'Dead Man' director spent 5 years researching criminal underworld

Director Hah Jun-won, left, poses with actors Lee Soo-kyung, from left, Kim Hee-ae and Cho Jin-woong during a press conference for the crime film "Dead Man," held at Megabox in eastern Seoul's Seongdong District. Courtesy of Wavve

Director Hah Jun-won of the upcoming film “Dead Man” shared that he went through extensive and dangerous research of the criminal underworld to write the crime thriller flick.

The movie, set to release on Feb. 7, revolves around Lee Man-jae (Cho Jin-woong), who makes a living as a figurehead, lending his name to businesses. When he lets a business use his name for 5 million won ($3,700), he gets falsely accused of embezzling 100 billion won and locked up in a cell in China after being forced to fake his death.

With the help of Madam Sim (Kim Hee-ae), a political consultant, he returns to Korea to find the person who framed him and get his name back.

This is the directorial debut for Hah, who is known for co-scripting director Bong Joon-ho's "The Host" (2006).

“The research turned out to be more challenging than I thought. No one exposes their identity (in transactions) so it was difficult to uncover transactions under false names. And, I went overseas to look into a criminal case abroad, which was a risky investigation," Hah said during a press conference for the film, held at Megabox in eastern Seoul's Seongdong District.

"It took me five years to research. I tried to create an enjoyable movie for you with that extensive material."

A scene from the film "Dead Man" / Courtesy of Wavve

The movie will explore the underworld that operates criminal activities behind a powerless figurehead. The director noted he wanted to tell the story about the criminal world after becoming aware of related social issues.

“People should live with a sense of responsibility for their names, yet I often came across a lot of them who don’t. Seeing cases where those who should take responsibility for issues avoid them by hiding behind someone else's name, I, as a director and writer, felt a societal awareness of the issue and thought it would make a compelling story,” he said.

Cho shared that he was drawn to the well-woven and compelling script.

“I could feel that it was a meticulously crafted story … You would come to realize that such tragic events actually occur and feel how chilling that (world) is. It gave me a sense of caution that I should never get involved in a dark world,” he said.

“The script clearly showed the director’s meticulous planning. I thought he did a good job skillfully unfolding the narrative within the categories with the characters. It was a compelling script.”

Kim noted that her character would be nothing like any other female characters portrayed in Korean movies.

“She’s powerful, money-wise, personality and appearance-wise. She’s a character that I’ve never seen before … She is a political consultant and is the one who brings Lee Man-jae out into the world. It was such an attractive role that any actress would want to play,” she said.