▲ (From L to R) Actors Zo In-sung, Shin Se-kyung, Park Jeong-min and Park Hae-jun pose for photos during a press conference for the upcoming spy action movie "Humint" in Seoul on Jan. 12, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ "Humint" director Ryoo Seung-wan answers questions at a press conference for the upcoming spy thriller in Seoul on Jan. 12, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ A poster for "Humint" is seen in this image provided by NEW (Next Entertainment World). (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Korean film-press conference

Spy thriller 'Humint' built around Zo In-sung, Park Jeong-min: director

By Woo Jae-yeon

SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Yonhap) -- Ryoo Seung-wan, director of the upcoming spy action film "Humint," said Monday the genesis of his new project came down to two actors -- Zo In-sung and Park Jeong-min.

Speaking at a press conference in Seoul, Ryoo, acclaimed for films such as "Veteran" (2015), "The Battleship Island" (2017) and "I, the Executioner" (2024), said his previous collaboration with the two actors inspired him to build a film around them.

The director previously worked together with Zo and Park in the 2023 crime action "Smugglers." The new project marks his third collaboration with Zo, following "Escape from Mogadishu" (2021) and "Smugglers" (2023).

"After filming 'Smugglers,' I felt a strong desire to make a film that would put these two actors front and center," Ryoo said. "I wanted to give them space to fully showcase their charisma on screen."

"Humint," short for human intelligence, follows Mr. Cho (Zo), a national intelligence officer who arrives in Russia's Vladivostok, with a mission to track down an international crime syndicate.

There, he faces off against North Korean intelligence officer Park Gun (Park). Complicating matters is Chae Sun-hwa (Shin Se-kyung), a mysterious woman working at a North Korean restaurant, and Hwang Chi-sung (Park Hae-joon), another North Korean officer who is at odds with Park Gun.

The director noted the movie is filled with "entertainment and tension."

"Even while I was watching on a monitor, there were scenes where I found myself flinching out of sheer tension," he said, praising the actors' performances, which he said highlighted their exceptional acting range and emotional depth.

Park hinted at nuanced action sequences that shift according to his character's emotional journey.

"My character is at the center of the film's emotional arc," he said. "Audiences will witness changes in my performance as my character experiences an emotional breakdown."

"You will see a person at their breaking point -- something I've never depicted before," Park added.

Shot in Latvia, the film marks the director's latest spy action filmed overseas, following "The Berlin File" (2014) and "Escape from Mogadishu" (2021).

Zo said the film will deliver exotic landscapes, and powerful and passionate performances from its actors.

Describing the intensity required for his scenes, the actor said: "The director is a master of action sequences ... If you play it safe, you will never get the OK from him."

"Humint" is set for local release on Feb. 11.

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