Hyun Bin Teases His Adversarial Dynamic With Lee Dong Wook In Harbin [TIFF]

Korean cinema returns to the Toronto International Film Festival with director Woo Min-ho’s latest effort Harbin, starring Hyun Bin as the Korean independence activist Ahn Jung-geun. The period piece, which is told as a spy thriller, follows Jeung-geun’s planned assassination of Itō Hirobumi, the first Japanese Resident-General of Korea. Aside from the gorgeous visuals, the story rests on the tenacity of Korea’s Righteous Army in the face of their oppressor’s onslaught of colonization.

Hyun Bin leads an all-star cast in Harbin, including Decision To Leave‘s Park Jeong-min, Jo Woo-jin, Vincenzo‘s Jeon Yeo-been, Yoo Jae-myung, and the perennially popular Lee Dong-wook in a memorable special appearance. Hyun himself has been at the top of the Korean entertainment industry for two decades, ever since he first skyrocketed to fame with the Bridget Jones’ Diary-esque drama My Lovely Sam Soon. More recently, he made waves internationally with the 2019 hit Netflix drama Crash Landing on You, which has helped pave the way for an influx of Korean content worldwide. But while he may be best known for romantic projects, he had participated in more than his fair share of more serious fare, such as Harbin.

Screen Rant interviewed Hyun Bin on the Harbin red carpet at TIFF, where the venerated actor shared his respect for the director, with whom he is also filming the Disney+ seriesMade In Korea. He also hinted at the less-than-cordial relationship with Lee’s character, whose fictional character Lee Chang-seop provides some obstacles.

Hyun Bin Shares His Excitement For Harbin & Teases His Dynamic With Lee Dong Work

Harbin is not the only project that Hyun Bin is tackling alongside Woo Min-ho.

Screen Rant: You’re working with director Woo Min-ho on both Harbin and Made In Korea. Can you talk about what you like best about his directorial approach?

Hyun Bin: I really like director Woo Min-ho’s honest approach to filmmaking, and I love the way he delivers storylines. He’s also very detailed, and from an actor’s point of view, that’s always a plus.

Screen Rant: Lee Dong Wook has a special appearance in the movie. Can you tease anything about your dynamic with him?

Hyun Bin: As for Lee Dong Wook’s participation, he plays a fictional character who doesn’t exist in reality. But he’s a good adversary for my character.

While K-pop may be more widely known for its passionate fanbase in the West, there is no denying the intense cheers that resounded throughout the entire Harbin red carpet. Even before Hyun and Lee stepped out, the crowd of onlookers was wild with joy at the thought of glimpsing them in the near future. The two stars were also gracious enough to spend plenty of time waving and posing for the fans before stepping onto the press line, where they answered questions with the help of an interpreter.

More About Woo Min Ho’s Harbin (2024)

The historical drama shifts between action and reaction, but never leaves out thought-provoking commentary.

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?

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Harbin had its world premiere in the Gala program of the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8.

Source: Screen Rant Plus