Ryoo Seung-wan's 'Humint' delivers high-stakes spy story
Actor Zo In-sung, right, in a scene from "Humint" / Courtesy of NEW
Director Ryoo Seung-wan described his upcoming spy film "Humint" as a collective masterpiece created by a team of highly skilled filmmakers who pushed their capabilities to the limit.
"I wanted to make a movie where everything looks great on the big screen, from the beautiful scenery to the small emotional changes in the characters," Ryoo said during a press conference in Seoul Wednesday.
“I am truly thankful because the entire crew, including the local team in Latvia, did their very best to make this film look amazing."
“Humint” focuses on the psychological tension between intelligence agents from South and North Korea who must navigate a world of constant suspicion in Vladivostok. The story is about a South Korean agent (Zo In-sung), a North Korean officer (Park Jeong-min) and an informant (Shin Sae-kyeong) whose lives get mixed together, creating a tense story filled with trust and betrayal.
Unlike typical action movies that rely on fast pacing, "Humint" builds suspense by focusing on individual choices and how they affect national security.
Ryoo emphasized that the deep emotions and strong characters in this film make it even more powerful than his past hits like "The Berlin File" (2013) and "Escape from Mogadishu" (2021).
Actor Park Hae-joon, left, speaks during a press conference for his movie “Humint” at a theater in Seoul, Wednesday. Next to Park are actors Park Jeong-min, Zo In-sung, Shin Sae-kyeong and director Ryoo Seung-wan. Newsis
Zo plays a calm and professional agent who stays cool while leading the mission. This film marks his third collaboration with Ryoo, and Zo said his decision to join was based entirely on his trust in the director.
"I did not even look at the script before deciding to take the role because our partnership is built on mutual respect," Zo said. He added that he focused on delivering a quiet yet powerful performance that blends into the story instead of just showing off.
Park portrays the North Korean security official Park Gun who undergoes a significant emotional shift after meeting an informant. He shared that the chemistry on set was exceptional particularly with Shin, who plays the waitress Seon-hwa.
"I am grateful that Shin opened her heart early during the filming which allowed us to have deep conversations about our characters," Park said. He also mentioned that he felt protected by Zo during the intense action scenes despite the strong rivalry between their characters.
Actor Zo In-sung speaks during a press conference for the movie “Humint” at a theater in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap
Shin also mentioned that the emotional depth of her role was different from her previous works, and Ryoo praised her dedication by stating that her immersion in the character made her performance truly stand out. Actor Park Hae-joon also adds tension to the story as a North Korean consul general driven by greed for power.
"Humint" will hit theaters on Feb. 11, the week before the Lunar New Year holiday, and is gaining high expectations as one of the major big-budget Korean films to be released this year.