Sung Dong Il Exposes Yeo Jin Goo’s True Colors: ‘Villain is His Real Personality’

Sung Dong Il reveals what it's like to work with Yeo Jin Goo as they star in the movie "Hijack 1971."

Released on June 21, the duo joins Ha Jung Woo as the lead stars of a suspense thriller movie that depicts a mid-air crisis involving a hijacker. 

Taking on a challenging role, Yeo Jin Goo lands his first villain role as he portrays Yong Dae, a hijacker from Sokcho, Gangwon Province. 

What pushed him to hijack a commercial plane was to save his brother, who was wrongfully accused of being a member of the North Korean People's Army. 

He boards a plane in hopes of being reunited with his brother, who was imprisoned in North Korea. 

Amid the mid-air crisis, Captain Tae In, a former Korean Air Force fighter played by Ha Jung Woo, is on the brink of a life-or-death situation, but his number one priority is the safety of his passengers. 

Joining him on the plane is his co-pilot, Gyu Sik, played by veteran actor Sung Dong Il. 

In an interview following the official premiere of the movie, Sung Dong Il and Yeo Jin Goo dish on their experience filming "Hijack 1971."

Sung Dong Il Talks About Yeo Jin Goo Being an Effective Villain

During their guest appearance on SBS Power FM's "2 O'Clock Escape Cultwo Show," Yeo Jin Goo opened up about his thoughts on playing his first villain character. 

According to him, he reached out to director Kim Sung Han regarding his portrayal of Yong Dae since it was his first time playing the antagonist. 

"It is a villain, but I was most concerned about giving it a narrative. I talked a lot with the director because I was worried that unforgivable behavior would be justified or glorified," he said, referring to the character's decision to hijack a commercial plane. 

READ MORE: Yeo Jin Goo Opens Up on His Struggles as Child Actor: 'I Was Blaming Myself A Lot'

"It was never granted," Yeo Jin Goo recalled the director's response, adding, "I actually created a narrative using articles from that time and worked on it while thinking about how to convey it without embellishment."

Sung Dong Il Recalls Yeo Jin Goo Accidentally Hitting Ha Jung Woo During Filming

As for the junior star's performance of the villain character, Sung Dong Il mentioned that he saw a side of Yeo Jin Goo that he had never seen before.

"When I saw him in person, it was his personality. He was poisonous and almost crazy. So I asked the director. He said, 'How did he come out like that? I cast him based on his image,'" the veteran actor joked, which somehow gives a nod to how effective Yeo Jin Goo is as a villain. 

Interestingly, host Hanhae mentioned an incident where Yeo Jin Goo accidentally hit Ha Jung Woo while filming one of the scenes.

Hanhae joked that Ha Jung Woo even requested a separate meeting because of it. 

Interestingly, Sung Dong Il teased the host, saying, "I hit him on the head with a pistol."

However, Yeo Jin Goo explained that it was his first time filming under intense emotion and that he "had a desire to express the emotions that arose on set."

As for Sung Dong Il, he mentioned the unexpected response of fellow co-star Ha Jung Woo. 

"I really screamed. Jung Woo usually doesn't get angry, but he got angry. He hit a college senior like breaking a pumpkin." 

Despite this, Sung Dong Il praised Yeo Jin Goo for his intense immersion in playing the character. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED: Yeo Jin Goo Names THIS Actress He Truly Admires: '2 Hours of Praising Her is Not Enough'

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Written by Geca Flores