Lee Jong Won Conquers Fear With Horror Film

Director Lee Sang-min stated about the role of Gi-tae, played by Lee Jong-won in the film 'Salmokji', "I wanted to create a part where viewers could feel reassured when Gi-tae appeared, a moment to take a breath." This means that in scenes featuring Lee Jong-won, audiences can momentarily escape their fear of horror. Lee Jong-won, who made his first foray into feature commercial films, showcased his multifaceted charm, displaying various aspects such as the urgency in terrifying situations, the lingering affection and regret for his ex-girlfriend, and the surprise upon discovering a secret.

Lee Jong-won expressed his feelings, "It's my first movie, and I'm deeply moved to hear that it's the number one pre-booked film in Korea," and added that the movie "​is still so fun it's scary." He anticipated that if he found it scary even after reading the script and filming it, it would resonate freshly with audiences. Lee Jong-won, who plays Gi-tae, the ex-boyfriend of Soo-in (played by Kim Hye-yoon), a PD at a company that shoots map application road view footage, takes actions that seem to represent the audience's feelings, driven by the desire to protect and save the people he cares about.

Lee Jong-won said, "I was a bit timid, but the script was intuitively interesting." He was confident that if the scenes, which were vivid even when just read, were brought to life through acting, they would be even more chilling. He added, "​I was scared, but my ambition grew even more," and mentioned that while filming the horror movie, there were parts where he felt less fear.

The most important aspect Lee Jong-won considered while playing Gi-tae was naturalness. He revealed that he asked Director Lee Sang-min "​Is this natural?" the most on set. He stated that within the horror genre, he wanted to portray romance, humanity, and realistic everyday acting that anyone could experience.

Lee Jong-won mentioned that the film was even scarier because it was produced in the ScreenX format, and specifically recalled the scenes where he felt fear underwater. He added that he is contemplating whether to invite his parents, who dislike scary things, but has a desire to show them his son's good performance.