| ▲ This photo of South Korean actor Yoo Hae-jin is provided by Plus M Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, April 16 (Yonhap) — Veteran actor Yoo Hae-jin said Monday he deliberately avoided portraying a stereotypical image of a prosecutor in his upcoming crime film Badland, opting instead to depict a more nuanced and flawed character.
Speaking during a press interview in central Seoul, Yoo recounted accepting the role without hesitation when approached by director Hwang Byung-guk. “When you're offered a high-ranking character, you should take it without thinking too much,” he said jokingly.
Badland follows a tangled narrative involving a “badland” — a broker who provides narcotics-related intelligence to authorities — a prosecutor who benefits from the broker’s tips, and a determined police officer on a mission to dismantle a drug trafficking ring.
| ▲ This still of film "Badland" is provided by Plus M Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Yoo plays Goo Gwan-hee, an ambitious prosecutor who uses Lee Kang-soo (played by Kang Ha-neul) — a former convict turned informant — to achieve a rapid rise in his career. His character eventually becomes the target of both Kang-soo and narcotics detective Oh Sang-jae (Park Hae-joon) after covering up a crime involving a prominent presidential candidate’s son.
Yoo said he aimed to subvert typical portrayals of prosecutors in media. “It would’ve been easy to show ambition in a dramatic way, but I felt someone truly ambitious wouldn’t behave like that,” he said. “Whatever the profession, I believe people live similarly, and I try not to depict characters in a formulaic way.”
He added that the film’s overall tone led him to take a more grounded approach. “There were already enough loud characters in the movie. I tried to provide balance.”
| ▲ This still of film "Badland" is provided by Plus M Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Still, Yoo acknowledged that bringing freshness to every role becomes harder with experience. A scene in the film’s trailer — in which his character tells Kang-soo, “Try being the badland” — reminded him of a similar line from Ryu Seung-wan’s 2010 film The Unjust, highlighting the challenge of avoiding comparisons.
“Despite that, the biggest question I constantly ask myself is, ‘How can I do something new?’ I’m always searching for something both universal and unique,” he said.
The film tackles timely themes such as narcotics crime, the rivalry between prosecutors and police, and a looming presidential election — drawing parallels to real-life developments in South Korea. One line from Yoo’s character — “A prosecutor in South Korea can make or break a president” — has drawn particular attention following the film’s press screening.
“This wasn’t shot recently, but it oddly mirrors the current climate,” he said with a laugh.
Yoo noted that both the subject matter and his relationship with director Hwang played a role in his decision to join the project. Hwang, who worked on the 2001 film Musa as part of the directing team, had previously considered casting Yoo in his debut feature Wedding Campaign (2005), though the role ultimately went to Jung Jae-young.
| ▲ This still of film "Badland" is provided by Plus M Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Reflecting on his earlier career, Yoo shared that he had grown frustrated with being typecast after appearing in Attack the Gas Station (1999). “At one point, I was only getting offers to play thugs. I even thought, ‘Did I leave the stage for this?’” he said. “Once, while drinking with fellow theater actors, a senior saw one of my movies on TV and said, ‘Is that what you left us for?’ But in hindsight, I might not have made it this far if I hadn’t taken that role.”
Last September, Yoo returned to his roots by appearing in a 40th-anniversary production of Ten Little Indians at the Cheongju Youth Theater, where he began his acting journey.
“That play felt like an ‘intermission’ for me,” he said. “Even during holidays, seeing all your relatives can be stressful — but back then, I didn’t feel any discomfort at all.”
Although he had received offers from Seoul-based theater companies, he admitted to initially hesitating. “I was scared. I’d been away from the stage for too long,” he said. “But returning to Cheongju helped me overcome that fear. If another good opportunity comes, I’d love to be on stage again — no matter where it is.”
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