Hallyu star Hyun Bin sat for an interview for his upcoming K-movie Harbin, in which he portrays the historical figure General Ahn Jung Geun.
The K-movie’s synopsis by the Toronto International Film Festival reads,
In 1905, Japan forced Korea to sign the Eulsa Treaty, stripping the nation of its diplomatic rights and reducing the entire peninsula to a Japanese colony. By 1909, when Harbin begins, Korea’s small but tenacious Righteous Army militia is deep into a campaign of armed resistance against the Japanese. After emerging as the sole survivor of an especially bloody skirmish, Ahn Jung-geun (Hyun) heads an operation to assassinate Itō Hirobumi, the first Japanese Resident-General of Korea and a key symbol of violent colonial oppression. The operation will require Ahn and his cohort to travel clandestinely into Russia, gathering resources and allies while concocting elaborate decoys. With terrifying risks at every turn, murderous security forces on their tail, and the entire plan under constant threat of collapse, the question arises: how many Koreans must die for the sake of their country’s independence?
The production team of the K-movie conducted overseas location filming in places such as Mongolia and Latvia. They recreated the independence routes of Korean independence fighters from over 100 years ago, and the film was also invited to the 49th Toronto International Film Festival.
Hyun Bin shared his thoughts on seeing the film, saying, “I watched the film for the first time at the Toronto Film Festival, and afterward, the editing was revised a bit. I saw it again during a technical preview and then finally saw the fully completed version yesterday. Watching it on the big screen, I felt that the scenes we aimed to capture came across vividly, which I really liked.”
Commenting on how audiences might perceive the film, particularly in light of the current political climate in South Korea surrounding demands calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment, he said, “The film itself was made before these events happened, but it seems that viewers can interpret it in various ways.”
The film depicts the story of Ahn Jung Geun’s struggle for independence. Reflecting on the film, Hyun Bin shared, “There were scenes that really moved me. Watching it on the big screen brought back memories and emotions from the shoot. In particular, during the scene with Choi Jae Hyung, I got really emotional.” He admitted that even as an actor, there were scenes that left him deeply moved.
Hyun Bin revealed that this was the most mentally challenging project he had ever worked on. “Many people have said to me, ‘It must have been tough,’ but to be honest, it wasn’t physically demanding. The mental strain was so great that it made me forget about physical fatigue. The process of finding the true essence of the character was lonely and weighed heavily on me,” he explained, expressing how overwhelming it was to portray such an important historical figure in Korea’s fight for independence.
However, Hyun Bin shared that what helped him overcome the weight of the role was the atmosphere on set. He said, “The costumes, makeup, sets, and props all came together piece by piece during standby on set, which helped me a lot with my acting. The overseas locations, the lake scenes, and the Mount Shinhwa battle locations had a significant impact on me and supported my performance.”
Despite saying it wasn’t overly exhausting, there were still physically demanding scenes. Hyun Bin recounted, “The Shinhwa battle scene was tough. We filmed it for quite a long time. Once the filming for the scene began, we’d [actors] be completely covered in mud, and we had to stay that way from morning until the end of the shoot, which was grueling. But the crew took good care of us during monitoring breaks, keeping us warm, so it wasn’t too bad.”
Now that filming has wrapped up and he prepares to meet audiences, has Hyun Bin been able to let go of the weight of portraying Ahn Jung Geun? He answered, “I still haven’t been able to shake it off. Members of the Ahn Jung Geun Memorial Hall came to watch the film, and the theater they were in was the one I feared the most. I was curious about how they would view the film.” He continued, “I still haven’t found an answer. I tried my best to get even a little closer to Ahn Jung Geun’s heart, but I still wonder how someone so young, only 30 years old, could have such convictions and undertake such missions, even sacrificing his life. He’s someone beyond what I can fathom.”
Harbin is set to premiere on December 24.
