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The Korea Times

By Baek Byung-yeul
Despite being known for his baby face and gentle eyes, actor Song Joong-ki does not hesitate to take on roles in films or TV series that portray characters with rough edges or ambitious personalities.
As seen in popular TV series like Descendants of the Sun (2016), Vincenzo (2021) and Reborn Rich (2022), as well as hit movies such as A Werewolf Boy (2012) and The Battleship Island (2017), he has consistently challenged himself with diverse genres.
Song, who often receives questions about his unexpected choices, will soon be in cinemas again with his latest project, crime film Bogota: City of the Lost, in which he plays Guk-hui, an ambitious young man who travels to Colombia with his family in the 1990s in search of a new life.


The film explores the competition and friction among Korean merchants in Colombia, bringing out Song’s tough side.
The 39-year-old actor said he was driven by a sense of challenge and has always chosen projects that allowed him to show a different side of himself compared with his previous roles.
“I often get asked about making unexpected choices. Even becoming an actor was unexpected for me. I debuted as an actor at 26. At that time, while my college classmates were working, I hadn’t even completed my military duty. My life has always been about making choices that are different from the norm,” he said in an interview.
“In this industry, I often hear from people that my project choices seem unusual. I’m not particularly thirsty for a specific genre, but if I’ve played a bright character in a TV drama, I try to balance it out by choosing a film that deals with a darker character that’s difficult to portray on TV for my next project.”

He revealed that he enjoys challenging himself in his daily life as well.
“I’m not the type to be afraid of trying new food. For instance, I wasn’t scared about food or other aspects about Colombia. It’s better to try and regret than not try at all,” he said.
He left for Colombia in December 2019 to film Bogota: City of the Lost. Shooting began in January 2020 and about half of the footage was shot over the following three months.
However, as the Covid-19 pandemic worsened, filming was eventually halted. It resumed in May 2021 and they were able to complete it in Korea and Cyprus.
“We went through a lot while making this film. Due to Covid-19, something beyond human control, we had to pause filming once and that caused a lot of internal struggle,” Song said.
“While I’ve had projects that were scrapped during preparation, it was the first time a film was halted after nearly 50 per cent of shooting was completed.”
I hope Harbin and its lead actor Hyun Bin achieve great results. And I hope Firefighters, a film that was created through so much hardship, receives even more love
Song Joong-ki on supporting Korean films delayed by Covid
Song added that director Kim Seong-je and the film’s investors must have suffered more than he did because of the suspension.
“Between the filming suspension and the release now, I completed six projects. However, the director was solely focused on this film, so it must have been harder for him. The investors in this project must have had a tough time, too,” he said.
“When the film shooting was suspended, I filmed the drama Vincenzo, but even then, we couldn’t go to Italy and had to use computer graphics instead.”
Because of these struggles, when the actors first watched Bogota: City of the Lost together with the audience at the Busan International Film Festival in October, they found solace and encouragement in each other’s presence.
“At the festival, we saw the completed version of this film for the first time. The actors encouraged each other. We’re not telling the audience, ‘We went through so much hardship, so please come to the theatre and watch it.’ That would be very unprofessional.
“However, among ourselves, watching the film reminded us of the struggles we went through together.”

Song believes that Bogota: City of the Lost is fundamentally about responsibility.
“Guk-hui is a guy with a strong desire to carve out his own life and take good care of his family. When I first read the script, I thought this film was about responsibility. If the audience feels the same way I did, I think they will empathise a lot with Guk-hui.”
Just as Guk-hui strived for success in his efforts as a Korean merchant in a Colombian city, so did Song in preparation for the movie.
He learned Spanish, obtained a licence to drive large trucks and wore earrings to appear more localised, despite never having had piercings before.
“The production team told me there would be many scenes of me driving a truck in this film, so I obtained a large-truck driving licence. I took the test with a city bus, which was an interesting experience. I obtained this licence with a perfect score,” he said with a laugh.
“Although I can’t speak Spanish as well now as I did when filming this movie, I learned a lot of Spanish for the shoot. Also, I tried to incorporate as much of the local Colombian staffers’ language into the script as possible.”

As one of the few top actors in the Korean cinema scene, he expressed his support not only for Bogota: City of the Lost, but also for other Korean films whose releases have been delayed because of the pandemic.
“I also attended the preview event for the film Harbin. Some people asked why I was there, considering it a competitor to our film. That’s ridiculous. We all need to succeed.
“I hope Harbin and its lead actor Hyun Bin achieve great results. And I hope Firefighters, a film that was created through so much hardship, receives even more love.”
Bogota: City of the Lost opens in cinemas on December 31.
Read the original story at The Korea Times.


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Song, whose new film Bogota: City of the Lost was heavily delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, says he is driven by a sense of challenge


Song, whose new film Bogota: City of the Lost was heavily delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, says he is driven by a sense of challenge.


Song Joong-ki on Bogota struggles, supporting Hyun Bin and taking on difficult roles

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Song, whose new film Bogota: City of the Lost was heavily delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, says he is driven by a sense of challenge

Song, whose new film Bogota: City of the Lost was heavily delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, says he is driven by a sense of challenge