my questions. It [their work] is much harder than I had imagined. I even wondered if I could handle it [if I was a martial arts officer]. They are truly remarkable heroes."

Regarding the difference between the thrilling action depicted in the film and real life, Kim Woo Bin explained, "In real life, there's no harsh violence involved. They try to tolerate as much as possible when dealing with their subjects, and that's the hardest part. Hearing about this made me question whether I could have that kind of tolerance."

Kim Woo Bin also said, "It's a movie that also deals with the subject of child sex offenders. Even though it was just acting, dealing with it was quite disturbing. Because of this, I didn’t interact much with Lee Hyun Kul, who played Kang Gi Jeong, during filming. Although it was just acting, it felt very real in the moment, so it was hard to get emotionally involved. As a result, I didn't become very close with Hyun Kul. I actually want to say, 'Hyung, I like you.' I heard that Hyun Kul gained 20 kg for this role. He has so much muscle mass, and he's about the same height as me. His strength was so impressive that it was hard to handle him during action scenes. We worked together on the drama The Heirs ten years ago and briefly in Alienoid: Return to the Future, but I didn't know him well from those projects because we didn't film together." 

More than action, Kim Woo Bin focused on a different aspect of the K-movie. "I thought that the most important aspect of this story was Jeong Do's emotional and psychological changes. Even though it's an action film, action came second to me. I thought the subtle emotional changes Jeong Do experiences were crucial, so I approached the genre as more of a drama. I wanted to effectively convey to the viewers the changes [the character undergoes] I had read in the script."

But, that doesn't mean the Black Knight actor spared effort in his action scenes. Kim Woo Bin dedicated himself to regular exercise to portray a character who has achieved a 9th-dan in martial arts.

The actor talked about his efforts: "Our martial arts director is skilled in various martial arts and has practiced Kendo for a long time, so he personally taught me. I learned taekwondo, judo, and kendo for an hour each, just like going to school or an academy. On days when I didn't go to the gym, I trained at home on my own. On days I didn’t go to the gym, I practiced at home. I bought a sandbag taller than my height and practiced for 3 hours by kicking it. It would be difficult if I tried now, but by focusing on the choreography and necessary moves during filming, I was able to manage it."

Smiling, he admitted, "To be honest, I don't particularly enjoy physical activities. But since I'm someone who tries my best in what I do, I worked hard alongside the team. Even when I hit clumsily, the martial arts team accepted them well."

For the role of Lee Jeong Do, Kim Woo Bin gained 8 kg and even dyed his hair for the first time. He shared, "I felt that my physique and aura needed to exude power at a glance. So, I told the director that I would gain about 7-8 kg for the role." "At the time, I weighed about 75 kg. The heaviest I've ever weighed in my life was 81 kg. So I wanted to gain more than that. So I thought 83 kg would be enough."

"The character doesn't have a chiseled body and is a person who enjoys life and eats a lot, like a chicken shop owner's son. So, I wanted to have some body fat and appear chubby."

Kim Woo Bin continued, "The job of a martial arts officer is really tough. As Lee Jeong Do works through the job, he hardens his resolve, and since the work is so demanding, I thought it would be natural to lose weight. So I lost about 3-4 kg during filming. Fortunately, the director likes shooting in chronological order, so adjusting to that wasn't difficult."

About his experience filming the action scenes in Officer Black Belt, Kim Woo Bin remarked, "When filming action scenes, whether they are big or small, I think the idea of not getting hurt at all to be a bit of my greed. Therefore, if bones aren't broken and it's just ligaments stretching, I don't see it as an injury and can endure that level of discomfort." "So by my standards, I didn't get injured. Since I committed to doing action scenes, I'm willing to endure that level of discomfort." 

Viewers also got to see Kim Woo Bin in bleached hair for the first time. "I bleached my hair because the character is someone who simply pursues happiness and fun. When Sun Jeong (Kim Ji Young) suggested, 'Why don’t you bleach your hair in a light color?' I thought it would be fun to do that." "At that time, I was wondering what kind of hairdos people in their 20s and 30s typically have. I found that more people, than I thought, were actually bleaching their hair, so it wasn't as special to others as it was to me. Therefore, I decided to challenge myself with a new look and thought it might be interesting to show a side of myself that I hadn't previously shown, and the director liked the idea." 

Kim Woo Bin was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer in 2017. He then took a break from acting for two years and six months to focus on his treatment and recovery.

Talking about how he endured the difficult time, on Shin Dong Yeop's YouTube channel, Kim Woo Bin said, "I'm actually a positive person. I'm the type of person who finds the best in any situation," and, "It was just like a scene from dramas. When the doctors told me, 'At best, you have six months,' it was shocking and scary, and I wished it were a dream. However, I never once thought, 'What if I can't overcome this?'"

"Of course, I didn't immediately think this way, but I treated it as an opportunity and pulled myself together. Having been busy for over ten years since my debut, I thought, 'Maybe the heavens gave me this time to reflect and spend time with my family.'"

He further mentioned, "So many people supported and prayed for me just because I'm famous." "Because of that support and those prayers, I feel like I recovered quickly." "Keeping this gratitude and passing it on feels like a mission to me. That's why I express it more. Especially expressing it to my parents requires a lot of courage."

During the interview with the reporters, reflecting on his approach to life, he shared, "Until a few years ago, I always lived focused on the future. I used to push myself hard, thinking, 'I'll be a better actor in 10 years; I have to work harder; I'll have a better body next week, so I'll work harder today; I need to film this scene well tomorrow, so I'll skip sleep today.' Of course, such experiences have contributed to who I am now, but looking back, I regret not enjoying each day more. I kept thinking only about the future, saying to myself, 'I'm going to be a good person; I'm going to be a good actor. Why am I sleeping?' I really lived like that."

"In the past, when filming dramas, I used to stay up all night 4-5 days a week. I was very sharp back then. If I could sleep for 3 hours, I'd sleep for 1 hour and spend 2 hours working out."

"I overworked myself like that, but now, I feel sorry for myself. My mindset seems to be changing  nowadays." When asked if these changes came about during his period of illness, he replied, "During that time, I had a lot of time to think."

"Now, I try to live each day well. One of the ways I practice this is by making an effort to look at the faces of the people I'm talking to. Sometimes, even after spending hours with someone, I can't remember what they were wearing. Focusing solely on the person I'm with makes me feel like I'm living in the moment better and I feel happier. I'm looking for that kind of happiness."

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