Actor Lee Byung-hun has perfectly transformed into Go legend Cho Hun-hyun. Lee Byung-hun is returning to the screen with the movie 'The Match' (directed by Kim Hyung-joo). 'The Match' is set in the 1990s when Go was revered as the ultimate board game sport.

It tells the story of South Korea's top Go legend 'Cho Hun-hyun' (played by Lee Byung-hun) who, after losing to a disciple, challenges to reach the top again with his innate competitive spirit. Given that the film deals with a real person, the casting was necessarily cautious. Director Kim Hyung-joo thought of Lee Byung-hun as soon as he wrote the first page of the script.

Director Kim said, "Only Lee Byung-hun could express the extreme range of emotions, from the demeanor of a master and confidence to the tragic collapse." He further expressed admiration, saying, "Watching him perform with even the slightest flicker of his eyes in front of the Go board on set, I was reminded anew that he is truly Lee Byung-hun."

You could feel his methodical moments even in the stills. His appearance brought to mind the young days of Cho Hun-hyun, as if he seamlessly overlapped their faces.

Lee Byung-hun admitted, "Before reading the script, I didn't know much about Go, so I wasn't very interested," yet he confessed, "After reading the script, I was captivated by the dramatic story."

He studied Go with various materials prepared by the production team, building his character meticulously. He even met with Cho Hun-hyun in person for thorough analysis to complete the role.

He shared, "I worked hard to perform a Go match that even someone who doesn't know the rules can understand," adding, "I paid particular attention to expressing emotions in detail, so viewers could catch the character's mindset."

'The Match' will be released in theaters on the 26th of next month.

<Photo provided by BiPoEm Studio>