“Hunter with a Scalpel” has heralded the birth of a densely packed and intricate midform genre piece.

On the morning of the 12th, a production presentation for the STUDIO X+U drama “Hunter with a Scalpel” was held at the Ramada Sindorim Hotel in Guro-gu, Seoul. Actors Park Ju-hyun, Park Yong-woo, Kang Hoon, and director Lee Jeong-hoon attended the event to discuss the project.

Based on the novel of the same name by writer Choi I-do, “Hunter with a Scalpel” is a crime thriller in which forensic scientist Se-hyun discovers the familiar murder methods of her father, a serial killer known as “the tailor,” who was thought to have died 20 years ago, and sets out to find him before police officer Jeong-hyun.

Director Lee Jeong-hoon explained about “Hunter with a Scalpel,” saying, “It’s an intense psychological thriller that unfolds within the relationship between a father and daughter. There are uncomfortable truths embedded in their relationship, and I wanted to show how the daughter, Se-hyun, is constantly and brutally tested on that. The most important aspect is Se-hyun’s emotional line. Although it’s a 30-minute midform, a lot happens to Se-hyun in that short time. I had to pay a lot of attention to her emotional changes because she has a dark past, and I talked a lot with her to become a character that viewers could root for. I focused on the subtle changes in Se-hyun’s emotions, and I believe that’s why we achieved a good result.”

When asked about the reason for choosing a 30-minute format, he explained, “In a situation where dramas are unfolding more rapidly, I think the 30-minute midform is the best fit for describing “Hunter with a Scalpel.” Each of the 30 minutes is packed with many events, and in order to show a sense of rapid development, the midform that is halved compared to 60 minutes felt much better for the work and for myself, who enjoys fast-paced storytelling.”

Park Ju-hyun plays the role of Se-sehyeon, a genius forensic scientist chasing her serial killer father to hide a past she wants to erase. She said, “The character has a dark past that he carries for life. Se-hyun does not express her emotions in a one-dimensional way and is not honest in her expressions, which makes her very different from me. I tried my best to express my emotions in an intriguing way without letting others see through them.”

She felt a fresh sense when he first received the script, saying, “I enjoy watching genre pieces. I thought of this work as something that couldn’t be found in Korea. The characteristics of brutal or scary genre pieces are expressed starkly, not beautified, which attracted me. Every genre piece has its own color, doesn’t it? I felt that “Hunter with a Scalpel” has a very strong color unique to our drama. I did my best to create a better picture from there. I will continue to work hard.”

Park Yong-woo plays the role of Yoon Jo-kyun, a psychopathic serial killer who is also Se-sehyeon’s father and is deeply committed to human anatomy. He reflected on his first impression of the work, saying, “I felt that the density of the script and its quality were high. Personally, I find that dramas get more interesting and tense as they progress into the latter half, but for this drama, even the results and the script became increasingly interesting, packed, and complete as it went along. I personally have a keen interest in the emotions of people and fear, and I found the logline written in the synopsis and treatment, ‘This drama is about people and fear,’ to be quite striking.”

As a psychopathic serial killer, he mentioned that he conducted a lot of research, saying, “Because the role demands that the character be a serial killer, I couldn’t physically harm anyone, so my imagination had to be highly activated. I had to do a lot of research, and the emotions and expressions that come through that research are reflected quite a bit in the drama. I wanted to express a lot of everyday expressions. Because I had to express particularly dark emotions dramatically, I personally found that the scariest person is one who has no guilt and can express themselves comfortably and normally. I think I focused a lot on that aspect.”

He added, “I mainly watched documentaries, looking into figures like Jeffrey Dahmer and Charles Manson. There are various commonalities, but they seem to lack empathy towards others. They might practice socializing through mirrors deliberately to get along with others. Unable to understand others, they often practice acting while dealing with them. I practiced a lot of those things through research. I don’t know how the footage turned out, but there are impressive scenes that pay homage to their appearances.”

