Actor Bae Seong-woo, ahead of the release of his starring film "끝장수사", expressed remorse toward his younger brother Bae Seong-jae, who married last year.
On the morning of the 26th, an interview with actor Bae Seong-woo, the lead of the film "끝장수사", took place at a cafe on Samcheong-ro in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
"끝장수사" (written and directed by Park Cheol-hwan, distributed by Ace Maker Movie Works Co., Ltd., produced by Youth Film Co., Ltd.·IAAN Pictures Co., Ltd.) is a crime investigation drama that depicts the story of veteran detective Seo Jae-hyeok (played by Bae Seong-woo), who was demoted to a rural backwater and given a last chance in life, leaving for a final investigation in Seoul with rookie detective Kim Jung-ho (played by Jung Ga-ram) to catch the real perpetrator of a murder case involving two suspects.
"끝장수사", motivated by a real-life case, is director Park Cheol-hwan's first film directorial work; he has demonstrated directorial skill on series such as "Grid" and "Blood Free". The film promises nonstop entertainment with a plot that coils upon itself within the situation of "one case, two suspects," repeated twists in the search for the true culprit, and varied chemistry. Bae Seong-woo and Jung Ga-ram play veteran detective Seo Jae-hyeok and influencer-turned-rookie detective Kim Jung-ho, respectively, showing a chemistry as a detective duo, while Esom plays prosecutor Kang Mi-joo, who speaks plainly; Cho Han-Cheul plays elite detective Oh Min-ho; and Yoon Kyung-ho joins as murder suspect Jo Dong-o, completing the acting ensemble.
Most notably, lead actor Bae Seong-woo was caught driving under the influence in November 2020 at a level that would have resulted in license cancellation. He left midrun from the SBS drama "Fly, Gaechun-yong" and took a period of self-reflection, and was sentenced to a fine of 7 million won for drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act.
He later returned through the film "1947 Boston" (2023) and the Netflix series "The 8 Show" (2024), and continued activities by appearing in Disney+ "Light Shop" and Coupang Play variety show "SNL Korea Reboot Season 7." The project "Business Trip Investigation," which had been indefinitely shelved due to the drunk driving incident, was retitled "끝장수사" and is coming out to the world after seven years.
"끝장수사" was one of the works delayed the longest because of the drunk driving incident, and Bae Seong-woo said, "In 'Boston 1947' there were three lead actors, but I couldn't step forward. So I had emotional expectations tied to it," adding, "On the other hand, this film was something I had to shoulder to some extent, so in a way that was fortunate." He continued, "No matter how many apologies I make, I feel it's never enough. I had that opportunity, and I felt very sorry about the film itself, so I'm relieved and grateful that it's being released. And I'm surprisingly diligent when working on projects. It's not that I'm especially so for this project alone."
Asked, "Did the director say anything before the release?", he replied, "I've kept in contact with the director and sometimes we meet. When it was announced that the film would be released, he didn't need to comfort me, but he did and said, 'Because I edited it again after a long time, it seems better.' I was more grateful," showing his appreciation.
Before the drunk driving controversy, the brother pair Bae Seong-woo and Bae Seong-jae often mentioned each other on variety programs and received attention. The uncommon combination of a famous actor older brother and an announcer younger brother won public affection. Bae Seong-jae, a former SBS announcer, when his brother's drunk driving incident broke, said on his radio program on SBS PowerFM "Bae Seong-jae's Ten", "I have nothing to say. I apologize as family," and declared firmly, "That name will never be mentioned on broadcasts again for the rest of my life."
At the time, his younger brother Bae Seong-jae was affected by the incident, and Bae Seong-woo recalled the episode, saying, "I've been awkward with my brother since childhood.." and "(When this happened) the hardest thing was what to say to my brother. He, that friend, that person must have been emotionally hurt," unable to hide his remorse.
Announcer Bae Seong-jae married junior announcer Kim Da-young last May. If not for the drunk driving incident, as a brother he would have been more than anyone happy to congratulate him, which is unfortunate. Asked, "Your younger brother started a family last year; don't you have anything you want to say to him?", Bae Seong-woo confessed, "I feel really sorry, but now that he seems to be living well (after marrying), I feel good. Actually, because he's family, it's the most awkward to say anything."
Because Bae Seong-woo was widely loved as a "prolific work fairy," the public's sense of betrayal was also great. Regarding the unintentionally prolonged hiatus, he said, "I don't think my thoughts about acting have changed significantly. I've always thought since theater days that while I hope plays and films attract many audiences and do well, I want the people who see them to feel good. That's what I want. No one knows how to make something succeed. If someone knew, it would be 100% a hit, but no one knows." He added, "I sharpen the acting I know and work hard within the limits of my ability. It's not a great talent, so I always worry and make efforts."
He admitted he was honestly having a hard time before this interview, saying, "Before, I used to enjoy doing interviews. I enjoyed talking about projects; while talking about them I would get curious and wonder how they were received. I used to enjoy that part a little, but today it's been a long time, and for various reasons I'm nervous and barely slept last night. I'm sweating now."
When asked, "Has anything changed in the direction of your life after the drunk driving controversy?", he said, "You must not do strange things to live rightly," adding, "Overall, as time passed I found being too rigid in life has limits. Continuing to live that way isn't easy. It's actually so hard, so I try to live as flexibly as possible, but at the same time I must live carefully. If something is not to be done, I can just not do it. These days I also drink less and use public transportation a lot," drawing laughter.
As ways he overcame difficult times, he said calmly, "My way of living hasn't really changed; when resting I exercise, I meet and talk with close people, and I watch works. I hope people will look kindly on me in the future, but it's not like 'I'll repay you with my work.' I just do my job diligently. That's natural."
He added candidly, "As long as opportunities allow, I'll keep working hard, and as long as my abilities reach, I think I should go in a direction that satisfies viewers," and, "It wasn't about a certain period; I should have kept doing that before, but strangely I didn't live that way. I should live cautiously where caution is needed."
Meanwhile, "끝장수사" opens on Apr. 2.
[Photo] OSEN DB, provided by Ace Maker Movie Works Co., Ltd., SNS
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