Jang Hyuk said, Chuno is a “story of Daegil growing up.” He is indeed the heart of “Chuno”, tops with magnificent acting that one can say, “We are not worthy.” Let’s read what he has to say about a lot of things.

[INTERVIEW] ACTOR JANG HYUK – PART 2

Jang Hyuk says “The Slave Hunters” is a story about Lee Dae-gil growing up

“I would have something to say if it was about martial arts…” said Jang Hyuk before the interview, as if he were an action star who was in love with martial arts. But by the time the interview ended, I found out that to Jang Hyuk, talking about martial arts meant that he would talk about everything — his acting and his life. Like a martial arts master finds enlightenment through martial arts, Jang Hyuk was devoting himself to his life through acting. He understands his character by melting martial arts into the acting, and reflects upon his life by analyzing the character. For Jang Hyuk to play Dae-gil in the KBS TV series “The Slave Hunters”, it means the same as that he will pour out all of his life. See what and how much enlightenment he has gained from portraying Dae-gil.

10: How did you feel when you first got the script for “The Slave Hunters”?
Jang Hyuk (Jang): I think the boundary between genres is becoming more vague. If you look at a film like “District 9″, there are elements of science fiction, action, melodrama and political satire in a single movie. I think that visuals, structure and perspective are more important than genre nowadays. And I thought the same with “Hunters.” In typical television dramas, the main characters lead the show while the supporting actors are in the background. But in “Hunters”, it seemed that each character had a story of his own, like in the [U.S. TV series] “Band of Brothers”. And the show would be telling Dae-gil’s story in one setting but another story would be developing in another setting with the perspective on it changing depending on the character who was telling it. The plot develops on similar stories, just from different perspectives, so I thought it was a drama where everyone is a main character as well as a supporting character.

10: That’s why it seems “Hunters” is about what goes on in their world, rather than telling a story about a single character.
Jang: That’s why I personally hope there will be a documentary-style show attached to the end of “Hunters” to objectify that world. The show started off subjectively by telling the story from a certain character’s perspective but it would end objectively by showing the world as it really is. I personally like the film “Hwang San Bul” where the merchants and kings spoke different dialects depending on where they lived. The film showed something that existing traditional stories hadn’t shown before by simply changing the perspectives. I think “Hunters” is like that too.

10: Then what kind of a world do you think “Hunters” is depicting?
Jang: The most important element is the people. I think “Hunters” begins its story by telling how people became influenced by their history and how that history has continued on into the present. In the case of Dae-gil, he could not marry the woman he loved because of the status system, which is also what ruined his family. So after he becomes a slave hunter, he hangs around with the commoners and lowly people like Choi Jang-goon and Wang-son although he was born an aristocrat. So there is no such thing as a good or bad character in “Hunters” because they are all people who have no choice but to follow their circumstances.

10: Do you see Dae-gil as someone who became who he was because of the historical circumstance he was in?
Jang: My favorite fictional character is Choi Dae-chi from [1991 MBC epic drama] “Eyes of Dawn” and his life completely changed due to the historical circumstance he was in. If Japan had not annexed Korea, if he had not been drafted to the military, if he had not met Yoon Yeo-ok who was one of the Japanese army’s comfort women, he would not have turned into a North Korean partisan. This man has no ideology but he had to belong to some organization while he was alive and happened to gain a following. It is the same with Dae-gil. Tae-ha is fighting for a political cause. And slaves unite and learn the ideology of ‘the world of slaves’ in order to survive. But slave hunters have no ideology. They live their lives by the day by catching a slave and Dae-gil will keep searching for Eon-nyeon. And he has become an animal-like slave hunter in order to survive and the best one too. He could have gotten stabbed to death in a village somewhere if he hadn’t found Eon-nyeon.

