[Sportschosun Ahn So-yoon] Actress Lee Jung-eun shared her thoughts on playing a mother-daughter relationship with Gong Hyo-jin, Park So-dam and Lee Yeon in the film 'The Journey to Gyeongju.'
Lee Jung-eun met with Sportschosun at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, on the 20th and said, "I was surprised when I heard the lineup of actresses cast as my daughters." She added, "It felt like getting a thousand troops and horses."
Set for release on the 26th, 'The Journey to Gyeongju' is a family revenge drama about four mothers and daughters who set out on a journey of vengeance after waiting eight years for their youngest daughter, Gyeongju, who never returned from a school trip. It is the first commercial film from director Kim Mi-Jo, who earned recognition for her strong directing with her debut feature 'The Seagull' at major film festivals at home and abroad. Lee Jung-eun plays Ok-sil, a mother who has lost her youngest daughter Gyeongju and lives only for revenge.
In the film, Lee Jung-eun appears as the mother of Gong Hyo-jin, Park So-dam and Lee Yeon. She said, "I actually didn't know the daughters were being cast. We started the film on a small scale at first, and I didn't ask in detail which actors the director was choosing. The script was so good that I thought anyone interested in the story could join us, even if they were not well known. I heard it was difficult to cast exactly the way the director wanted, so I was surprised when I later heard the lineup of actresses playing my daughters. Hyo-jin called me and asked, 'Unnie, are you doing this project?' and I said, 'Yes, I am. I've been waiting for about two years. Why?' She said the script for 'The Journey to Gyeongju' was amazing too. So, I am sorry to the film crew, but I told Hyo-jin, 'Don't look at me for this one'" she said with a laugh. "I told her, 'I can't take full responsibility for everything, so if the script is good, wouldn't it be worth joining?' I was surprised that everyone participated so enthusiastically, and especially because Hyo-jin said she wanted to support me, I felt it was worth raising my daughter properly in 'When the Camellia Blooms.'" She then expressed her gratitude to the three actresses, saying, "It felt like getting a thousand troops and horses."
Lee Jung-eun also described the distinct charm of her three daughters. Speaking first about Gong Hyo-jin, she said, "Hyo-jin is my senior and felt like a mentor to me. There was so much to learn from her on set, and she was dependable. When I was being chased by my character, Hyo-jin helped keep the production moving, just like the eldest daughter Jang-joo." She added, "She was my reliable right-hand woman." About Park So-dam, she said, "We had such a strange connection during 'Parasite.' In the scene, So-dam asked me to move aside, and she acted so well. My face turned red, and inside I thought, 'What on earth is this?'" she said with a laugh. "She seems like a daughter with no mercy, but she is actually very sensitive. So-dam brought out the second daughter, who has a delicate heart beneath her planned and composed side." Finally, about the youngest, Lee Yeon, she said, "She is truly a doer. Even in everyday life, she is very proactive. I like sets where I can learn and grow, and I think 'The Journey to Gyeongju' may have been that kind of set for Yeon as well. Because her older sisters encouraged her so much, she is a daughter with great potential for growth." She added, "During yesterday's interview, I heard that Yeon cried, and I laughed for a long time."
Ahn So-yoon antahn22@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
