Actor Zo In-sung showed enduring friendship even after leaving Ko Hyun-jung's embrace.
On the afternoon of the 11th, an interview with Zo In-sung, the lead actor of the film "Humint," was held at a cafe in Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
The film "Humint" (director Ryu Seung-wan, distributed by NEW, produced by OeYuNaeGang Co., Ltd.) depicts a story in Vladivostok, where secrets and truths are submerged in a cold sea of ice, and people with different objectives collide with one another. It partially shares a universe with Ryu Seung-wan's 2013 hit "Berlin," which was released in 2013 and surpassed 7 million admissions.
Zo In-sung gave a passionate performance as NIS Director Jo in the film. He delivered riveting performances ranging from unarmed action to high-difficulty firearms action. Park Jeongmin plays Park Geon, head of North Korea's State Security Department; Park Hae-jun plays Hwang Chi-seong, North Korea's consul general in Vladivostok; and Shin Sae-kyeong plays Cha Seon-hwa, a North Korean restaurant worker who became a Humint to survive.
Zo In-sung met director Ryu Seung-wan for the third time with "Humint," following "Mogadishu" (2021) and "Smuggling" (2023), marking another career-defining role. This year he will also present Netflix film "Possible Love" and the highly anticipated global project "Hope" by director Na Hong-jin. With three releases in one year, his busy activities are highly anticipated.
Previously, after his exclusive contract with NS ENM (formerly IOK Company), where he had worked for 13 years, ended last year, Zo In-sung teamed up with close friend Cha Taehyun to establish a new agency, Basecamp Company. Zo In-sung had a close friendship with Ko Hyun-jung from spending many years under the same agency. It is reported that Zo In-sung and Cha Taehyun, as co-presidents, turned the company profitable within a year of its founding and distributed bonuses to employees.
Zo In-sung said, "This is the first time I've run an agency, and I wanted to focus on solidifying the foundation rather than growing it excessively. I felt it was necessary to closely examine how much revenue it generates while operating. We are going forward solely with our own resources without taking outside investment," and added with a laugh, "Ultimately, management should ensure actors are happy. We work with the thought of supporting whether we have the capability to do that and whether actors Jin Ki-joo and Im Joo-hwan can work here. That's why we work hard on projects to earn money."
Asked, "What has changed compared with about a year before becoming the head of an agency?", he replied, "Nothing in particular has changed. Fortunately, the company has allowed me to make my own judgments," and added, "I think the driving force that enabled me to run the company now is senior Ko Hyun-jung and CEO Ko Byung-chul," expressing his gratitude.
Zo In-sung added, "We didn't have long discussions about establishing the agency; later, we felt that as we age we wouldn't need to scale up significantly. Taehyun hyung said when he reaches his 50s and I reach my 40s, let's do something quietly and quaint. Let's prepare for our old age. That time came, each contract period ended, and we felt now was the right time."
Meanwhile, "Humint" opens on the 11th.
[Photo] provided by NEW
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