Director Ryoo Seung-wan summed it up simply: "This is a film made with Jo In-sung and Park Jung-min in mind." The result is Humint, a hard-hitting action bromance fueled by relentless physicality and icy tension.
The film brings together Jo In-sung and Park Jung-min, who both say they "held nothing back." Ryoo's signature direction—trusted after Berlin and Escape from Mogadishu—pushes the pair into visceral, detail-driven action.
"From the start, the characters were named after them—Director Jo and Agent Park," Ryoo explained. "They were the starting point of this movie."
Shot on location in Latvia, Humint captures a stark, frozen landscape that mirrors its heavy subject matter. Months abroad bonded the cast, and that chemistry translates onscreen—serious in tone, alive with interplay.
At the production presentation held on January 12 at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University, the cast—Jo In-sung, Park Jung-min, Park Hae-joon, and Shin Se-kyung—kept the room buzzing with laughter while sharing stories from the shoot.
Set against the icy seas of Vladivostok, Humint follows operatives with clashing agendas as secrets and truths sink beneath the cold. The film explores human intelligence operations, with four characters colliding through tangled relationships and contrasting emotional textures.
Jo In-sung plays "Director Jo," a National Intelligence Service agent known for razor-sharp judgment, haunted by trauma after losing an informant. He delivers high-intensity action, noting, "This is my third project with Director Ryoo. When everyone takes responsibility, the ensemble just clicks."
Park Jung-min transforms into "Park Geon," a fearsome North Korean State Security officer rumored to hunt even the dead. His performance blends action with emotional depth. "The character shifts before and after an emotional fracture," he said. "That's why the action feels almost like melodrama."
Park also highlighted the relationships at the film's core—bromance with Jo In-sung, emotional exchanges with Park Hae-joon, and shared tension with Shin Se-kyung—placing his character at the center of the storm. He even reshaped his physique for the role, promising a side of himself audiences haven't seen before.
Action is a major draw. Jo In-sung emphasized precision and power, while Park Jung-min joked about Ryoo's hands-on martial arts demonstrations on set. Park Hae-joon, taking on a formidable antagonist, teased the thrill of gun-heavy combat. Shin Se-kyung, returning to the big screen after nearly 12 years, earned praise for her meticulous preparation, including dialect and song.
Ryoo expressed confidence in the final cut, hinting at scenes that made even him tense during monitoring. "Prepare to stretch and soak," he joked.
Both leads closed with an invitation: Jo In-sung hopes it becomes a must-watch over the Lunar New Year holiday, while Park Jung-min said he can't wait to see it in theaters himself.
Humint opens in cinemas on February 11.
