Everything You Need To Know About Upcoming Star-Studded K-Movie ‘Harbin’

This article was first published on 13 April 2022. 

ICYMI, Hyun Bin will star in the upcoming South Korean movie Harbin and is joined by a star-studded cast featuring Jeon Yeo Been, Park Jung Min, and Lee Dong Wook.

Harbin: cast and plot

Harbin is a period spy movie that revolves around Korean independence activists fighting against Japanese rule. It’s set in the early 1900s and will revolve around their daring attack in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang, which is China’s northernmost province.

Left to right: Hyun Bin, Jeon Yeo Been, Park Jung Min, and Lee Dong Wook. (Photos from from: @vast.ent, @_kusbeauty, @netflixkr, @kkbyss)

Crash Landing on You heartthrob Hyun Bin will play the role of Ahn Jung Geun, a Lieutenant General of the Korean Army. Hellbound actor Park Jung Min will play independence fighter Woo Deok Soon, who prioritises his country over his own name.

Vincenzo lead actress Jeon Yeo Been will play the part of Madame Gong, a fellow member of the Independence Army.

Other notable names include Yoo Jae Myung (who played Jeon Yeo Been’s father in Vincenzo) and Jo Woo Jin (whom you might have seen in Happiness or Mr. Sunshine). Park Hoon (whom you might have seen in Big Mouth) will star as Mori Datsuo of the Japanese Empire.

As of now, no details have been divulged about Lee Dong Wook’s character. A representative from his agency said, “It’s true that Lee Dong Wook is appearing in the movie Harbin. It’s difficult to give details with regards to his character.”

The movie is much-anticipated not just because of the big celebrity names attached to the project but also because of its potentially controversial subject. In 2014, Japan criticised a memorial honouring activist Ahn Jung Geun who assassinated Prime Minister Hirobumi Ito at Harbin Station in China in 1909. While Ahn Jung Geun is celebrated as a hero in South Korea, he is seen as a controversial figure in Japan.

Harbin: release date in Singapore

Filming started on 20 November 2022 and includes locations outside of Korea such as Latvia and Mongolia. However, the first series of filmings were rescheduled to accommodate Hyun Bin's schedule after his wife Son Ye-Jin's pregnancy, as well as the rest of the cast's conflicting work schedules. The filming was reported to have resumed last 25 January, with the movie's release expected later in 2023. Stay tuned for more details about its premiere in Singapore.

(Cover photos from: @vast.ent, @_kusbeauty, @netflixkr, @kkbyss)

On the lookout for other historical K-dramas? Check out these 10 binge-worthy titles on Netflix.