10: But Dae-gil is too complex a character to just say that he lives according to the flow of the times. In “Hunters”, you could describe Tae-ha as a straight arrow and Wang-son as frivolous, but you can’t define Dae-gil with just a couple of words. He is the lowliest of the low yet innocent when it comes to love, and he is imprudent yet also serious.
Jang: Dae-gil was born an aristocrat but lives amongst the commoners so that is why he is a character likely to develop an ideology regarding equality. I play Dae-gil based on this feeling. And Dae-gil has tried his utmost to survive after becoming a commoner. Even the son of the deceased eats food when he gets hungry, so you can only imagine how hard of a time Dae-gil would have. On most days, he would have been making a living while on some days, he could have laughed and talked about the old days. That’s why I think Dae-gil’s unique characteristics are expressed through my experiences from everyday life and my mentality.

10: And what are those characteristics, do you think?
Jang: For example, the character Chun Ji-ho is really cruel. He is able to call his subordinates in a composed voice right after killing someone. Dae-gil may be better at killing people but he is not someone with that kind of character. He is a slave hunter who captures slaves, but sometimes also helps slaves. And it’s not because he is nice but because on some days, he is in a good mood and is reminded of the old days. If he wasn’t feeling well on that day he might not have saved them. There is also a noble side left to him so he is clinging onto the last piece of wild animalistic nature he has. I don’t have a fixed concept for my character — I just try to go with the feelings he would feel within his circumstances in his kind of life.

10: Your character’s way of speech seems to change depending on his circumstance. You speak with a certain rhythm when you’re with other slave hunters.
Jang: That is something I attempted at from permission of the director and the writer. Because I think it’s the right thing to do if I could bring my character to life. When Dae-gil was a nobleman, he used to speak indirectly. When his father asked him if there was a girl he liked, he would say “No. There is no such woman” but quietly hoped that his father would notice. On the other hand, [the slave hunter] Dae-gil uses a direct form of speech because that is the only way he can survive. And there are many instances where he will get into an argument while going through all kinds of things. So if I cut in when somebody is saying something important, I can control the other person because he can’t talk anymore. I need to ride a certain rhythm in order to do that. But what I care more about than my acting or speech is the eyes. Dae-gil’s eyes are always unfocused. He looks at things with a different perspective unless it is something important. He lives hiding his emotions and restraining himself like that.

10: I think that is why Dae-gil looks sad. He seems like someone who has given up on dreams and hopes, and volunteers to live life in a numb state.
Jang: In that respect, my experience of appearing in the film “Maybe” helped a lot in understanding Dae-gil. In that film, my character has a rare disease so there was nothing strange about him dying the next day and thus he seemed unpredictable to other people. Other would think it is a misfortune but he has always lived that way, so for him, yesterday is today and tomorrow is today as well. You cannot put any obligations on the world and you can’t really put one on Dae-gil either. He goes out to find Eon-nyeon today and will go out tomorrow too. I think that is the purity of Lee Dae-gil. Not that he is a good or bad person, he is just pure.

10: In that sense, Dae-gil has a strange child-like side to himself. When it comes to his work, he makes clear judgments about the situation even when he gets shot by a gun. But in other respects, Choi Jan-goon is much more like an adult.
Jang: That is right. Dae-gil is the leader in terms of work, but Choi Jang-goon is the mental leader. And it is only when Dae-gil has such personality that Choi Jang-goon and Wang-son can each have his own spectrum. It is important to have a feeling of all the different characters mingling with one another. And the saddest part about playing Dae-gil was the scene in the first episode where he sees the drawing of Eon-nyeon by artist Kang. He is drawing a profile sketch of her and it has to be exactly the same as how she looked ten years ago. She has to be a kid, looking exactly the same as Dae-gil last saw her. And even though he doesn’t know what do to when he catches the girl, he still loves looking at the drawings. So he carries the picture around and gets another one drawn when it gets old. There is a part of Dae-gil that is consumed with the memories of when he used to a nobleman.

