On Sept. 14, 1950, a day before the Battle of Incheon, 772 student soldiers landed on Jangsa-ri, North Gyeongsang Province, risking their lives and contributing to what eventually became the turning point of the Korean War.

The story of middle and high school students who fought in the historic battle will be told in the upcoming film “Battle of Jangsari,” directed by Kwak Kyung-taek and Kim Tae-hoon and starring Kim Myung-min, Choi Min-ho and Hollywood actor Megan Fox.

“I could definitely feel the gravity on the set, of the story that was being told, and the passion that director Kwak had for telling the story. Just in that it was an important event in Korean history, an incredible sacrifice that was made,” Fox said during a press conference for the film in Seoul on Wednesday. 

“I’m used to working with CGI turtles and robots and things of that nature,” Fox said, referring to the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “Transformer” series that launched her into global fame.

“And this is obviously something where everyone involved wanted to be very reverent in the way the story was told, because it was such an important part of your history.”

The cast expressed their respect for the student soldiers, who had just two weeks of training before the battle.

“When they (producers) first approached me with the idea (for the movie), I thought of my father,” said director Kwak, whose father fled the North during the war and had a tough time raising him and his siblings.

“I directed this film out of respect and gratitude for those who sacrificed to protect democracy.”

Actor Kim Myung-min, who plays the troop’s leader, Capt. Lee Myeong-mun, said he felt a sense of duty to ensure more people knew about the battle.

“Capt. Lee was a real person, yet I could find nothing on him. ... It was regrettable that such an important battle, a noble sacrifice was forgotten,” he said. “It was both a wonder and a moving experience to think that 69 years ago, boys that are around the same age as my children fought the North Korean military.”

The 104-minute film hits local theaters on Sept. 25.


By Yoon Min-sik

(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)