Park Jeong-min and Yoona realize lofty dream in 'Miracle'

Actors Park Jeong-min, left, and Im Yoon-a, right, in a scene from “Miracle” / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Park Jeong-min and Im Yoon-a, better known by her stage name, Yoona, of Girls' Generation, are set to star as best friends who passionately encourage each other's big, lofty dreams in the upcoming moving drama, “Miracle.”

Set in 1986, “Miracle” tells the story of math prodigy Joon-kyung (Park), who lives in a remote town in North Gyeongsang Province. His five-hour commute to school weighs on him, and that encourages him to come up with a plan to build a train station in his hometown.

Joon-kyung joins hands with townspeople to obtain approval for the project to create a train station. The film is based on a true story ― Yangwon Station located in Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang Province, which was built by townspeople in 1988 and is recorded as Korea's first private train station.

Director Lee Jang-hoon, who previously directed the romance drama, “Be With You,” explained that the upcoming film is about people who still have dreams.

“Nowadays, achieving one's dream feels like a miracle. There is a social climate that we should be satisfied with what we have. To young people, it may sound like 'give up because you can't accomplish it anyway,'” director Lee said at a recent press conference for the film.

“I want our children to dream on and for adults to support them fully, so that they don't get too frustrated even if their lives don't turn out the way they had hoped.”

Park confessed that he initially worried that the audience might not be able to relate to the story. However, those concerns faded after meeting the director in person. “We finished shooting 'Miracle' six months ago. I don't know exactly why, but I have a lot of personal affection for this film. It has that warm fuzzy feeling that can make us feel happier after watching it,” Park said.

Im, who plays Joon-kyung's supportive friend, Ra-hee, in the film, explained that her character is a lovely character who has a lot of confidence. On starring opposite Park, she said, “I was comfortable around Park, as if I had known him for a long time. Needless to say, we had amazing chemistry.”

Veteran actor Lee Sung-min, who plays Joon-kyung's strict but principled father, said it felt like he needed to take part in the project because it reminded him of his childhood.

Revealing that he is actually from Bonghwa County, where the film is set, Lee said, “The script was quite a page-turner. Because it was about my hometown, a place that I know so well and am familiar with, I was able to empathize with the story. Like the character, I was a student who had to commute a long way to go to school,” he said.

“Miracle” will hit local theaters in June.