Kim Hye-soo dives into her newest role in 'Smugglers'

Veteran actor Kim Hye-soo has taken numerous roles throughout her 37-year career, but nothing compared to her latest in the upcoming action film "Smugglers." She was so scared to shoot in the water, she said of her role in the movie about...

Actor Kim Hye-soo [NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD]

Veteran actor Kim Hye-soo has taken numerous roles throughout her 37-year career, but nothing compared to her latest in the upcoming action film "Smugglers."

She was so scared to shoot in the water, she said of her role in the movie about a group of female divers who smuggle goods from the sea. Still, she was able to overcome her fears and is now ready to show a new side of her to her fans.

“I had panic attacks watching footage of real divers while preparing for the film,” Kim said during a group interview with local reporters at a café in Jung District, central Seoul, on Wednesday.

Main poster for ″Smugglers″ [NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD]

“I had developed panic attacks when in the water while filming ‘The Thieves’ back in 2012, when I had to film a scene while handcuffed inside a submerged car. So I was very worried about filming ‘Smugglers,’ but I was able to overcome my fears due to the very thorough preparations that the director and staff had put in place.”

“Smugglers” is one of four domestic films opening in Korea this summer that are expected to revive the film industry, still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic, along with “The Moon,” “Ransomed” and “Concrete Utopia.” The film is directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, who directed hits such as “Veteran” (2015) and “Escape from Mogadishu” (2021).

“I have filmed a lot of action scenes over the years, but I have always felt a limitation due to gravity,” Ryoo said during a press conference for “Smugglers” at CGV Yongsan in central Seoul on Tuesday. “I thought that action that can be freely expressed in all directions was possible only in water. And action where men and women are fighting on ground is obvious in that men would win, but it seemed that it would be fun if we pitted the characters against each other in a background that favors women.”

From left, actors Kim Jong-soo, Zo In-sung, Kim Hye-soo, director Ryoo Seung-wan, actors Yum Jung-ah, Park Jung-min and Go Min-si pose for a photo during a press conference for ″Smugglers″ held at CGV Yongsan in central Seoul on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

The background in favor of the women refers to the sea, and in filming the underwater scenes, the effort by director Ryoo and the staff went above and beyond, according to Kim.

“The director told us — the cast — that he would look for ways to lessen the burden of filming underwater, and he did,” said Kim. “The script was altered in many ways to make that happen. And in one scene, when we are doing somersaults underwater, I felt that the tension and nervousness I had were gone.”

Kim’s character, Chun-ja, is someone who has had to struggle to survive all her life, and that is why her friendship with Yum Jung-ah’s character Jin-sook is important in the film, Kim argued.

“Jin-sook is a leader among the divers, and she plays a role that is central to Chun-ja’s development,” Kim said. “Their relationship is not just a simple friendship. Chun-ja relies on Jin-sook. And for Chun-ja, Jin-sook is someone she doesn’t have to worry about in terms of survival. I think that for Chun-ja, Jin-sook is more than family.”

Similar to the characters’ friendship, Kim and Yum developed a strong bond during filming.

Kim Hye-soo plays Chun-ja, a female diver who smuggles goods from the sea, in the new action film ″Smugglers″ [NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD]

“I think that Yum is someone who has the traits of an actor that I don’t have,” Kim said. “She seems very sharp on the outside but has a huge range as an actor. All actors have their pros and cons, and I used to think that if I worked harder and tried to grow myself as an actor, I would overcome the cons. But I’ve come to realize that there are limitations that I can’t overcome no matter how hard I try.”

Elaborating on her own limitations and what she has learned from years of acting, Kim said that the most important thing was the partnerships with directors and other actors.

“After all these years of acting, what I’ve found is that there are things you can do on your own and things that you have to do together with others,” Kim said. “That is where the partnerships come in. My partnership with Yum in ‘Smugglers’ was the most important aspect.”

Yum seemed to reciprocate Kim’s sentiments during the press conference for “Smugglers” on Tuesday.

“It was an honor to be able to film together with Kim,” Yum said during the press conference. “'Smugglers’ centers on our two female character’s narratives, and I hope that this kind of film where female characters form the central story will do well at the box office and lead to more such films.”

From left, Kim Hye-soo, Go Min-si and Yum Jung-ah play female divers in the new action film ″Smugglers″ [NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD]

Director Ryoo also expressed his hopes for the film’s success at the press conference, adding that he focused on “sincerity” in making “Smugglers.”

“I put a lot of genuine thought and sincerity into making this film,” Ryoo said. He also commented on the domestic film industry’s current hardship, saying that the industry had always been struggling and that the industry can make it through this time as well. “The film industry was facing difficulties even back when ‘Shiri’ opened back in 1999. I think that if filmmakers look more closely into what the audience wants and find a path to development, we can find a solution.”

“Smugglers” opens in theaters on July 26.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]