Kim Woo-bin highlights society's unsung heroes in 'Officer Black Belt'

From left, actor Kim Sung-kyun, director Kim Joo-hwan and actor Kim Woo-bin pose during a press conference for the upcoming Netflix movie “Officer Black Belt” at a theater in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Actor Kim Woo-bin expressed his desire to shed light on the little-known yet crucial role of police officers trained in martial arts in the upcoming Netflix film "Officer Black Belt," where he plays a dedicated professional tasked with monitoring sex offenders.

Martial arts officers, appointed by the Ministry of Justice, are highly trained individuals with at least a third rank in martial arts such as taekwondo, judo and kendo. They work alongside probation officers to monitor sex offenders who wear electronic anklets as part of their sentencing.

"Embarrassingly, I didn't know much about the martial arts officer profession. I might have heard about probation officers in the news, but I first learned about martial arts officers through this film," Kim said during a press conference for "Officer Black Belt," Tuesday.

Kim's character Lee Jung-do is an ordinary man who holds nine ranks in taekwondo, kendo and judo combined and becomes a martial arts officer, shedding light on the daily responsibilities and challenges these officers face.

The action film pairs Jung-do with probation officer Kim Sun-min (Kim Sung-kyun) in closely monitoring sex offenders wearing electronic anklets 24 hours a day to prevent crimes.

"For the film, actor Kim Sung-kyun and I met with actual martial arts officers. They've always been around us, doing difficult and admirable work. I approached the filming with gratitude towards them," Kim said.

Kim Sung-kyun, who plays the probation officer, also admitted he wasn't familiar with these professions but realized they contribute to making our society safer.

"I didn't know about probation officers and martial arts officers. I learned about them through the film. I initially thought they were rigid and heavy professions. Meeting them in person, I realized that wasn't entirely true," Kim Sung-kyun said.

"Watching probation officers at work, I saw that they don't simply monitor their subjects. To protect citizens, they sometimes scold them like older brothers, sometimes coax them and sometimes respond firmly when necessary. I focused on their humane aspects."

Actors Kim Woo-bin, left, and Kim Sung-kyun play a martial arts officer and a probation officer, respectively, in the upcoming Netflix film "Officer Black Belt." Courtesy of Netflix

Director Kim Joo-hwan, known for his 2017 action film "Midnight Runners" and 2023 Netflix drama "Bloodhounds," noted that the film seeks to portray humanity in an increasingly cold world.

"Compassion is disappearing from the world. We made this film to show that there are people doing good for others. I hope viewers enjoy this work filled with humor, action and thrills during the Chuseok season," the director said.

To portray Jung-do, who uses various martial arts in the film, Kim Woo-bin gained eight kilograms and dedicated himself to training for three months before filming.

"I trained in kendo, judo and taekwondo for three to four hours a day, starting three months before filming. Of course, I couldn't become a martial arts master in just three months, but I practiced a lot to do my best," the actor said.

"I gained eight kilograms to give the impression of being sturdy and capable of subduing opponents. Also, to show viewers how Jung-do changes as he takes on this profession, I gradually lost weight during filming and changed my hair color from yellow to black."

“Officer Black Belt” will be released on Netflix on Friday.