“Bogota: City of the Lost” stars Song Joong Ki and Lee Hee Joon sat down with Harper’s Bazaar Korea for a pictorial and interview!
Directed by Kim Sung Je, “Bogota: City of the Lost” is a crime thriller that tells the story of Guk Hee (Song Joong Ki), who, in the wake of the IMF crisis, heads to Bogotá, Colombia, with new hopes. There, he becomes entangled with Soo Young (Lee Hee Joon), a customs broker, and Sergeant Park (Kwon Hae Hyo), a key figure in the Korean community in Bogotá.
The photo shoot captures the actors’ charismatic presence in what appears to be a confined room, with the two men exuding an air of conflict and suspicion toward one another.
When asked about the challenges of embodying the role of Guk Hee, Song Joong Ki replied, “Among the characters I’ve played recently, Guk Hee is the most proactive. He doesn’t show it outwardly, but there is an unstoppable desire boiling inside him.”
Comparing Guk Hee to his previous characters Kiwan from “My Name Is Loh Kiwan” and Chi Geon from “Hopeless,” he described the character as having “the most prominent ambition to succeed and live a respectable life. ”
Regarding his co-star Lee Hee Joon, Song Joong Ki shared, “I tend to focus on the forest, whereas he is the meticulous type who notices even the leaves on the trees that I can’t see. He has great observation skills, just like the paintings he paints. I want to learn from him how to deeply explore the reasons behind a character’s actions.”
Lee Hee Joon also praised Song Joong Ki, saying, “Joong Ki has a wide-ranging warmth that embraces everyone. On set, leading actors are already busy just tackling their own role, but Song Joong Ki even notices when supporting actors feel nervous, and he takes care of everyone.”
When asked about his portrayal of Soo Young, he explained, “[My performance] came from contemplating how a former elite would look as a smuggler in a completely different society and what attitudes he would adopt as he tries to survive. Since he looks different from the locals, I imagined he would try his not to stand out. Perhaps he’d wear a Rolex watch and grow a mustache.” He continued, “I imagined he would act overly confident and relaxed, but I didn’t want him to be too rough. I wanted him to be more sexy.”
Song Joong Ki and Lee Hee Joon’s full pictorial and interview are available in the January issue of Harper’s Bazaar Korea.
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