Jung Hae In talked about his performance as a villain in I, the Executioner.
The press conference for the upcoming action thriller I, the Executioner was held at CGV Yongsan, Seoul, which was attended by actors Hwang Jung Min, Jung Hae In, and director Ryu Seung Wan.
He talked about his two-faced character, who shifts between a righteous police officer and a criminal with misguided beliefs, stating, "I approached this film thinking of it not as a 'battle of justice" but as a 'battle between conviction and justice.' There were many action scenes, so there was physical fatigue, but what was even more challenging for me as an actor was the process of understanding and getting to know Park Sun Woo.
He further elaborated, "Talking with the director on set, we came to the conclusion that 'Let's not try to give a clear-cut answer on (good and evil or justice and belief).' I approached my role with that single thought in mind. Park Sun Woo is a character who believes his convictions are right and goes all-in on that."
Hwang Jung Min talked about the difficulties the cast and crew faced. "Since we had veterans, there weren't many difficulties. But it was winter. We had a hard time because we filmed in the bitter cold," and added, "It was really very cold. I want to do action scenes in a warm atmosphere, but we were freezing when filming the Namsan scene and the rooftop scene in the rain."
He continued, "Ahn Bo Hyun had to meet all the detectives for the action scene, so he was constantly getting rained on. I stayed warm except for when I was filming."
To this, Jung Hae In added, "Ahn Bo Hyun came for just a special appearance but ended up having the hardest time. He really struggled. He worked really hard on set, and even when he wasn't okay, he would say he was fine. It was obvious he was in pain, but he endured it and reassured everyone."
He added, "Filming action scenes and working with director Ryu Seung Wan, I came to know how action is done. Safety was the top priority. Even though it was very dangerous, the safety of all the staff and actors came first. So, I wasn’t scared or afraid. Courage was needed, but the director knew well what the actors could do, so there were no difficulties." "It was really safe, but it was cold."
The sequel to the 2015 domestic box office hit Veteran, I, The Executioner is an action-crime thriller about young Detective Park Sun Woo (Jung Hae In) joining the violent crime investigation team and working with veteran Detective Seo Do Cheol (Hwang Jung Min). The film follows the two detectives as they chase a serial killer who is stirring up a sensation.
I, The Executioner is coming to theaters on September 13.