Park Hae-il 'honored' to play war hero Admiral Yi Sun-sin in 'Hansan'

Actor Park Hae-il in a scene from the film, "Hansan: Rising Dragon" / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Director Kim Han-min said the life of Yi Sun-sin (1545-1598), a legendary Korean admiral whose name has gone down in history for his immense courage in naval battles against Japan in the 16th century, was so inspiring that he had to make a film trilogy on the historic figure.

"Hansan: Rising Dragon," which centers on the historic Battle of Hansan Island (1592), is the follow-up to "Roaring Current," the most-watched film in Korean cinema history with more than 17 million tickets sold. The 2014 war film focused on the Battle of Myeongnyang (1597).

"Although 'Hansan' is a sequel, it is set five years before the previous film. The upcoming movie focuses on Yi in his 40s ― his spirit of being a 'seonbi' (which refers to a virtuous scholar who pursued a simple, principled and righteous life during the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom), his wisdom and character," Kim said during a press conference held at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University in Seoul, Tuesday.

The epic war drama portrays the themes of Korean pride and strength against the Japanese invaders. "We hope to honor the national hero whose leadership, courage and bravery saved the country from the brink of collapse and make audiences swell with pride," he said.

Actors Park Hae-il, left, and Byun Yo-han attend the press conference for the film, "Hansan: Rising Dragon," held at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Saying that he was honored to play the role of a national hero with whom everyone is familiar, actor Park Hae-il discussed the weight that he felt when portraying admiral Yi in the upcoming film.

"The weight was nearly unbearable because Yi is special to so many people. And having to express the same character as Choi Min-sik (in 'Roaring Currents') and Kim Yun-seok (in the forthcoming sequel that centers on the Battle of Noryang) was a big challenge for me," he said.

Park explained that he tried to depict Yi as a military strategist who cleverly relied on information using spies. On his third collaboration with Kim, following "Paradise Murdered" (2007) and "War of the Arrows" (2011), the actor said they just kind of clicked. "We've known each other since 2006, so Kim understands me deep into my soul. Our real-life friendship added to the strength of this film," he said.

"Hansan" also stars actor Byun Yo-han as Park's Japanese counterpart. "As this film shows the victory of the Korean side over the Japanese navy, I think it would have been difficult for a Japanese actor to portray a defeated Japanese general. I may not be completely fluent in Japanese, but I'm confident that my character, Wakisaka (Yasuharu), and I were attached spiritually," he said.

Byun shared that he tried to focus as much as possible on his look and voice having destructive power. "I was fully committed to the role," he added.

"Hansan: Rising Dragon" will his local theaters on July 27.

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