Lee Jung-eun leads a mother-daughter revenge journey for Gyeong-ju

Actors Lee Jung-eun, Gong Hyo-jin, Park So Dam, and Lee Yeon gathered in one place. At the production briefing for the film 'The Journey to Gyeong-ju' held on the morning of the 27th at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University Station in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, the cast members attended to share stories about the work.

'The Journey to Gyeong-ju' tells the story of a mother and three older sisters who decide to embark on a journey of revenge for their youngest daughter, 'Gyeong-ju,' who went missing during a school trip eight years ago. This film, the first commercial feature from director Kim Mi-jo, is directed by Kim, who won the Grand Prize at the Jeonju International Film Festival for her debut work 'Galmaegi' (Seagull).

Director Kim Mi-jo revealed that the film's title carries a double meaning. 'Gyeong-ju' is both the name of the missing daughter and a famous tourist destination, while 'Gihaeng' simultaneously carries the meanings of both a journey and strange behavior. Director Kim stated, "I wanted to depict how one overcomes the pain of loss and how those left behind come to understand one another. Ultimately, it is a story about intense love."

Lee Jung-eun, Gong Hyo-jin, Park So Dam, and Lee Yeon: Four Mothers and Daughters with Different Colors

The actors for this film were cast exactly as the director envisioned. Lee Jung-eun, playing the mother 'Ok-sil,' introduced her character, saying, "She is a person who seems trapped in time, and I tried not to show fear in front of the children." Gong Hyo-jin, playing the eldest daughter 'Jang-ju,' is portrayed as the character who feels the greatest compassion for her mother's sorrow.

Park So Dam, playing the second daughter 'Yeong-ju,' appears as a jobless law school graduate and a meticulous strategist. Park So Dam explained, "She is a rational and logical person who plans the revenge her mother wants to carry out without error, down to the hour and the second." Lee Yeon, playing the third daughter 'Yeong-mi,' took on a hot-tempered character whose fists act before her words. Lee Yeon revealed that she completed her preparations by attending an action school.

Gong Hyo-jin said, "No matter what you expect, a revenge greater than that will be waiting," adding, "We captured a fantasy that people might have imagined at least once while watching the news."

Connections Stretching from 'When the Camellia Blooms' to 'Parasite'

The connections in the cast's filmographies are also notable. Lee Jung-eun worked with Gong Hyo-jin as mother and daughter in the drama 'When the Camellia Blooms' and faced off against Park So Dam in the film 'Parasite.' Lee Jung-eun remarked, "After forming a deep connection in one work, it is not easy to meet again in the next, but this time, I felt a desire to be together from the moment I chose the script, so I am grateful."

Park So Dam confessed that she received great comfort from Lee Jung-eun during her illness in 2021. Park So Dam said, "I received a lot of help from her when I was recuperating after being sick. It was wonderful in itself to meet her as mother and daughter in this work, especially since she used to come to my house even in the early morning to listen to me."

The film 'The Journey to Gyeong-ju' will be released on August 26th.