Director Ryoo Seung-wan of “Veteran” (2015) has returned to the genre that he knows best: action. His next project, “Humint,” features actors Zo In-sung and Park Jeong-min, who said they had to fully throw themselves into the action sequences to earn the acclaimed director's approval.

“I think it’s the kind of film in which you simply can’t get approval [from the director] unless you truly hold nothing back,” said Zo during the film’s press conference in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, on Monday.


“When we were shooting in Latvia, the director would demonstrate the stunts himself, which surprised the team. Seeing that, we couldn't afford to hold back either.”

Park Jeong-min shared the same sentiment: “The very first scene that I shot in Latvia was an action sequence on a staircase. The director kept throwing his own body down the stairs to show us how it should be done.

“At that point, with the stunt team, the crew and all of us [actors] watching, there was no way anyone could say [that we couldn't do what he did]. He achieved something that seemed almost impossible, and once we saw that, we had no choice but to grit our teeth and do it too.”

According to Park, Ryoo even came to his room to personally demonstrate the stunts he was expected to perform.

The action spy film revolves around the tension between South and North Korean spies as they investigate a crime that occurred near Russia’s Vladivostok border. The title, “Humint,” is a portmanteau of “human” and “intelligence” and refers to people who gather information.

The film features a star-studded cast. Zo and Park Jeong-min are joined by Park Hae-joon and Shin Sae-kyeong. Zo plays an official from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, while Park Jeong-min takes on the role of a North Korean official. Park Hae-joon portrays a North Korean consul general in Vladivostok and Shin plays an employee at a North Korean restaurant.

The project marks Zo’s third collaboration with Ryoo, following “Escape from Mogadishu” (2021) and “Smugglers” (2023). Though actors who repeatedly work with the same director are often referred to as the director’s “persona,” Zo said he believes he is still waiting for his turn.

“There are actors who have worked with him far more than I have, such as Hwang Jung-min and Jung Man-sik,” Zo said. “I still can’t compete with them, so I’ll work even harder to become one of his go-to personas someday.”

The action-packed film also follows the emotional arcs of its characters, including a romance between Park Jeong-min and Shin — something many fans may be looking forward to following the former’s viral romantic performance with singer Hwasa at last year’s Blue Dragon Film Awards.

Ryoo teased that the chemistry between Park Jeong-min and Shin's characters in “Humint” will “unlikely fall short of the emotional depth” found in the romantic relationship in his previous film “The Berlin File” (2013).

“I don’t think I’ve ever portrayed a character who becomes utterly desperate because of another person,” Park Jeong-min added.

During the film’s production, there was a cast change: Nana, a former member of the girl group After School, was originally slated to play Shin’s role. However, due to scheduling conflicts, she stepped down. Shin took over, making “Humint” her return to the big screen in over a decade since “Tazza: The Hidden Card” (2014).

Regarding Shin’s casting, the director briefly mentioned that he had always wanted to collaborate with her, complimenting her as an actor who is “very photogenic and has a truly compelling voice.”

The director and cast stressed that the film is loaded with both entertainment and tension and asked people to stay tuned. Ryoo said that there were scenes that even “startled” the cast and crew when they reviewed the footage.

“I hope this movie can help turn theaters back into a playground for audiences,” he said. “I’ll do everything I can to help make cinemas a space that truly belongs to viewers once more.

Film “Humint” is set to premiere in theaters on Feb. 11.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]