▲ Actor Ha Jung-woo talks during a media event to promote "Hijacking" in a cinema in Seoul on May 22, 2024. (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, June 14 (Yonhap) -- Actor Ha Jung-woo is etched in the audience's memory as a character who miraculously overcomes extreme situations akin to disasters. He has played roles such as a driver trapped in a collapsed tunnel ("Tunnel"), a diplomat pursued by a Middle Eastern militant group ("Operation Chromite"), and an officer involved in a secret mission to prevent the eruption of Mt. Baekdu ("Ashfall").

 

This time, Ha Jung-woo takes on the role of a flight crew member in a hijacked airplane in director Kim Sung-han's "Hijacking," set to open on the 21st. "I'm not fixated on disaster movies. When choosing a project, the script is important, but so is who you work with. If my character feels familiar, I think it's my task to make sure it doesn't and to overcome that feeling," he said during an interview at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, on the 14th.

 

He noted, "As your filmography builds up, you face the issue of how to move away from past images to show better performances. This is something I will carry with me as an actor for life, a problem even actors like Robert De Niro and Al Pacino have faced."

 

"Hijacking" is a film that imaginatively reconstructs the attempted hijacking of a Korean Air flight in 1971. The story follows Yong-dae (played by Yeo Jin-goo), a young man in his twenties disillusioned with life in South Korea, who sets off a homemade bomb on a flight, creating chaos and demanding the plane be flown to North Korea. Ha Jung-woo plays Tae-in, the co-pilot of the plane.

 

He reflected, "This film is more about the incident than the characters, so it might have become flat due to the limited space for character expression. But the speed and intensity of the story were clear, so I followed that flow."

 

Most of the filming took place over three months in a set realistically replicating the F-27 aircraft, previously used for domestic flights in Korea. Over 50 actors were cast as passengers, adding vibrancy to every movement on board. "Even one rehearsal with nearly 60 people was tougher than other projects. Some actors were already waiting on set at 5 a.m. for an 8 a.m. rehearsal, which felt solemn and motivated everyone to perform their best."

 

Describing the challenge of leading the story in front of veteran actors, Ha Jung-woo said, "Every day felt like an acting test during rehearsals," and laughed. The movements of the airplane were depicted using a gimbal system, making filming for nearly 10 hours a day on a constantly shaking set quite difficult. "I felt a bit dizzy at times," he admitted.

 

Besides acting, Ha Jung-woo was deeply involved in casting for "Hijacking." He specifically recommended Yeo Jin-goo for the pivotal role of Yong-dae, recalling Yeo's compelling eye acting in the film "1987: When the Day Comes." Ha expressed his confidence in Yeo's acting abilities.

 

Ha Jung-woo is satisfied with the final product of "Hijacking" despite initial concerns, saying that editing resolved many of those worries and that he looks forward to a positive audience reaction.

 

With the recent birth of actress Hwang Bo-ra's son, Ha Jung-woo has become an uncle. Hwang married Kim Young-hoon, the CEO of Workhouse Company and Ha Jung-woo's younger brother, in 2022. When asked about becoming an uncle, Ha Jung-woo laughed, "I feel like I need to get married and have a child myself before I turn 50."

 

For further details, you can refer to the original article or news release from KBS.

 

▲ Cast members of "Hijacking" pose for photos in a cinema in Seoul on May 22, 2024. (Yonhap)

 

 

 

 

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