10: Then can Dae-gil go on to the next phase after he catches Eon-nyeon? It seems like Dae-gil’s life has stopped at the point when he parted with Eon-nyeon.
Jang: That is a little different. In my perspective, I think “Hunters” is a drama about Lee Dae-gil growing up. People keep growing even when they become adults, but in Dae-gil’s case, I see it as a growth in the way he communicates. Dae-gil is still immature and cannot communicate well with others, but I think he is changing, little by little, by interacting with Tae-ha and many other people. The way he changes isn’t like he is simply desolate, sad or sick but all the emotions get built up. So I think Dae-gil is gradually changing, little by little.

10: In order to dig deep into the inner aspects of your character like that, it must be essential to analyze the times that he is living in. How did you prepare for that?
Jang: I read the information with the basic stuff. Like when I did the [SBS historical drama] “Great Ambition”, I had studied about the currency and old merchants during that time in order to play a merchant. You have known about such things if you want to improvise. The historical period in “Hunters” is when the Ming Dynasty changes to the Qing Dynasty, and so no wonder it is confusing. From the noblemen’s perspective, they had to have people like the slave hunters because slave, who were like their real estate property, kept running away. The slave hunters were sort of like hired soldiers or detectives during that time. They chase after the footsteps and fight when it is necessary.

[INTERVIEW] ACTOR JANG HYUK – PART 2

10: For Dae-gil’s martial arts skills, did you keep in mind the historical aspect and the environment Dae-gil is in. The fighting styles of Dae-gil and Tae-ha are apparently different. How did you approach that?
Jang: The action sequences are handled by the martial arts specialists but I wanted to do something more. I had to do both action stunts and act at the same time and an actor has to have their own direction in the way things are done. I asked the director if I could design the martial arts sequences under the direction of the martials arts director. One part of “Hunters” is how the martial arts show the kind of character they are. For Tae-ha and Chul-oong practice traditional martial arts and in the palace there is a structured system to follow. A slave hunter like me to survive in the common streets we utilize a different form so it inevitable that we have different styles. Also, it has to be different from Choi Jang-goon and Wang-son.

10: I have a question about that. I know that Dae-gil was born into an aristocrat household so it would have been impossible to learn proper martial arts. Dae-gil’s martial arts skills are compact and swift which is remarkable just like the training you do for jeet kune do.
Jang: It feels like that. There is a difference between the martial arts practiced in battlefield and on the streets. At the time, the people on the streets would carry around swords and it is given for the slave hunters because they risk their lives every day. It is hard to form a conventional fighting style when it is a life and death situation. It’s a survival of the fittest kind of place where one has to stay alive carrying around a long sword, a dagger or a stone. That is why Chun Ji-ho knocks people down with stones and so Dae-gil should learn how to use all kinds of weapons. No one is certain what obstacles they will face. Even for those born into aristocracy they should break away from the stereotypes and be brutal in order to live. One can feel like a demon which is similar to holding a sword. The actor has to feel comfortable while carrying around a sword, holding the sword backwards and reciting their lines at the same time. It is the same as how I am learning jeet kune do in order to master the fundamentals of martial arts.

10: Where did you learn the action sequences with a sword?
Jang: I learned martial arts long time ago. The weapons used in jeet kune do are unlike any other form of arts. In that sense, when one holds a sword in jeet kune do it means your arm becomes longer. To be precise, I’m not doing jeet kune do it’s more wing chun (a form of Chinese boxing). Wing chun is a form of martial arts using the fist that Bruce Lee learned. It was founded by Uhm Young-chun before the time period of “Hunters” so it wouldn’t be a problem to intertwine that form.

10: But it is hard to put emphasis on the actual fight scenes in the drama. You have to keep in mind on what the audience is watching, how did you adjust that?
Jang: You have to complete the actual fight scenes in one take or just don’t fight at all. In order for a fight sequence to become memorable, the visual is the most important part of the drama. For those parts wing chun and defense is helpful. The training doll that Dae-gil used to practice his martial arts was used during the Qing Dynasty and I kept in mind of the exchange between the Qing and Ming Dynasty and Dae-gil just modeled it after that. The reason for that was I thought it was important to show how Dae-gil practiced martial arts for ten years. When carrying out the martial arts sequences it is important to keep in mind the design and emotions. As an actor I want to portray my martial art skills thinking of the past and emotions of Dae-gil.

