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| ▲ This still photo, provided by Netflix, shows Korean actor Kim Woo-bin. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Yonhap) -- While the movie Veteran 2, starring Hwang Jung-min and Jung Hae-in, dominated theaters during this year's Chuseok holiday, the OTT space was taken by Officer Black Belt, starring Kim Woo-bin and Kim Sung-kyun.
Released on Netflix on the 13th, Officer Black Belt quickly rose to the top of the non-English film category in just three days and has maintained a high Naver user rating, surpassing 9 points.
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| ▲ This still photo, provided by Netflix, shows a scene from the OTT giant's kdrama series "Officer Black Belt," starring Kim Woo-bin. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Directed by Kim Joo-hwan, the film follows the story of a Officer Black Belt, a professional who monitors criminals wearing electronic anklets 24 hours a day. Kim Woo-bin plays the lead role as Jeong-do, a Officer Black Belt. The film's fresh take on an unfamiliar profession, coupled with Kim Woo-bin's natural performance, has received praise from audiences.
"We're glad the sincerity we wanted to convey has reached the viewers," Kim said during an interview at a café in Samcheong-dong on the 19th. He expressed his gratitude for the positive response to the film, adding, "Through this movie, I came to learn about the everyday heroes who help keep us safe, and I wanted to share that feeling with the viewers. I'm happy that this profession is getting recognition."
When Kim first received the script, he admitted that he was unaware of the role of a Officer Black Belt. "As I read through the script, I felt the director's strong desire to shed light on this job," he recalled.
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| ▲ This still photo, provided by Netflix, shows a scene from the OTT giant's kdrama series "Officer Black Belt," starring Kim Woo-bin. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
In Officer Black Belt, Kim's character Jeong-do is a skilled martial artist with black belts in taekwondo, kendo, and judo. While working at his father's chicken delivery shop, he saves a Officer Black Belt from being assaulted by a criminal. This act catches the eye of parole officer Seon-min, played by Kim Sung-kyun, who recruits Jeong-do to join the team as a Officer Black Belt. The film portrays Jeong-do's journey as he goes from someone who only seeks excitement to a dedicated officer protecting citizens.
"Jeong-do is a fun-loving and curious person, and I can relate to that as I now focus on living each day fully and finding happiness in that," Kim said. He also shared some backstory about his character, revealing that Jeong-do lost his mother at a young age and was bullied due to his frail health. However, he grew stronger through his dedication to sports. "I imagined Jeong-do's mother might have wished for him to live each day in health and happiness, and I tried to reflect that in my portrayal," Kim added.
Kim's action scenes in Officer Black Belt are marked by their simplicity and power. Before filming, he gained around 8 kilograms, increasing his weight from 75 to 83 kilograms to give his character a more imposing presence. When asked about his real-life martial arts skills, Kim laughed, saying, "I learned taekwondo with my friends in elementary school, but I stopped at the yellow belt." Nevertheless, he trained intensively for the film, practicing taekwondo, judo, and kendo for three hours a day, even setting up a large sandbag at home for additional practice.
Kim also bleached his hair blonde for the role, explaining that he noticed many people in their 20s and 30s experimenting with bleached hair. "I thought it would be fun to try something new and show it to the viewers, so I suggested it to the director," he said.
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| ▲ This still photo, provided by Netflix, shows a scene from the OTT giant's kdrama series "Officer Black Belt," starring Kim Woo-bin (R). (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
One viewer commented that Officer Black Belt was so good they would pay theater ticket prices to watch it. Kim said reading that comment made him genuinely happy.
When asked about his relationship with actress Shin Min-a, Kim kept his response brief, simply stating, "She's such a wonderful person, and I gain a lot of positive influence from her."
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