[INTERVIEW] Actor Park Hae-il champions free press, integrity in 'The Assassin(s)'

Park Hae-il said his role in Hur Jin-ho’s The Assassin(s) centers on a newspaper editor who resists state censorship and government pressure. In an interview in Seoul on Thursday, he said the project drew him in because the film turns a pivotal modern Korean event into a feature and explores the era through people seeking the truth. He also said he focused on Jae-hwan’s commitment to journalistic integrity and freedom of expression.

The film is set in 1974 and deals with the real-life assassination of first lady Yuk Young-soo.

Park Hae-il plays Jae-hwan, a principled desk editor at a daily newspaper.

The movie is scheduled to open in theaters on Sept. 23 during the Chuseok holiday season.

Park said he previously worked with director Hur Jin-ho on The Last Princess in 2016.

He praised Lee Min-ho’s dedication on set and said Yoo Hae-jin inspired him to adopt healthier habits during production.

Published Sep 10, 2026 5:57 pm KST

Actor Park Hae-il / Courtesy of Hive Media Corp

Returning to the big screen after a four-year hiatus, veteran actor Park Hae-il delivers another quiet yet powerful performance in director Hur Jin-ho’s new historical thriller, "The Assassin(s)."

The 49-year-old actor enjoyed one of the defining years of his career in 2022 with Park Chan-wook's critical and commercial hit "Decision to Leave" and the period action blockbuster "Hansan: Rising Dragon."

For his return, Park joined Hur again. They previously worked together on the 2016 hit movie "The Last Princess."

Set against the tumultuous backdrop of 1974, "The Assassin(s)" tackles the real-life assassination of first lady Yuk Young-soo. Instead of focusing on the political conspiracy, the movie examines the cruel atmosphere of the era through the eyes of those seeking the truth.

Park plays Jae-hwan, a principled desk editor at a daily newspaper who refuses to back down when faced with state censorship and government pressure. Alongside Yoo Hae-jin, who plays detective Cheol-gu, Park leads a compelling ensemble cast, making the film a strong contender to top the local box office during the upcoming Chuseok holiday season when it hits theaters on Sept. 23.

"I didn't actively seek out historical events when I was growing up, but when director Hur told me this pivotal event in modern Korean history had never been made into a feature film, it sparked my curiosity," Park told The Korea Times in an interview at a cafe in Seoul, Thursday.

"I approached this project with a mindset of exploring and understanding what happened during that period."

Despite nearly 30 years of acting experience, Park confessed that stepping into a 1970s period piece presented fresh challenges.

"It was my first time entering the specific atmosphere of the 1970s," he said. "Every step felt like crossing a stone bridge cautiously. The director, cast and crew kept asking ourselves whether we were accurately capturing the air and tone of that era."

To realistically portray a journalist, Park focused heavily on capturing the fundamental mindset of the profession rather than relying on stereotypical depictions of reporters.

"My primary task was to look and feel natural as a journalist of that time," Park explained. "Instead of deep-diving into the character's backstories, director Hur and I agreed to focus entirely on Jae-hwan's commitment to journalistic integrity and freedom of expression."

Actor Park Hae-il in a scene from "The Assassin(s)” / Courtesy of Hive Media Corp

A key scene in the film features Jae-hwan reading the Declaration for the Practice of Free Press inside a chaotic newsroom. Park revealed that filming the scene provided a rare, almost weightless moment of immersive focus.

"I was worried that the scene might feel overly formal or awkward for the audience," Park said. "When we shot it, I felt a rare sense of total immersion — almost like being weightless. I even stumbled over a line a little bit, but that natural feel felt right for the moment."

Park also praised his co-star Lee Min-ho, who plays rookie reporter Young-il.

"When I first met Min-ho at the production office, his tall and striking appearance reminded me of the legendary 1960s and 70s star Shin Seong-il," Park said. "I immediately understood why director Hur cast him. Beyond his visual presence, he fully dedicated himself to the set, showing up even on days he had no scenes to support the team."

From left are actors Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho in a scene from "The Assassin(s)" / Courtesy of Hive Media Corp

Park expressed deep gratitude for his senior co-star Yoo Hae-jin as well, saying that watching Yoo's discipline on set inspired him to build healthier habits during production.

"Hae-jin handles stress on set in such a healthy way. He goes for 5-kilometer runs after filming," Park said with a smile. "I tried running near my accommodation to follow his example, and it helped me maintain the energy needed for a film that runs at full throttle from start to finish."

When asked about his style of acting, Park said, "Rather than standing out in a single moment, I prefer my performance to naturally melt into the larger piece. I believe that creates a more complete cinematic experience."