Kang Hoon plays the role of Jeong Jeong-hyun, the newly appointed head of the violent crimes unit at Yongcheon Police Station. He explained, “The character believes that the essence of humanity is good. As he collaborates with Se-hyun, he becomes increasingly baffled as the cases seem to connect to Se-hyun.” He shared his reason for choosing this project, saying, “I have always wanted to challenge myself in genre work. The entire piece felt fresh as the tension continued from start to finish. The character of Jeong Jeong-hyun has many psychological conflicts, and I wanted to express those aspects.”

He mentioned that he gained about 5 to 6 kg for the character. He said, “Since it’s a police role, I have friends who are police officers, so I would ask them for advice. Since there are running scenes in the script, I regularly worked on my fitness. I paid a lot of attention to the exterior aspects. As a character who constantly approaches Se-hyun, it seems I integrated those concerns into my acting. If my previous works were warm and often involved unrequited love, I want to hear that this work showcases more of what I can offer as an actor. I thought I worked on one of my many desired roles, and I hope to show different sides through this work.”

Meanwhile, ‘Hunter with a Scalpel’ has garnered significant attention following its unveiling at the Hong Kong FilMart, the largest entertainment content market in the Asia-Pacific region, even before its domestic release. The drama has also been officially invited to the Cannes Series Rendezvous section, capturing the attention of global viewers. Director Lee Jeong-hoon expressed, “As a drama director, opportunities to screen at film festivals or internationally are rare, so it’s an honor to be able to screen overseas. In the Korean section of Cannes, among the nominees, there were no works other than those from Korea. I found that aspect astonishing and felt the stature of Korean dramas.”

Park Ju-hyun, who walked the pink carpet, also said, “It’s an honor to be able to showcase our drama in a city like Cannes, and I wished to see the team members who couldn’t make it with us. It would have been nicer if we all could have gone together. I am very grateful to the director as well. I think it’s thanks to him that I was able to participate in such an honorable event.”

Regarding the unique points of the work, Park Ju-hyun explained, “In genre pieces, it’s crucial to convey the story in a way that doesn’t alienate the audience, and our work is confident in that regard. It gives the impression that what is depicted is unembellished. It led to the thought that the more we hide and package, the more we lose touch with our true selves. It made me wonder, ‘Why have we concealed these facts all this time?’ I believe this will intrigue and stimulate viewers even more.”

Park Yong-woo said, “The script was like that, and though I haven’t seen much of the released footage, what I have seen increases in curiosity and concentration as it progresses. I liked that. If there’s a differentiation point, that could be it. I recall the disappointing feeling when the latter part of dramas often felt dull. In this drama, however, it seems to become more engaging and interesting as it progresses.” Kang Hoon added, “The fast pace of the midform is a differentiating factor. It’s my first midform experience, and after watching the edited footage, it proceeded at a really fast pace and didn’t just rush through it but proceeded thoroughly, making it fun and filled with tension.”

Finally, when asked about key viewing points, director Lee Jeong-hoon said, “Although Se-hyun’s fear of her father might have initially begun, I believe that as a child, Se-hyun had a strong desire to be loved by the only person who remains by her side. I hope viewers will consider whether this person is guilty or innocent and whether she chose to be a sociopath as a self-defense mechanism. I hope you feel the tension and emotional amplitude that Se-hyun experiences when it opens on the 16th.”

Park Ju-hyun remarked, “We have a solid script. We tried our best to make it dense without leaving any gaps, so please enjoy it.” Park Yong-woo added, “There are quite a few actions enriched with psychological emotions. That should be interesting. The child actors and all the actors worked hard in the cold weather. It should be fun to watch the actors' performances closely.”

Kang Hoon urged, “Please pay attention to the psychology of the characters. Although I couldn’t go to Cannes, I went to Busan and watched a short video of the 1st and 2nd episodes. Though it’s my work, I found it really enjoyable. The music is also great. It seems to be a drama that you can’t help but watch till the end after seeing the first episode. I believe that when it’s released, the effort made by all the actors, director, and staff to create a good work will receive a good response.”

[Photo] OSEN’s Choi Gyu-han

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