(Continuing from interview③) Director and actor Ha Jung-woo of the film "Lobby" revealed his recent status after undergoing surgery for acute appendicitis.

Ha Jung-woo held an interview on the afternoon of the 2nd at the SHOWBOX office located in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. He met with domestic reporters on this occasion and talked about the film "Lobby," which premiered that day (Directed by Ha Jung-woo, Produced by Workhouse Company and Film Momentum, Provided by Michigan Venture Capital and WYSIWYG STUDIOS, Distributed by SHOWBOX).

"Lobby" depicts the story of a startup CEO, Chang-wook (Ha Jung-woo), who knows only research and begins his first lobbying golf to win a $4 trillion national project. This work marks Ha Jung-woo's third directorial challenge, after "Roller Coaster" and "Huh Sam-kwan," in which he served as both director and lead actor.

Additionally, "Lobby" features a variety of actors, including Kang Mal-geum, Kim Ui-seong, Cha Joo-young, Lee Dong-hwi, Park Byung-eun, and Choi Si-won. Among them, Kang Mal-geum gained attention through "When Life Gives You Tangerines," while Cha Joo-young garnered acclaim through "The Queen Who Crowns." In this regard, Ha Jung-woo noted, "It's a boon for the project. I haven't seen all of it, but it's a pleasant thing that Kang Mal-geum did well in 'When Life Gives You Tangerines,' and Cha Joo-young also excelled in 'The Queen Who Crowns.' I offered her a role because I already knew she was an outstanding actress. Personally, I think she might become a phenomenal actress."

Casting the newcomer Kang Hae-rim as the character Jin Pro was also a challenge. Ha Jung-woo stated, "It was the most difficult casting. It was number one. I wanted to find her first. I had to do golf training, and it was very hard to cast quickly to perfect the golf form. I told Kang Hae-rim that it's fine to read books, but her golf form needs to be good. Considering it, if Jin Pro expressed emotions too well, it would stand out. I just wanted her to look like an athlete. I thought it would be great if she could act like a documentary on her own."

He continued, "I don't know how the audience will perceive this thought, but my intention was to show it as raw as it is without acting skills. Finding such an actor was exceedingly difficult. There were candidates of the right age who excelled in terms of recognition and image, but I thought a look that resembles an average person would suit better. Among the 10 main characters, the extremes are Kang Hae-rim and Choi Si-won, with Kang Hae-rim portraying an ordinary Jin Pro while the celebrity-like Choi Si-won was selected. Therefore, my first casting was Kang Hae-rim, as that was my intention."

"It's nerve-wracking," he laughed, saying, "I also saw many reviews in the hospital. I watched the full version of the press conference for the first time. While reviewing the interview articles, several people mentioned it, and I felt a bit taken aback. That was my intention from the casting. Go Sung-hee from 'Roller Coaster' had no experience either. When she was asked to speak, she had a level of speech skills even more serious than Kang Hae-rim. I thought it was a big deal. Changing her to a Japanese flight attendant was a divine move. So, when I had her speak clumsy Japanese, it fit perfectly. Right after 'Roller Coaster' ended, the first drama casting was Go Sung-hee. So the director must have been baffled. However, Hae-rim is certified by director Jung Ji-woo from 'Somebody.' I thought it suited well at that time," he remarked with a smile.

He also commented on casting Kim Ui-seong, saying, "I think he actually knows how to look unlucky and dirty." He laughed, adding, "I think he knows how to look unlikable and dirty. I thought he would perform this role better than anyone else, and I believed he would express it excellently cinematically. I entrusted everything to Ui-seong hyung without reservation. I only set up the script lines for this scenario," and he praised.

"Lobby" was released in theaters nationwide today (2nd).

(Continues in interview⑤.)

[Photo] Provided by SHOWBOX.

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