Upcoming historical drama film “Harbin” aims to shed new light on one of Korea’s most revered independence fighters Ahn Jung-geun (1879–1910), shifting the focus from his heroic deeds to his deeply human struggle, according to the director.

“We have an image of Ahn as a hero,” director Woo Min-ho said during a press conference held in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Wednesday. “However, beyond that image, I wanted to show the fear and other emotions he might have felt and focus on them, presenting a new side of Ahn."


Directed by Woo, renowned for his films like “Inside Men” (2015) and “The Man Standing Next” (2020), the movie is set in 1909, a year before Korea was under Japanese colonial rule — from 1910 to 1945.

Based on the historical event of Ahn assassinating former Japanese Prime Minister Hirobumi Ito in Harbin, China, in 1909, the film follows Ahn and his fellow Korean independence activists on a journey to Harbin with a single purpose — restoring Korea — while being relentlessly chased after.

The film features actor Hyun Bin, who plays Ahn, alongside actors Park Jeong-min, Jeon Yeo-been, Jo Woo-jin, Yoo Chea-myung and Lee Dong-wook portraying Korean independence activists, as well as Park Hoon as a Japanese army major.

The film is not the first to spotlight Ahn and his work as the lieutenant general of the Korean Righteous Army.

Ahn, born in 1879, is known for devoting his whole life to restoring Korea from Japan after Korea forcibly signed the Eulsa Treaty, which introduced the Japanese protectorate system in Korea. He cultivated talent by building schools, even selling his own coal business to do so, as well as leading the Korean Righteous Army and pursuing several attacks against Japanese forces.

Ahn is also well-known for having a missing ring finger on his left hand. The general cut the last joint of his finger with his comrades as a pledge to kill Hirobumi in 1909.

The historical figure was previously seen in several projects, such as the stage musical and musical film “Hero” (2022), as well as in a theatrical play. However, both the director and Hyun Bin emphasized their effort to portray a different side of Ahn, focusing on a more human aspect of the character as he places himself in the eye of the historical storm that would undoubtedly cost him his life.

“I believed that Ahn would have felt the same human struggles, frustrations and sadness, along with many other emotions during the process of preparing for the historical moment,” Hyun Bin said.

“Despite this, he kept moving forward step by step to achieve his goal with the conviction and determination he stood by. I hoped to express this aspect of Ahn more strongly.”

As a national hero and historical figure, portraying Ahn can be overwhelming for actors, as even a slight misportrayal could lead to criticism. This was also true for actor Hyun Bin, who shared that he had many thoughts and considerations while portraying Ahn in the film.

“The pressure and responsibility that come with portraying a real-life figure was something that I could not put into words,” Hyun Bin said.

However, the actor looked at it on the bright side, saying, “On the other hand, I felt deeply grateful for getting the opportunity to depict such a meaningful figure.”

The film adds another historical period piece to director Woo’s filmography, following “The Man Standing Next,” which is based on the assassination of former president Park Chung Hee in 1979. However, the director revealed that he never initially planned to take on such a project — knowing that it could be the hardest task he has undertaken in his film life.

“After finishing ‘The Man Standing Next,’ I was so exhausted that I strongly vowed to myself that I would never do a historical piece again,” director Woo said. “But then, I came across a book about Ahn and got to read the scenario Hive Media Corp had. When I saw the script, I could feel the spirits of Ahn and the independence activists, which moved my heart.”

Hive Media Corp is the production company behind the upcoming film.

The production process was indeed difficult. Not only did the shoot take place in three different countries with different conditions and legal requirements, the weather also was freezing cold, dropping under minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit). But that hardship rather worked to give depth to the acting, according to the cast.

"My precondition when I started this project was not to put our bodies at ease, in order to embody the hearts of Ahn and the independence fighters,” director Woo said.

"I think it's hard to say that we suffered when we were moving around these places," Jeon said. "When thinking about how the independence activists running through the Manchurian plain would have felt, I realized what we experienced was nothing and tended to keep that thought in my mind when shooting the film."

The cast insisted that the audience see the film on a big screen, not simply to “watch” the film but to “experience” it.

“We’ve captured many scenes that cannot be felt on a small screen and have made every single effort to showcase them," Hyun Bin said. "I hope that many people will come to the theaters to feel our sincere efforts."

"Harbin" will hit local theaters on Christmas Day.

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