The film depicts the story of Guk Hee (played by Song Joong Ki), who heads to Colombia with new hopes in the aftermath of the IMF crisis. There, he becomes entangled with Soo Young (Lee Hee Jun), a customs broker and power figure in Bogotá’s Korean community, and Sergeant Park (Kwon Hae Hyo).
When asked about the challenges of interpreting the character Guk Hee, Song Joong Ki explained, “He’s the most proactive among the characters I’ve recently portrayed. He’s a friend whose restrained exterior hides unrelenting desires within. Unlike Chi Geon in Hopeless or Ki Wan in My Name is Loh Kiwan, Guk Hee is candid about his ambitions and intent on living a respectable life.”
Regarding working with co-star Lee Hee Jun, he added, “If I tend to see the forest, he’s meticulous enough to notice even the leaves I might overlook. He’s incredibly observant like the picture he paints, and I admire his ability to delve deeply into why a character behaves a certain way.”
Lee Hee Jun, who plays Soo Young in the movie also praised Song Joong Ki, saying, “Joong Ki has a broad heart. He has a warmth that embraces everyone. Even as the lead actor on set, he notices when background actors are nervous and takes care of everyone. I see him as an actor who helps the supporting and villain roles while also driving the entire production.”
When asked about his approach to portraying Soo Young, Lee shared, “I wondered what an elite-turned-smuggler living in a foreign society might look like. How would he adapt to survive? Because he looks different from the locals, I imagined he might try hard not to appear so. Perhaps he’d wear a Rolex and grow a mustache. With underlying insecurities, he might constantly pretend to be confident and relaxed. However, I wanted him to appear less rough and more sexy.”
Bogota: City of the Lost is set to premiere on December 31st, and the pictorial and interview with Song Joong Ki and Lee Hee Jun can be found in the January 2025 issue of Harper’s Bazaar.
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