As the late “Parasite” actor Lee Sun-kyun’s final work “Land of Happiness” is set to hit theaters soon, the co-stars of the period film were overwhelmed with emotions and struggled to hold back tears as they recalled their ensemble with the late actor.
“Land of Happiness” delves into the historical context of the 1979 assassination of former President Park Chung-hee, centering on the story of Park Tae-joo (Lee) who becomes involved in the assassination under his superior’s command and the lawyer Jung In-hoo (Jo Jung-suk) who defends him.
Director Choo Chang-min, best known for the 2012 film “Masquerade,” said that through this film, viewers will be able to “see what a great actor Lee Sun-kyun was.”
“If there’s one thing I can guarantee, it’s this: when viewers watch this film, they will realize what an excellent actor we’ve lost,” Choo said.
Choo also mentioned that the late actor told him that he had decided to participate in the film because actor Jo was in it.
“Lee Sun-kyun told me that he thought Jo Jung-suk was a really good actor and that he wanted to work with Jo and learn from him,” the director said. “I was surprised 커뮤니티 by his attitude. I thought such a good actor still had curiosity and aspirations and approached acting with a learning mindset.”
In response, Jo, with tears in his eyes, said it was an honor to appear in the same work with Lee.
“Lee also told me like that and I thought he was joking. I’m really grateful. I relied on him a lot too,” he said. “In this work, viewers will be able to see a weightiness and seriousness in Lee Sun-kyun that they haven’t seen before.”