Lee Dong-wook and Hyun Bin appear onstage during the premiere of “Harbin” during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on Sept. 08, 2024, in Toronto, Ontario. Image: Cindy Ord/Getty Images/AFP
Hyun Bin and Lee Dong-wook, accompanied by director Woo Min-ho and cast mates, graced the premiere of their new film “Harbin” at the 2024 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Looking dashing in their black suits, the South Korean actors made their appearance on the TIFF 2024 red carpet and screening, which was held at the Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Sunday, Sept. 8 (Sept. 9 in the Philippines).
They were also joined by the film’s director Woo Min-ho, fellow castmates, and TIFF 2024 chief programming officer Anita Lee at the event.
Set in 1909, “Harbin” revolves around the cat-and-mouse game between Korean independence activist Ahn Jung-geun (Hyun Bin) and his accomplices, with one of them turning out to be a Japanese informant.
The film also shows Ahn leading a battle against Japanese forces in Harbin, China.
(From left) Cast and crew including Kim Won-kuk, Hyun Bin, Woo Min-ho, Lee Dong-wook, and Anita Lee attend the premiere of “Harbin” during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on Sept. 08, 2024, in Toronto, Ontario. Image: Jeremy Chan/Getty Images/AFP
In a September 2024 interview with Variety, Woo revealed that it took three attempts before convincing Hyun to accept the lead role. The filmmaker, however, noted that he understood where the actor was coming from, as Ahn is a known figure in South Korea’s history.
“I knew that playing Ahn wouldn’t be an easy task and it took a lot of courage,” Hyun was quoted as saying. “But after discussing with the director, I thought about how there might not be a lot of opportunities to play a great hero of Korean history, and that it may be really meaningful as an actor to take the role in new directions.
Hyun is one of South Korea’s top actors, having starred in several hit K-dramas including “Crash Landing on You” (CLOY), “Secret Garden,” and “Memories of the Alhambra.” He also starred in box office hits in his home country including “Confidential Assignment” and “The Swindlers.” He is married to his CLOY co-star Son Yejin, with whom he has a son.
Meanwhile, Lee is best known for his lead roles in the K-dramas “My Girl,” “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (or Goblin),” “Tale of the Nine-Tailed,” “Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938,” “Touch Your Heart,” and “Scent of a Woman,” to name a few.