“Buried Hearts” (also known as “Treasure Island”) tells the story of a man who hacks into a political slush fund worth 2 trillion won (1.4 billion USD) and is killed by a mysterious force.
The story becomes complicated when he survives but loses his memory and the mysterious force, previously unaware, has stolen 2,000 billion won.
Taking on the role of rich and powerful professor Yum Jang Sun, Heo Joon Ho received attention.
As the former director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), he holds many secrets so he can control the heads of government agencies and departments in society like puppets.
It is worth mentioning that despite being a cruel villain who enjoys being able to use power and easily control others, Yum Jang Sun faces many challenges when confronting Seo Dong Joo (Park Hyung Sik).
As a veteran actor of Korean cinema, this role is expected to be easy for Heo Joon Ho. In the image of Professor Yum, the star born in 1960 is praised for his powerful presence, sharp eyes and meaningful smile.
According to the producer, this character is not afraid to cross the line between black and white, doing illegal and even immoral things just to realize his own desires.
Regarding this, Heo Joon Ho said: “This is the most evil character I have ever played. Every time I read the script, I myself was surprised by Yum Jang Sun's cruelty and constantly asked the question: "How can someone be so evil?".
Despite taking on an easily hated role in the film, Heo Joon Ho's gentle personality is highly appreciated by the crew and co-stars. In addition to spending a lot of time reading the script and analyzing the characters, he also takes care of his juniors and creates a comfortable atmosphere on set.
Previously, Park Hyung Sik shared that he was honored to work with the veteran actor.
“I learned a lot from senior Heo Joon Ho. But I found Yum Jang Sun (Heo Joon Ho's character) and Seo Dong Joo (Park Hyung Sik's character) to be characters with different energies.
Instead of thinking, “I will radiate an energy that won’t be overwhelmed by Yum Jang Sun,” I focused on keeping Dong Joo’s emotions intact.
Since Dong Joo tends to think things through, I played the character with a calm demeanor. The contrast in our energy levels contributed to the tension in the scenes on set.”
“Buried Hearts” is scheduled to be released on February 21.
