On May 30th, a press screening of the re-released film ‘Taegukgi’ (directed by Kang Je-gyu) was held at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. After the screening, a Q&A session took place with Director Kang and actor Jang Dong-gun in attendance.
To mark its 20th anniversary, ‘Taegukgi’ is set to be re-released in Korea on June 6th.
Originally released in 2004, ‘Taegukgi’ is a film depicting the conflict, brotherhood, and tragedy of war between two brothers during the unforgettable June of 1950. It set new records, including 1.77 million viewers in its first week and the fastest film in Korean cinema history to surpass 10 million viewers, creating a syndrome.
The 20th-anniversary screening of ‘Taegukgi’ will be in a 4K remastered version, promising to deliver the same emotional story and spectacular action that continues to move audiences even after 20 years.
Director Kang Je-gyu shared his emotional experience, saying, “Time flies so fast. I watched the 4K remastered version sitting at the back of the theater today, and it felt like it was just yesterday. Back then, we had around 150 shooting days, and I remember the hardships of filming throughout all four seasons. It felt like I was back on set.”
He added, “The vividness of those memories remains strong in my heart, and it’s hard to believe 20 years have passed. It feels like reuniting with high school friends after 20 years. I hope the audience can appreciate the significance of this re-release from a similar perspective.”
Jang Dong-gun also expressed his deep affection for the film.
Jang, who played the elder brother Jin-tae, said, “When I heard ‘Taegukgi’ was being re-released for its 20th anniversary, I felt a wave of nostalgia. I vividly remember the set from back then. It’s amazing how quickly 20 years have passed.”
He continued, smiling, “Personally, it’s meaningful because there aren’t many films I’ve worked on that I can show my children. With this re-release, I’m excited to watch it with my son in the theater. It’s a great opportunity.”
Reflecting on the challenges of making the film, Director Kang said, “The initial production cost was 13.6 billion won, but we couldn’t get a single won in investment. Jang Dong-gun might not even know about this. We had cast Jang Dong-gun and Won Bin, and everything was ready, but we still hadn’t secured funding by January, although we were supposed to start winter filming in February. I gathered all the money I could from various sources and managed to secure 6.3 to 6.4 billion won to start filming 30% of the winter scenes.”
He recounted, “Many opposed it, saying the film would be incomplete if additional investments weren’t secured after the winter scenes. People were watching to see if I could succeed, but I decided to take the risk.”
Director Kang added, “I felt it was our duty as filmmakers to leave a film about the Korean War in our modern history. We managed to capture interest with a five-minute trailer at Cannes, which led to further investments and the completion of the film. Although I’ve shared this story before, the desperation of that time is still vivid. I’m proud of the decision we made then.”
He also shared an anecdote about how the production cost increased by 700 million won due to Typhoon Maemi, which swept across Korea, destroying part of the set. Some of the damaged sets were left as they were and used to depict the devastation of war.
Director Kang also candidly discussed his recent interactions with Won Bin, who couldn’t attend the event.
When asked if he had talked to Won Bin about the re-release, he said, “I wish Won Bin could be here with us today. Both Dong-gun and I feel the same. I heard about the re-release while I was on an overseas trip and thought it would be great if Dong-gun and Won Bin could join. But since Won Bin isn’t very active these days, it’s been about 4-5 years since we last spoke, and I think his phone number changed. It would have been nice to reconnect and have him here, so I do feel it’s a bit of a shame.”
Jang Dong-gun expressed his honor, saying, “If ‘Taegukgi’ continues to be remembered as a seminal film about the Korean War, it would be an honor as an actor who was part of it. The film still holds a special place in my heart even after 20 years.”
Director Kang also hoped that the film would offer younger audiences an opportunity to understand modern Korean history. “Especially for the younger generation, who haven’t had the chance to see it in theaters, it’s a great opportunity to learn about the Korean War. I hope it piques their interest,” he said.
Source: daum
