“Officer Black Belt” is about martial arts officer Lee Jung Do (Kim Woo Bin) - who has a total of 9 dan (ranks) in taekwondo, kendo, and judo.
He works with Kim Seon Min (Kim Sung Kyun), a probation officer (who monitors people on probation with electronic anklets due to their high risk of reoffending), to track down sex criminals.
Sharing about his new work, Shin Min Ah's boyfriend confessed that he felt ashamed because he didn't know much about the profession of a martial arts officer.
“I may have heard about probation officers in the newspapers, but the first time I learned about martial arts officers was through this movie.
Actor Kim Sung Kyun and I met real martial arts officers. They were always by our side, doing hard and admirable work. My filming was done with gratitude to these silent heroes.”
Meanwhile, Kim Sung Kyun - who plays the probation officer - also admitted that he is not familiar with these professions, but realizes that they contribute to making our society safer.
“I didn’t know about probation officers and martial arts officers. I learned about them through the movie. At first, I thought they were stiff and heavy jobs. When I met them in real life, I realized that wasn’t entirely true.
When I observed probation officers at work, I saw that they do more than just supervise their subjects. To protect citizens, they sometimes scold them like big brothers, sometimes coax them, and sometimes react harshly when necessary. I focused on their humane side.”
It is known that to play the role of Jung Do - who uses many different martial arts in the film, Kim Woo Bin gained 8 kg and spent 3 months practicing taekwondo, kendo and judo before filming.
“Of course, I couldn't become a martial arts master in just 3 months, but I practiced a lot to do my best.
I also gained 8 kg to create the impression of a strong person who can overpower his opponents. In addition, to show the audience how Jung Do changes as he takes on this profession, I gradually lost weight during filming and changed my hair color from blonde to black.”
Meanwhile, director Kim Joo Hwan - famous for the action film "Cops" (2017) and the TV series "Justice Hound" (2023) - emphasized that the film wants to portray humanity in an increasingly cold world.
“Compassion is slowly disappearing from this world. We made this film to show that there are still people who do good things for others. I hope the audience will enjoy this work full of humor, action and suspense during the Mid-Autumn Festival.”
“Officer Black Belt” will be released on September 13.
