South Korean Director Ryoo Seung-wan Uses Action, Emotion to Depict Realistic Hero Character in ‘I, The Executioner’

By Yasuko Onda / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Writer

12:00 JST, April 18, 2025

There are several South Korean directors, such as Bong Joon-ho, whose work I never want to miss. Another such director is Ryoo Seung-wan, a master of exciting action films. His latest thriller, “I, the Executioner” (2024), also lives up to expectations.

The film is a follow-up to “Veteran” (2015), a huge hit in South Korea, after nine years. Hwang Jung-min, one of the top South Korean movie stars, reprises his lead role from the first film, playing middle-aged police detective Seo Do-cheol. The character complains that his work is unrewarding, but he, along with his colleagues, puts his life on the line for the job. He is also highly competent.

Do-cheol’s team is assigned to investigate a serial murder case with no suspects. The victims share some commonalities, with all having driven someone to death and been criticized over justice not being sufficiently served. The team is joined by a new member, gutsy young detective Park Sun-woo (played by Jung Hae-in), and starts investigating the case.

This film shows how ordinary members of society struggle with and combat such a situation. Ryoo, who is also a director of excellent action sequences, makes sure that every motion on screen evokes viewers’ emotions.

There are many powerful and intense action scenes in the film, from a chase scene through staircases to a fight on a roof terrace flooded with rain. Those scenes are not mere entertainment but show the characters’ personalities and emotional journeys by how they do things such as running and fighting. The scenes lead viewers to start to perceive what is true justice and what is false.

Protagonist Do-cheol is flawed, like many people. He fails, too, and also has regrets. But Hwang uses his cheerful acting style to make Do-cheol’s imperfections appealing. This resonates with the audience, while also bringing realism to the depiction of the character’s physical and mental pains through the action scenes and momentary silence.

Since those pains are realistic, seeing Do-cheol’s attempts to overcome struggles is impactful. Ryoo depicts a real hero, not a fictional hero, through realistic physicality.

“I, the Executioner” (2024, South Korea, 118 minutes) opened in theaters across Japan on April 11. The Japanese title is “Veteran: Kyoaku Hanzai Sosahan.”