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| Gong Yoo, left, and Jung Yu-mi denied being in a relationship. Courtesy of Management Soop |
By Dong Sun-hwa
Actor Gong Yoo and actress Jung Yu-mi will star in a movie based on a best-selling feminist novel, "Kim Ji Young, Born 1982."
The story is a story of a woman in her 30s, who is suddenly possessed by spirits after facing a myriad of discriminations due to her gender. The book, released in 2016, sold more than one million copies in Korea thanks to its realistic portrayal of the lives of Korean women during the era.
Jung plays Kim Ji-young, a "typical" woman who chooses to stay calm instead of fighting fiercely against sexism. Gong Yoo plays Jung Dae-hyun, Kim's husband, who tries to understand his wife and share her worries.
In September, a nationwide petition was launched asking for work on the film to stop.
"I believe the novel is excessively subjective and has distorted perspectives toward the society," wrote a male petitioner, 19. "Making this novel into film goes against the value of gender equality and promotes conflict between genders."
Gong Yoo, whose real name is Gong Ji-cheol, debuted as an actor in the drama "School 4" in 2001, and has starred in a variety of productions, including "The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince" in 2007 and "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" in 2016-17.
Jung Yu-mi made her debut in "How to Operate a Polaroid Camera" in 2004, and has appeared in diverse works, including the KBS drama "Discovery of Love" in 2014.
It is the third time the pair will have featured in the same work. They were together in the film ""Silenced" in 2011 and "Train to Busan" in 2016. In January, they were rumored to have been dating, but denied this.
