"Humint" action director Lee Won-haeng shared behind-the-scenes details about the film's action sequences.
The film "Humint" (director Ryu Seung-wan, provided/distributed by NEW, produced by Oeyunaegang) is set in Vladivostok, where secrets and truths are submerged in a cold sea of ice, and tells the story of people with different objectives clashing. The emotional intersection created by Zo In-sung and Park Jeongmin adds a human story to the trappings of "spy action," earning praise, and currently, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) integrated ticketing system, cumulative attendance has surpassed 1.6 million and is sailing toward 2 million.
In particular, by presenting high-quality action scenes such as gun action, hand-to-hand combat, and chase sequences, giving audiences satisfaction, action director Lee Won-haeng spoke about the action in "Humint" in an interview with OSEN.
First, regarding the working rhythm with director Ryu Seung-wan, who raises expectations for "action" with each film, action director Lee Won-haeng said, "Director Ryu Seung-wan views action not as mere genre spectacle but as an important element that functions within the flow of story and emotion. On set, he guides focusing on the scene's mood, tension and rhythm, and the action director designs and coordinates the action according to those standards. I think he is a director who emphasizes realism rather than stylish action."
He also spoke about the unique action of "Humint." The director said, "The most important value of action in 'Humint' is 'realistic tension.' Various elements such as firearms, fights and chases appear, but above all we focused on securing the plausibility of each situation. Rather than exaggerated style, we sought to preserve the vivid sense of characters actually colliding and getting worn down. In particular, we emphasized the weight of the action and the characters' reality, approaching the work so that changes in characters' stamina and the flow of emotion connect naturally."
He continued, "When designing action, I considered 'the inevitability of emotion' more important than 'the flair of movement.' Technically flashy moves were less important than intentionally leaving moments of hesitation, loss of balance, and rhythms of breathlessness, to give a feeling closer to a body struggling to survive than to perfect choreography. In scenes where someone must be saved, I composed defensive, breaking-through and enduring movements rather than attacks, hoping the audience would feel both the impact and the character's desperation."
He also talked about the indispensable "real action" in "Humint." He emphasized, "Because we minimized CG, the entire shoot required a high level of concentration from both actors and staff. The area we paid the most attention to was the close-range action scenes. Rather than flashy moves, elements like timing, distance and camera movement had to mesh precisely. Sometimes restrained movement generates greater tension. I focused on the point that a single small detail can determine the action's realism and completeness."
He also described memorable scenes: "Because we minimized CG, the entire shoot required a high level of concentration from both actors and staff. The area we paid the most attention to was the close-range action scenes. Rather than flashy moves, elements like timing, distance and camera movement had to mesh precisely. Sometimes restrained movement generates greater tension. I focused on the point that a single small detail can determine the action's realism and completeness," he explained.
He added, "I have affection for all the scenes, but the stair action scene is especially memorable. It was the first action shoot on an overseas location, and it captured Park Geon (Park Jeongmin)'s rage and assistant manager Im (Jeong Yoo-jin)'s desperate struggle in a brutally confrontational way. We focused not simply on running down the stairs but on bold movements of throwing the body between steps and jumping down, and the director seemed to regard these realistic points as important."
There were difficulties. Action director Lee Won-haeng recalled, "The biggest variable in overseas shoots is communication with local staff beyond mere climate or natural conditions. Physical conditions can be prepared for to some extent, but differences in working methods on site can greatly affect the action's completeness. So for this 'Humint' we closely shared the intent behind the action design with local staff from the preparation stage and synchronized our work. We spent a lot of effort narrowing gaps in safety standards and rehearsal methods that differ by country. To that end, we actively used storyboards and previsualization to clearly visualize movements, collision timing and camera movement, precisely aligning sync on site."
There were also different action points for each character. He began, "Rather than technical differentiation of action, we designed around each character's tendencies and atmosphere. Manager Jo (Zo In-sung) focused on efficient, restrained movement, while Park Geon (Park Jeongmin) approached with a rough action tone in which emotion is directly projected. We cared more about why a character would have to move that way than about showing a particular move, and we made sure the characters' personalities and tension are naturally conveyed through action alone."
About Zo In-sung's action he praised, "Actor Zo In-sung has excellent basic body balance and stability of movement. Thanks to his rich action experience, his understanding of movement is very fast and his adaptability on set is outstanding. Above all, his attitude of treating action not as mere technical execution but as an extension of emotional expression was impressive. Actor Zo In-sung played a decisive role in increasing the scene's plausibility through constant deliberation and active communication."
He also spoke about Park Jeongmin's action. He noted that he reunited with Park Jeongmin after the Netflix film Jeon, Ran. The director said, "I was glad to work with him again after the previous project. Through this production I felt that Park Jeongmin's way of interpreting and realizing action became more flexible and refined. If the previous work showed refined swordsmanship-focused movement, in this film he naturally handled rough, realistic-toned firearm and hand-to-hand action. I think his strength is that beyond technical proficiency he is an actor who considers the character's emotion and narrative context."
Finally, we heard the action director's "secret action sequence." Action director Lee Won-haeng said, "All actions in 'Humint' were thoroughly designed to work with the characteristics and trajectories of the spaces. For the opening Southeast Asia action sequence, we aimed to maximize the use of narrow, confined interior structures. We set up special furniture and sinks made of fragile ballistic wood to prioritize the actors' safety while maximizing the destructive impact on screen. For the finale at the closed airport, we clearly distinguished the characteristics of indoor and outdoor action. The interior focused on the 'pressure and tension' given by tight spaces, and the exterior focused on 'distance, speed and rhythm' in open space. If you watch the film on a large theater screen, you will properly feel this clear spatial difference and the impact," he stressed, urging audiences to watch.
[photo] NEW / provided by the subject
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