10: I believe the director of “Hunters” Kwak Jung-hwan referred to you as “full of emotion during action scenes.”
Jang: It can be compared to a boxing match. The boxer forms a pattern after 24 rounds in where to put more energy and where to hold back. It’s not about working on an action sequence but to figure out the flow of how it is supposed to play out. Just like how the director has an overall idea of how he wants to adjust and speed up the process of directing.

10: The character of Dae-gil seems to be an accumulation of all the experiences that you had in your life. You learned jeet kune do and watched numerous DVDs to analyze the characters.
Jang: I get asked that question a lot on what are some the changes that I have experienced before starring in “Hunters.” You are probably referring to my military service, marriage and my child which are big changes in my life but it is one of those things in life that just happens. Those sudden changes didn’t affect my sense of know-how but it was a natural process. At the age of 35, I am starring in “Hunters” where it I feel it is draining my skills just like when I was in the SBS series “Bad Boy.”

10: Your answer sounds like someone who collects lots of DVDs. (laughs) I remember seeing your showcase of DVDs, your display looks like someone who enjoys neatly organizing their collection.
Jang: I think there is saying where you can tell a person by seeing their room. I think about how to fill the empty spaces in my room. There is no use for interior design because I fill my room with DVDs, books or figurines that I like to see and feel. It is important to find an interest that you can manage.

10: Is that why you watch movies on a regular basis? I heard that after you watch a movie you fall asleep after 10 minutes into the next film.
Jang: I get curious to find out what happened in the movie and I watch it again. Some days I watch three to four movies a day and when I’m shooting a drama I bring my DVDs to set. I listen to the commentary to the films that I liked and I bring exercise equipment and books too.

10: How does your everyday life influence your acting? From your roles in “The Earth of Wang Reung,” “Thank You” and now “Slave Hunters,” I think the audience anticipates the kind of complex character that you will take in the future.
Jang: If I practiced jeet kune do three times in one and rested the next day it doesn’t count as two days. If I rest, I rest. After several years it gets easier to do. That is how I feel when I begin a new drama. I think later on I would like to try designing characters. If I get assigned to create a character you would craft it into three-dimensions. I have great interest in things like that.

10: You have many works on your resume, your life is like jeet kune do and now you are Dae-gil. How does it feel to play this character that will come once in your life?
Jang: If you ask me why I like acting, I would have to say it is the expressions and the lifelike features that I can bring to the character. I don’t think there is an end to the kind of roles that I can handle. I think I take the character’s personality and develop on that. From that I believe after finish a role I realize the kind of impression I made and that grows into the sorts of roles that I prefer. With the projects that I have accomplished and the flow of how things are created is my acting career. I am still trying to build up my work with one project at a time.

Senior Reporter : Kang Myoung-Seok two@10asia.co.kr
Photographer : Lee Jin-hyuk eleven@10asia.co.kr
Editor : Lee Ji-Hye seven@10asia.co.kr; Lucia Hong luciahong@asiae.co.kr

“Chuno” sexy men, Jang Hyuk and Han Jung Soo are featured in Men’s Health march edition! Oh my, two men in the same magazine~ that’s one HOTdamn spread.

Jang Hyuk and Han Jung Soo show off six-packs on Men’s Health

Two hot men from KBS2 TV drama “Chuno” are appearing on the men’s magazine, Men’s Health. The show is currently the rating monster on the Wed-Thurs slot, and obviously, the two stars, Jang Hyuk and Han Jung Soo are the talk of the town. They’re hot on screen, but also hot on magazine spreads.

This will be Jang Hyuk’s second appearance on the magazine. His first was dated back in November 2007, and since then, he has been working out and even mastered in taekwondo and other martial arts before casted in “Chuno.”

His role in “Chuno” as Daegil has brought a lot of attention from his viewers. He’s praised for his masculinity and as he appears very realistic with rough, “wild beast” style. In the drama, they’re using the prop sword, but he is known to practice a lot with real swords.

