By Xu Aiying
Video = Triple Pictures' official YouTube channel

"Hana Korea," a movie about a North Korean female defector who struggles to adapt to life in South Korea, is set for domestic release on July 8.

A stark look at the Korean Peninsula's division, the film was directed by Frederik Solberg of Denmark and stars actors Kim Minha ("Pachinko"), Kim Jooryoung (season one of "Squid Game") and Ahn Seohyun ("Okja"). Sharon Sung-jae Choi, who earned fame as "Parasite" director Bong Joon-ho's interpreter, co-wrote the screenplay.

"Hana Korea" focuses less on the protagonist's defection and more on her life in South Korea. Solberg said he wrote the plot based on in-depth interviews with about 30 North Korean defectors over five years.

At the news conference for the film at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul, the director discussed his inspiration for the film. He said that soon after arriving in South Korea for the first time in 2010, he went to a restaurant and started talking to two men, one of whom said his wish was "hana (one) Korea."

He said he grew curious about Korean division, which he knew only as a historical fact, and how it impacts individual lives. While exploring Hanawon, a training facility in a southern Seoul suburb that prepares defectors for adaptation to life in South Korea, he met a defector in 2019 whose courage and life moved him to make a movie.

"Hana Korea" director Frederik Solberg (left), with co-scriptwriter Choi Sung-jae (Sharon Choi) next to him, on June 26 responds to questions at a media screening and news conference for the film at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul's Yongsan-gu District. (Triple Pictures)

"It's easy for the stories of North Korean defectors to be consumed as dramatic events," Choi said. "In an era of deepening division, we needed a story to allow viewers to form an emotional connection with the journey of a young woman overcoming adversity."

"As we have a foreign director, we wrote the script in English for certain scenes and Korean for others," she added. "Working while switching languages was a very interesting experience."

Scene from "Hana Korea" (Triple Pictures)

The film shows the ups and downs of the protagonist Hye-seon's life in South Korean society, from small experiences to her daily sense of isolation.

"Because the work is based on a real person, I thought we needed to handle it more carefully and respectfully," said Kim Minha, who played Hye-seon. "I prepared for the role by meticulously breaking down the stages of change Hye-seon goes through, from her arrival in (South) Korea until now."

"Hana Korea" cast Kim Jooryoung, An Seohyun and Kim Minha, director Frederik Solberg and co-scriptwriter Choi Seong-jae (Sharon Choi) on June 26 pose for cameras at a media screening and news conference for the film at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul's Yongsan-gu District. (Xu Aiying)

Solberg hailed the film's three main actors for their dedication. With the film to be released worldwide starting in Denmark next month, he added, "We've done our best to make a film that will resonate hopefully both with Korean and international audiences."

The story of Hye-seon, who begins a new life with courage and perseverance, resonates with life in modern society, he said, adding his hope that viewers reflect on the value of freedom and its price.

xuaiy@korea.kr