Kim Woo Bin, the renowned South Korean actor, has made an inspiring comeback after a six-year hiatus due to his battle with nasopharyngeal cancer.

Since his return in 2019, he has taken on the challenge of filming the Netflix drama 'Delivery Driver,' which commenced in December 2021.

Considering the timing of his return and the fact that his character in the drama is a 'smoker,' the production faced anticipated difficulties.

However, the director, Jo Yi Seok, went to great lengths to ensure Kim Woo Bin's well-being and prioritize his health during filming.

In a recent interview with director Jo Yi-seok and News1, it was revealed that all of Kim Woo Bin's smoking scenes were meticulously created using computer graphics (CG).

Director Jo explained that he initially intended to employ numerous stunt doubles for Kim Woo Bin's action scenes due to his limited physical stamina.

Nevertheless, if a particular scene wasn't overly demanding and Kim Woo Bin insisted on performing it himself, he gladly took on the challenge.

Despite Kim Woo-bin's willingness to perform certain scenes, the director firmly stated that smoking scenes couldn't be assigned to him under any circumstances.

He emphasized the significance of the character's smoking habit, which was deeply ingrained in the original webtoon.

Removing this element would have compromised the authenticity and impact of the character.

Considering Kim Woo Bin's health condition, the director and the team made the careful decision to rely entirely on CG to depict the smoking scenes realistically.

The use of CG in the production was not without its challenges. CG work is known to be time-consuming and costly.

As a result, 'Delivery Driver' completed its filming in May of the previous year and underwent an extensive post-production phase lasting approximately one year.

Furthermore, it was disclosed that an impressive budget of 25 billion won was allocated to the production of this six-part series.

Despite the complexities involved, director Jo's thoughtfulness in choosing CG for Kim Woo Bin's sake has garnered widespread applause.

Netizens and fans alike have expressed their appreciation for the director's commitment to ensuring the actor's well-being and for his dedication to maintaining the character's integrity through CG techniques.

Netizens' comments:

User123: It's amazing to see Kim Woo Bin back in action! Kudos to director Jo for prioritizing his health and finding innovative ways to portray the character. Can't wait to watch 'Delivery Driver'!

FilmFanatic22: This just shows how much effort goes into creating quality productions. I'm glad they took Kim Woo Bin's health into consideration and used CG for the smoking scenes. It's important to support actors' well-being.

KdramaAddict: Kim Woo Bin is such a talented actor, and his perseverance is truly inspiring. The director made the right call by using CG for the smoking scenes. I hope 'Delivery Driver' becomes a huge success!

MovieLover89: Wow, that production budget is massive! But I'm glad they invested in creating a visually stunning series. Kim Woo Bin's health should always come first, and CG was the perfect solution for the smoking scenes.

DramaQueen: Kim Woo Bin's return is one of the most anticipated moments in the industry. I'm grateful to director Jo for handling the smoking scenes with care. It's a testament to his professionalism and dedication.

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Actor Song Kang Ho shocked fans by revealing the surprising reason he initially turned down the iconic role in Joint Security Area (JSA).

On February 4, the movie JSA was celebrated as a "Visionary" work at a special GV (Guest Visit) event for CJ ENM’s 30th anniversary at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul. The event was attended by director Park Chan-wook and stars like Song Kang Ho, Lee Byung Hun, Lee Young Ae, Kim Tae Woo, and Ko Kyung Beom, who shared stories from the making of the film.

Joint Security Area, a groundbreaking film by director Park Chan-wook, tells the story of North and South Korean soldiers caught in a tragic incident at the border, highlighting the human side of the divided nations. The film has been widely praised for changing the perception of inter-Korean relations and is seen as a key moment in Korean cinema.

During the event, Song Kang Ho admitted that he turned down the JSA script at first, saying, "The script was just too perfect. It was so well-written and tightly woven that I couldn’t believe it. I thought, ‘Is this really Korean cinema at this level?’ I felt it was too good, and I figured the movie wouldn’t live up to the script."

He also mentioned that at the time, Park Chan-wook’s previous films hadn’t done well, which made him even more doubtful. "But after meeting the director, I started to trust him," Song Kang Ho added.

Reflecting on the film 20 years later, Song Kang Ho joked, "I was flipping through channels and watched JSA again. I thought, ‘There was a time when I wasn’t envious of Lee Byung Hun,’ but he looked so handsome and cool back then." He continued, laughing, "One thing about Park Chan-wook's films is that they have a depth and elegance that you just can’t forget. It’s probably why his new movie is called I Can’t Help It."

Song Kang Ho also spoke fondly of reuniting with his JSA co-stars after 25 years. He shared, "We didn’t watch the film together, but we had a cozy two-hour dinner. After all this time, it felt nostalgic. It was heartwarming to sit together again and reminisce about the past. It really made me realize how meaningful these moments are."

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