From left, actors Lee Byung-hun and Lee Younger-ae, director Park Chan-wook, and actors Kim Tae-woo and Music Kang-ho pose forward of a particular screening and viewers speak for “JSA: Joint Safety Space” at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
It was not the set of a serious new Korean movie, nor was it an awards ceremony. But, as actor Kim Tae-woo appeared, adopted by Lee Younger-ae, with Lee Byung-hun, Music Kang-ho, and director Park Chan-wook making their entrances, the environment felt nearly surreal. Even the occasion’s host remarked, „I’ve to ask myself if that is actual.“
These key figures from „JSA: Joint Safety Space“ (2000) gathered on Tuesday on the Park Chan-wook Auditorium in CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall, Seoul, for a particular occasion marking the twenty fifth anniversary of the movie’s launch.
After a screening, they engaged in a dialog with the viewers — a momentous event, as this was the primary time they’d reunited because the movie’s debut.
From left are actors Music Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun and Shin Ha-kyun in Park Chan-wook’s movie „JSA: Joint Safety Space.“ Courtesy of CJ ENM
A movie that modified Korean cinema
„JSA“ is widely known as a milestone in Korean movie historical past. In contrast to earlier movies that took a binary strategy to inter-Korean relations, it advised the story of South and North Korean troopers stationed on the Joint Safety Space in Panmunjom, who develop an unlikely friendship solely to satisfy a tragic destiny.
Launched amid a interval of reconciliation between the 2 Koreas, the movie drew 5.82 million viewers, making it the highest-grossing movie on the time. It additionally signaled the daybreak of the „Korean cinema renaissance“ of the 2000s.
Ko Kyung-bum, head of CJ ENM’s movie division, emphasised the movie’s significance, saying, „Korea is a uncommon nation the place Cannes-winning movies additionally carry out properly on the field workplace. In the event you hint that again, you’ll discover ‚JSA‘ at the start.“
For director Park and the forged, „JSA“ was a defining second of their careers. Park mirrored, „My earlier two movies (‚Moon Is What the Solar Goals of‘ and ‚Trio‘) had failed on the field workplace, so I felt that if my third try didn’t succeed, ‚JSA‘ may change into my remaining work.“
The success of „JSA“ paved the way in which for his future movies, together with „Oldboy“ (2003), which gained the Grand Prix on the Cannes Movie Pageant. Wanting again, Park referred to as „JSA“ „the movie that saved me.“
For Lee Byung-hun, the movie was a turning level in his profession. „It was ‚JSA‘ that first launched me to the ability of business success,“ he stated. „I keep in mind being launched as ‘field workplace star Lee Byung-hun’ at an awards ceremony after its launch. I needed to totally expertise the viewers’s reactions, so I ended up watching it in theaters about 40 occasions.“
He added, „Even at this time, once I’m launched within the U.S., JSA is all the time talked about.“
Music Kang-ho, Lee Younger-ae, and Kim Tae-woo shared related sentiments. Music, who first appeared on digital camera in „The Day a Pig Fell into the Nicely“ (1996), mirrored on his 30-year profession, saying, „‚JSA‘ was the movie that gave me my ‘time of blossoming’ as an actor.“
With amusing, he added, „I rewatched it three days in the past and thought, ‘I wasn’t so unhealthy in comparison with Lee Byung-hun again then!’“
Lee Younger-ae described the movie as „a miraculous mission“ that guided her from her late 20s right into a vivid new chapter in her 30s.
Kim Tae-woo additionally acknowledged its impression, saying, „At any time when I point out JSA, folks immediately acknowledge it. It’s that well-known.“
Director Park Chan-wook, left, and actors Music Kang-ho, middle, and Lee Byung-hun share laughs throughout an viewers speak for “Joint Safety Space JSA” at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall in Seoul on Feb. 4. Courtesy of CJ ENM.
Fear about violating the Nationwide Safety Act
Regardless of its success and lasting impression, the movie’s manufacturing was not with out its challenges. When filming started in 1999, South Korea’s Nationwide Safety Act was nonetheless strictly enforced.
Park recalled, „These days, folks may ask, ‘What’s so controversial a couple of scene the place North and South Korean troopers play a easy recreation?’ However again then, it may have been thought-about reward for the enemy below the Nationwide Safety Act. So we and the manufacturing group at Myung Movies ready ourselves mentally earlier than taking pictures.“
Nevertheless, Park famous that their issues have been finally unfounded. „Not lengthy after, President Kim Dae-jung visited North Korea, and the primary inter-Korean summit was held. Our fears turned out to be pointless.“
At one level, Music Kang-ho nearly turned down the position. „Once I first learn the script, I believed the story was too tightly woven,“ he stated. „I wasn’t positive if it was even potential to make such a movie in Korea on the time. However once I met director Park, wearing his signature trench coat, I knew straight away that he may deliver the script to life.“
Actor Lee Younger-ae poses forward of a particular screening and viewers speak for “JSA: Joint Safety Space” at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall in Seoul on Tuesday. CJ ENM chosen the movie as a part of its Thirtieth-anniversary Visionary Program. Yonhap
Different endings and an early imaginative and prescient for a queer storyline
Throughout the dialogue, Park revealed an alternate ending that by no means made it to the ultimate reduce. „Initially, Lee Soo-hyeok (performed by Lee Byung-hun) wasn’t alleged to die. As a substitute, he would have met Oh Kyung-pil (performed by Music Kang-ho) in Europe.“
He additionally thought-about one other ending the place Sophie Jean (performed by Lee Younger-ae) visits her long-lost father, a North Korean prisoner of struggle who selected to stay in Switzerland, and clips his nails.
Music Kang-ho joked, „The producers have been adamantly towards that ending, saying, ‘That may be a complete catastrophe!’“
Park additionally disclosed that he initially envisioned JSA as a queer movie about romance between North and South Korean troopers. „On the time, it could have been unattainable to make such a movie,“ he stated. „However within the twenty first century, perhaps it may occur.“
One notable absence on the occasion was Shin Ha-kyun, one other key forged member. Park playfully expressed his disappointment, saying, „I heard he had unavoidable circumstances, however I’m wondering what sort of superb journey he’s on.“
Kim Tae-woo added with amusing, „Since Shin Ha-kyun isn’t right here, I get to be the honorary youngest member of the group, although I’m in my 50s!“
Because the occasion got here to a detailed, Park made a promise to the viewers: „If we maintain one other occasion for the movie’s fiftieth anniversary in 25 years, I’ll make certain to deliver a 70-year-old Shin Ha-kyun with me.“
From left, director Park Chan-wook, actor Lee Younger-ae, actor Shin Ha-kyun, then-Minister of Tradition Kim Han-gil, and actor Music Kang-ho pose throughout an occasion celebrating 2 million admissions for “JSA: Joint Safety Space” on this undated picture. Korea Instances file
