Yeo Jin-goo sheds good-guy image in film Hijack 1971
South Korean actor Yeo Jin-goo, once dubbed by South Korean media as “the nation’s little brother”, underwent a radical transformation for his new disaster film, Hijack 1971.
A former child star who made waves in the hit 2012 K-drama The Moon Embracing The Sun, Yeo, 27, went on to score lead roles in TV series such as Orange Marmalade (2015), The Crowned Clown (2019) and Hotel Del Luna (2019).
Playing a villain for the first time in his 19-year career was a challenge, Yeo told The Straits Times via an interpreter during a virtual interview from Seoul in July.
“I was taken aback when I first read the script... I was not sure if I could pull off the role,” he recalled.
However, the more he read about the character and was immersed in the role, he felt the experience of being a bad guy would be fun, Yeo added.
Hijack 1971, opening in Singapore cinemas on Aug 22, is based on a real-life aircraft hijacking incident that took place in 1971 when tensions between North and South Korea were at a fever pitch.
Yeo plays a South Korean youth who is wrongly incarcerated after being deemed a North Korean sympathiser. Upon his release from prison, he hijacks a Korean Air Lines commercial plane bound for a South Korean airport and demands the pilots take the aircraft to North Korea after detonating a bomb on board.
The action thriller also stars acclaimed South Korean actors Ha Jung-woo, 46, as the airliner’s first officer who attempts to stop the young terrorist from defecting to the North; and Sung Dong-il, 60, who plays the captain of the flight.
Yeo credited his experienced co-stars for helping him get into character.
“I sought their advice and asked them how my performance would fit into the big picture, as this was my first time playing such an emotional role,” said Yeo, adding that Ha and Sung would take him out for meals where they further bonded.
Ha is an award-winning actor who has starred in films and dramas since his debut in 2002. His recent works include Netflix series Narco-Saints (2022) and films such as Ashfall (2019) and Road To Boston (2023).
But Hijack 1971 posed a new challenge for him.
Ha explained in the same interview that members of the cast, including those who played the passengers forced to stay in their seats, were “always in the same confined space and the same spot throughout the shoot”.
He said he had to fight off boredom because of the restricted movement and worked with South Korean director Kim Sung-han to think of ways to “alter their movements and make the shoot a little more fun”.
“At the end of the shoot, everyone got really close,” said Ha.
Despite the tension-filled plot, the set was filled with so much love, Yeo recalled.
“Everyone was happy to be in the film and enjoyed the process. It is an experience I’ll never forget.”
He hopes his fans will have fun watching him play against type. “Moving forward, I would like a spectrum of choices as an actor. If there are compelling characters, I’ll try them, no matter if it’s a good guy or bad guy.”
- Hijack 1971 opens in Singapore cinemas on Aug 22
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now