On the other hand, in this special issue, Men’s Health also features Jang Hyuk’s co-star from “Chuno”, “General Choi” Han Jung Soo. Together, they’ll have this rough, old western style, showing off their own ‘chocolate’ abs.

The drama “Chuno” will be ending this month, and has maintined its ratings on the upper 30%.

Here’s a good article and some BTS pictures with the adorable Crown Prince’s son – gosh he’s soooo cute! Almost as cute as Recipon William Leo a.k.a Taeja in “Assorted Gems”!

On a cold winter day in January, director Kwak Jung-hwan of KBS TV series “The Slave Hunters” was at Unju Temple in the South Jeolla Province. It is the place, mentioned in the tenth episode, which Dae-gil (played by Jang Hyuk) guessed correctly right away when told Tae-ha (Oh Ji-ho) went to where a statue of Buddha lies on its back facing the sky. “There is a statue of Buddha laid on the ground and facing the sky in the Unju Temple. It is said to contain the unfulfilled hopes of the commoners. I couldn’t not go to shoot there after hearing that story,” Kwak explained of his reason in choosing the temple as a location which would also symbolize Tae-ha’s yet-to-be opened world and the dream of the slaves.

But Unju Temple does not just have symbolic meaning for “Hunters.” It is also where many of the main characters gather after a large number of supporting actors are killed off the show in the ninth and tenth episodes. Tae-ha holds the baby king in one hand as he meets his old friends and Dae-gil’s clan gathers at Unju too. About five scenes were shot at the Unju Temple this day. And each scene focused more on the meeting and the parting of the characters rather than its usual spectacular action. But the atmosphere on set was as somber and sincere as the emotions involved in the meeting and parting.

“Turn around as soon as you take a step forward,” Kwak instructs Tae-ha, played by Oh Ji-ho. He then explained, “We didn’t rush in the beginning because we started shooting the first few episodes several months ago but these days, it’s all about time management.” But once he goes into shoot, he digs into the details so insistently that it seems as if he forgets all about time. He does not miss a single thing, down to the smallest movement a character makes to the most trivial historical fact. To Kim Ha-eun playing the role of Sul-hwa, he will direct her to “breathe harder after running here.” And after receiving confirmation that “in the past, nobody entered the main temple building through the central door other than the chief monk,” Kwak reflected this fact into the scene where a boy monk greets Dae-gil who is chasing Tae-ha. Add just a little exaggeration, it could be said that the amount of Kwak’s exercise almost equalled that of Dae-gil and Tae-ha got from shooting their actions scenes. He endlessly checked the monitor, went back onto the set, checked everything, made orders, and then monitored again.

Not a single loud noise comes from the set of “Hunters” but that atmosphere on set is also the atmosphere amongst the actors. The Chuno clan, composed of Jang Hyuk, Kim Ji-suk and Han Jung-soo, sat around ahead of going into shoot to quietly discuss their scene while Oh Ji-ho and Lee Da-hae focused on their own acting and did not speak a single word to each other. The moment they finally smiled and talked to each other was when Oh Ji-ho finished shooting his scene. “You’re leaving before I am because you’re done? That’s an offense!” Lee jokingly said to Oh.

Shooting began at 8 a.m. in the morning but the clock was heading toward 8 p.m. But the crew of “Hunters” had been shooting a single scene since later afternoon — the moment when Dae-gil breaks down. It will be a scene in the 12th episode where Dae-gil’s emotions explode like they have never done before during the show’s run so far. And hence it was when director Kwak and Jang Hyuk’s energy also collided at its highest point. Ahead of going into shoot, Jang Hyuk watched scenes him and Hae-won’s romantic scenes to focus on his emotions. And Kwak continued to repeatedly shoot the scene from various angles — a full shot, close-up shot, with the Jimmy Jib, then on-the-move. The staff moved swiftly, operating every piece of equipment in time with Kwak’s orders. Jang Hyuk repeats crying, laughing, shouting and gazing up into the sky. Only a few minutes of this hours-long shoot will go on air. But Kwa, Jang Hyuk and the staff continue to concentrate, knowing the importance of this scene. Like the slave being chased by a slave hunter, the set of “Hunters” is short on time. But everyone was trying everything they could do produce the best result.