‘The Assassin(s)’ tackles 1974 first lady killing through journalist eyes

朴海日表示，他在许镇昊导演的《刺客》中饰演一位反抗国家审查和政府压力的报社编辑。周四在首尔接受采访时，他表示，这部电影吸引他的地方在于它将韩国近代史上一个关键事件搬上了大银幕，并通过人们追寻真相的视角展现了那个时代。他还表示，他特别关注金在焕对新闻操守和言论自由的坚持。

这部电影以 1974 年为背景，讲述了第一夫人柳英秀遇刺的真实事件。

朴海日饰演的宰焕是一位在日报社里恪守原则的编辑。

该电影计划于9月23日中秋节假期期间在影院上映。

朴赞郁表示，他之前曾与许镇浩导演合作过，拍摄了2016年的电影《德州公主》。

他称赞李敏镐在片场的敬业精神，并表示柳海珍在拍摄期间激励他养成更健康的生活习惯。

发布于2026年9月10日下午5:57（韩国标准时间）

演员朴海日 / 图片由 Hive Media Corp 提供

阔别大银幕四年后，资深演员朴海日重返大银幕，在导演许镇浩的新历史惊悚片《刺客》中再次奉献了沉稳而有力的表演。

这位 49 岁的演员在 2022 年迎来了他职业生涯中最具决定性的一年，凭借朴赞郁导演的口碑和票房双丰收的《离开的决定》以及古装动作大片《韩山：崛起之龙》。

为了这次回归，朴赞郁再次与许鞍华合作。他们之前曾在2016年的热门电影《德州公主》中合作过。

《刺客》以动荡的1974年为背景，讲述了第一夫人柳英秀遇刺的真实事件。影片并没有着重刻画​​政治阴谋，而是通过那些寻求真相的人的视角，审视了那个时代的残酷氛围。

朴赞郁饰演的宰焕是一位原则性极强的日报编辑，面对国家审查和政府压力，他绝不退缩。与饰演刑警哲九的柳海真搭档，朴赞郁领衔一众实力派演员，这部影片将于9月23日上映，有望在即将到来的中秋节假期档期荣登韩国票房榜首。

“我小时候并没有主动去了解历史事件，但是当许导演告诉我，韩国现代史上这个关键事件从未被拍成电影时，就激起了我的好奇心，”朴在周四首尔一家咖啡馆接受《韩国时报》采访时说道。

“我开展这个项目的初衷是探索和了解那段时期发生的事情。”

尽管拥有近30年的表演经验，朴赞郁坦言，出演一部以20世纪70年代为背景的时代剧对她来说是一个全新的挑战。

“这是我第一次真正体验到20世纪70年代的氛围，”他说。“每一步都像是小心翼翼地走过一座石桥。导演、演员和剧组人员一直在问自己，我们是否准确地捕捉到了那个时代的气息和基调。”

为了真实地刻画记者形象，朴赞郁着重捕捉了该职业的基本思维模式，而不是依赖于对记者的刻板印象。

“我的首要任务是让自己看起来和感觉起来都像那个时代的记者，”朴解释说。“我和许导演一致认为，与其深入挖掘角色的背景故事，不如将全部精力集中在宰焕对新闻操守和言论自由的坚持上。”

演员朴海日在电影《刺客》中的剧照 / 图片由Hive Media Corp提供

影片中的一个关键场景是宰焕在混乱的新闻编辑室里朗读《新闻自由实践宣言》。朴赞郁透露，拍摄这场戏让他体验到了一种难得的、几乎无重力的沉浸式专注状态。

“我担心这场戏对观众来说可能会显得过于正式或尴尬，”朴说。“拍摄的时候，我感到一种难得的完全沉浸感——几乎就像失重了一样。我甚至还磕磕绊绊地说了几句台词，但那种自然的感觉反而很符合当时的氛围。”

朴赞郁也称赞了他的搭档李敏镐，李敏镐在剧中饰演菜鸟记者英日。

“我第一次在制片公司见到闵浩时，他高大英俊的外表让我想起了上世纪六七十年代的传奇影星申成日，”朴说。“我立刻明白了许导演为什么会选择他。除了外形出众，他对片场也十分投入，即使没有戏份也会到场支持剧组。”

左起为演员柳海镇、朴海日和李敏镐，剧照来自电影《刺客》。/图片由Hive Media Corp提供

朴赞郁也对他的前辈搭档柳海镇表达了深深的感激之情，他说看到柳海镇在片场的自律精神激励他在拍摄期间养成更健康的生活习惯。

“海镇在片场应对压力的方式非常健康。他拍完戏后会去跑5公里，”朴笑着说。“我试着效仿他，在住处附近跑步，这帮助我保持拍摄一部从头到尾都全程高强度拍摄的电影所需的精力。”

当被问及自己的表演风格时，朴赞郁表示：“我更喜欢让我的表演自然地融入到整部作品中，而不是在某个瞬间脱颖而出。我相信这样能创造更完整的电影体验。”

《刺客》以记者的视角讲述了1974年第一夫人遇刺案。