'Veteran' sequel promises more action in 'I, the Executioner'

Actor Hwang Jung-min, from right, director Ryoo Seung-wan and actor Jung Hae-in pose for a photo during a press conference for “I, the Executioner," a sequel to director Ryoo’s 2015 hit movie “Veteran,” at a theater in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

“I, the Executioner,” a sequel to the 2015 hit cop movie “Veteran,” will hit theaters next month, right before the start of the Chuseok holiday season, targeting fans hoping to see detective Seo Do-cheol (Hwang Jung-min) once again coolly smack down the bad guys.

Hwang, who reprises his role of detective Seo in nine years, said he focused on maintaining the character's continuity for fans.

"I thought the audience shouldn't see any changes when watching the sequel. So I used the same costumes and hairstyle from the previous work," Hwang said during a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday.

Released in 2015, "Veteran" was the highest-grossing film in Korea that year, garnering over 13.4 million viewers. The film, which followed detective Seo and his colleagues apprehending Jo Tae-oh (Yoo Ah-in), a sadistic third-generation heir of a fictional conglomerate who commits evil acts, delivered a strong sense of satisfaction to the audience.

In "I, the Executioner," Hwang pairs up with rookie detective Park Sun-woo (Jung Hae-in), chasing a serial killer.

Despite nine years passing, the veteran actor reassured fans that they would find Detective Seo as vigorous as ever.

"Nine years have passed, but it's Hwang Jung-min who's aged, not Seo Do-cheol," Hwang said. "To show Seo Do-cheol as he was, I tried my best to stay young and maintain energy."

The film's director, Ryoo Seung-wan, explained the delay in the sequel’s release, noting the challenge of balancing the original's success with fresh elements.

"The previous work was so well-loved and one of the reasons it took so long was that we couldn't just repeat the success of the previous work, but at the same time, we couldn't pursue only new things. It took a long time to find that balance," Ryoo said.

The director, known for his works such as “The Berlin File,” “The Battleship Island” and “Smugglers,” added that Jung displayed good chemistry with Hwang.

"Jung fit well with the overall film. He was someone who blended in and mixed well. We needed such a fresh person," he said.

Jung also revealed that while filming this movie, he felt a lot of pressure due to the popularity of the previous work, but he believes that many viewers will also like this sequel.

"It would be a lie to say I didn't feel pressured about the success of the previous work," Jung said. "This pressure was helpful on set. I tried to use this pressure in reverse, and I think overcoming such pressure is also part of what I need to do as an actor."

“I, the Executioner" will hit theaters on Sept. 13.