(Following Interview①) Director Hwang Byeong-guk of the movie 'YADANG: The Snitch' revealed an episode of directly meeting composer Don Spike while emphasizing the importance of 'rehabilitation' to eradicate drug crimes.
Director Hwang Byeong-guk conducted the interview on the morning of the 6th at the Megabox Seongsu in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. He discussed with domestic reporters about the film 'YADANG: The Snitch: Extended Cut' (directed by Hwang Byeong-guk, provided/distributed by Plus M Entertainment, produced by HYBE) which is released that day.
'YADANG: The Snitch: Extended Cut' is an extended version of the film 'YADANG: The Snitch' that attracted about 3.37 million viewers since its release on April 16th. 'YADANG' unfolds as a crime action film where prosecutors aiming to rise higher, brokers shaking the drug investigation, and detectives betting everything on eradicating drug crimes intertwine with different objectives. The extended version has about 15 minutes of additional footage, emphasizing messages about 'prosecutorial reform' centering around the main character, Prosecutor Koo Kwan-hee (played by Yoo Hae-jin), along with narratives that couldn't be included in the main film.
In this process, the scenes of drug use have also increased. Director Hwang noted, "I wanted to make the dangers of drugs known even in the main film. I was wondering how to convey that danger; I thought that showing it realistically might paradoxically inform about the dangers, so that's how I conceptualized it. Doing it that way would inevitably result in an 'R' rating. I appreciate that the production company and investors understood my intentions and allowed that to happen."
He further expressed, "In the main film, the pace was fast and lively, but I wanted to make the seriousness of the dangers clearer. I've looked at many materials. Although I haven't participated in actual drug parties, I've heard a lot about them. The reality is truly more horrific. It's behavior that one cannot engage in without using drugs. Drug offenders remember their actions from the previous day. You wonder why, but as days pass, the urge returns, leading to extreme choices sometimes."
After the release of 'YADANG', the entertainment industry heightened its vigilance regarding the seriousness of drug crimes once again, as Don Spike, who served time for drug-related charges, disclosed his current situation via YouTube, directly informing about the dangers of drug crimes.
Director Hwang Byeong-guk mentioned, "I met Mr. Don Spike in person not long ago. The Korea Drug Eradication Movement Headquarters holds healing gatherings for addicts every Thursday in Dangsan-dong, and he attended. I also participated, meeting the addicts and observing the healing process; that's where I saw him. He even asked to take a picture, saying he enjoyed the film more than I did, which made me flustered, so I took the photo."
He also shared, "About 40 addicts attended that day, and they said they had almost all seen 'YADANG'. A few said they didn't watch it because they were worried it would trigger cravings. Some even ran to the restroom while watching the film upon seeing a scene where Kang Ha-neul is depicted using drugs," expressing his sorrow.
Director Hwang Byeong-guk explained, "If I quit smoking, I can endure for 4 days, 5 days, or a week, but if I drink, I want to smoke even more. That craving and withdrawal symptoms from smoking are the same as drug addiction. Some people say that just hearing the sound of rain makes them want to use drugs; they have their unique triggers. Kang Ha-neul's character also injects himself with a syringe in the film, pulling out blood to check if it's properly inserted. I captured the scenes of addicts confirming their injection, which made me feel crazy watching that."
'YADANG' has gained enough support that drug crimes are rampant even in Korea, which is regarded as a drug-free country. Having observed drug crimes for a long time, what does Director Hwang Byeong-guk think about methods to eradicate them?
Director Hwang Byeong-guk lamented, "In general, when drugs are brought in from places like Cambodia, they sell tenfold. If they sell tenfold, people who normally don't engage in the drug trade might think they won't get caught. Producers and distributors cannot be stopped. When caught, another person takes their place. Because it's tenfold selling. I don't think we can eradicate that. No country has won the war on drugs."
Therefore, he asserted, "Ultimately, we need to eliminate the consumers." He emphasized, "We need to reduce consumers; only then will these people also decrease. It needs to stop being profitable. But we only put drug users in prison, and when they get out, they do it again. In my opinion, 'rehabilitation' is crucial. Korea's rehabilitation system is inadequate. We should expand this rehabilitation system further, just like the national efforts to reduce smoking and gambling; I believe there should be a broader rehabilitation program for drugs as well."
Moreover, Director Hwang Byeong-guk added, "There are lines in our movie where someone says, 'I'll help you with quitting drugs if you go abroad', and 'If you take this when you feel cravings, it should lessen it.' I included those messages in the film because I think 'rehabilitation' is the most important. In the extended version, I wanted to emphasize the importance of rehabilitation once again."
[Photo] Provided by Plus M Entertainment, source from YouTube.
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