'The Journey to Gyeong-ju' takes family on road trip for revenge

Director Kim Mi-jo, center, poses with actors Kong Hyo-jin, left, Lee Jeong-eun, second from left, Lee Yeon, second from right, and Park So-dam during a press conference for their movie “The Journey to Gyeong-ju” at a theater in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

Director Kim Mi-jo described her new movie "The Journey to Gyeongju" as a story about enduring grief and the deep strength of family love.

"I was curious about how those left behind overcome the pain of loss and deal with emotional rupture. I wanted to tell a story about people who push forward until the very end," Kim said during a press conference in Seoul, Monday.

“Ultimately, it is a story about intense love, and I believe it will reach anyone who has someone they love."

"The Journey to Gyeongju" revolves around a mother, Ok-sil (Lee Jeong-eun), and her three daughters as they embark on a road trip to the historic southeastern city of Gyeongju to avenge their youngest family member, Gyeong-ju, who went missing during a school trip eight years ago.

The upcoming revenge drama is Kim's commercial feature debut. She previously earned critical acclaim at domestic and international film festivals with her award-winning debut film "Gull” (2021).

"The story stems from a setup where four women who have never killed even an insect set out to deliver their own justice," Kim said. "I wanted to capture how those left behind endure the pain of loss and come to understand one another."

Lee, who plays the mother Ok-sil, said her long-standing relationship with the director influenced her decision to join the project.

"The director used to work as a script supervisor on a movie set where I acted in the past," Lee said. "I waited about a year for the daughters to be cast, and it became even more meaningful because the actors I originally hoped to work with were actually cast."

A poster for “The Journey to Gyeongju” / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

Kong Hyo-jin, who plays the eldest daughter Jang-ju, shared that she joined the cast after receiving the offer twice.

"I initially turned down the role due to my schedule, but when the filming was postponed and I received the offer again, I knew I had to do it, especially after hearing that Lee was playing the mother," Kong said.

Park So-dam, who plays the second daughter Young-ju, noted that the nuanced dynamics within the script caught her attention.

"Reading the script, I felt that the relationships and the ways the mother treated the second and third daughters were exceptionally delicate," Park said. "When I later learned that the director herself is the youngest of four sisters, I realized why the details were so rich."

Lee Yeon, who plays the youngest surviving daughter Dong-ju, expressed complete trust in the script and her senior co-stars.

"The script had a great mix of tragedy and humor, and getting to work with such respected senior actors made it easy for me to decide to join," Lee said.

“The Journey to Gyeongju” will hit local theaters on Aug. 26.