Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
‘Concrete Market' to subvert disaster film clichés
Actor Lee Jae-in in a scene from “Concrete Market” / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment
By Baek Byung-yeul
"Concrete Market," an upcoming disaster film, is set to subvert established genre clichés, its director Hong Ki-won said Monday.
"The film's focus is the fresh idea of people trading to survive after a catastrophe, using the unique setting of the 'Hwanggung Market,” the director explained during a press conference in Seoul.
"Concrete Market" depicts events that unfold after a massive earthquake, where the only remaining apartment complex houses the Hwanggung Market, a place where survivors trade goods to survive. Notably, the film shares a similar worldview with the 2023 movie "Concrete Utopia."
The film features Jung Man-sik as Park Sang-yong, the highest authority in the market, while Hong Kyung plays Tae-jin, Park's right-hand man. Lee Jae-in stars as Hee-ro, an 18-year-old high school student.
Director Hong said that the project was originally made as a drama series before being adapted into a feature film.
"When it was a series, we focused heavily on Hee-ro's narrative of seeking revenge for her friend Se-jung. In the film, various supporting characters and spaces blend together, driving the story forward nonstop in an event-centric way," the director said.
Actor Hong Kyung in a scene from “Concrete Market” / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment
Set in a dystopian world, the film aims to draw in viewers by showcasing the diverse survival methods of its characters, while delivering intense suspense as they clash and struggle among the ruins.
The cast members expressed their hope that audiences will enjoy the film by imagining what they would do in a world where familiar structures have collapsed.
Actor Hong shared his desire to show audiences a world completely different from the one we currently live in.
"Stories about everyday life are interesting, but there is definite pleasure in encountering stories that can only be found in films," he said.
"All the characters are trying to survive, but their methods are all different. Tae-jin, in particular, exhibits a vulnerable and weak side, yet he also holds a warmth which made him appealing to perform."
From left, actors Hong Kyung, Lee Jae-in, Jung Man-sik and Yu Su-bin pose during a press conference for the movie “Concrete Market” at a theater in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
Lee described her character Hee-ro as a minor who tries to solve problems by pretending to be an adult, despite her own vulnerabilities.
"Hee-ro is a kid who tries to act like an adult. She solves problems by acting calm, even when she is confused inside. But she also has a weak and easily emotional side, and that's what I loved about the character," she said.
Jung, who plays the market's ruler, wanted to show how someone would try to get more for themselves, even when the world is destroyed.
"It would be wonderful if people helped and embraced each other and lived together in this destroyed world. But surprisingly, whether the world is ruined or not, there's always someone who thinks, 'I need more.’ I wanted to express that kind of person," he said about his character.
“Concrete Market” will hit theaters on Wednesday.