Senior Reporter : Kang Myoung-Seok two@10asia.co.kr
Photographer : Lee Jin-hyuk eleven@10asia.co.kr
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr, Jang Kyung-Jin three@10asia.co.kr

OMG!! This is such a great, great awesome news! :) I’ve always loved Yim Jae Bum’s voice, so I was completed thrilled to read the news. “Chuno” (or known as “The Slave Hunters” by KBS World) has been getting tons of praises after its first premiere yesterday.

Here’s a bit intro from KBS World about “The Slave Hunters”, the new phenomenon in the history of Korean historical drama…

“‘Slaves fervently wishing to live like a human being’ VS ‘Slave hunters chasing them tirelessly’ A bloody battle between them begins to take place!!!

Being a slave hunter, Dae-gil is disregarded by people due to his low social status. While doing his job, Dae-gil is offered by Lee Gyong-suk to get Song Tae-ha and is promised to be given a fair amount of money as a reward. Tae-ha was forced to become a state slave as he was wrongfully accused of stealing some provisions.
After reading a secret message saying the life of So-hyeon’s youngest son is on the line, Tae-ha tries to escape in an attempt to save him, the eldest son of the Crown Prince. Daegil, however, gets wind of his plan and the two ends up fighting a bloody fight. Having barely escaped from the fierce fight, Te-ha happens to accompany a woman named Hye-won.
Dae-gil fails to track down the slave he was first assigned to capture, and constantly runs into Seol-hwa who escaped from a troupe of strolling actors. To make things worse, Dae-gil is threatened to be killed by a group of slaves who formed a hit squad to assassinate nobles.
As for Daegil, he has every reason to be successful in accomplishing his first mission. Aside from recovering his pride hurt by Tae-ha, Dae-gil needs a sizable sum of money to live a comfortable life in his old age.
In the end, Tae- ha manages to run away from Dae-gil while Dae-gil feels affection for Hye-won. “

I haven’t had the chance to watch the drama yet, but praises are all what I’ve been reading all across the forums, Soompi AND Twitter. LOL. I guess it is a must-see-dont-even-think-of-skipping-it kinda drama. Historical no less, and starring Lee Da Hae, Jang Hyuk (“Robbers” reunion anyone?) and also Oh Ji Ho.

Now, the news mentioned that KBS got the famous Korean singer of all-time, Yim Jae Bum to sing its OST? Even better! Yim Jae Bum has been around for quite a bit, and if you don’t recognize him at first, I’m quite sure you’ve heard his songs somewhere – perhaps from different singers. “Go Baek” (Confession) is also one of his songs, which quite popular remake hits among Kpop. SBS “Lovers” used this song – and Lee Seo Jin sang it for Kim Jung Eun during their happy days in “Kim Jung Eun’s Chocolate”. Yim Jae Bum’s songs are simply known as the “masterpiece.”

Yim Jae Bum’s ‘낙인’ features the luxury of the singer’s voice in the drama “Chuno” (The Slave Hunters), is actually composed by the same person who did “Goodbye Solo”, “Style” and “That Fool” theme songs. You may hear a sample of the track in episode 1 towards the ending scene, starting around 59:35.

The full track of 임재범’s 낙인 (Stigma) will be released on the 8th (today), while the whole album package (13 tracks) will be fully released next week on the 14th. In last night’s 2nd episode, ballad singer Beige ‘달에지다’ will be released, then the next one featuring rapper MC Sniper ‘민초의 난’ and jazz vocalist the next Bard rapper ‘MC Sniper’ of the ‘grassroots of the I’ Jazz vocalist 웅산의 ‘지독한 사랑’ will be released sequentially.

Here’s Yim Jae Bum’s “Stigma”: