Director Byun Sung-hyun's Netflix film "Good News" transforms the infamous 1970 Yodogo hijacking incident into a sharp black comedy for contemporary audiences. The film, which premiered at the Busan International Film Festival's Gala Presentation section, reimagines this historical event with a modern sensibility that balances humor with serious undertones.
"The situation itself was like a comedy. I believe a black comedy should not only be funny but also have a sharp edge," Byun explained during a press conference at the Busan Cinema Center on Friday. "Although the incident happened in 1970, I thought it would be a way to tell the story nowadays." The director's approach demonstrates how historical events can be recontextualized to speak to modern audiences while maintaining their essential dramatic impact.
The Yodogo hijacking incident serves as the film's foundation, referring to the 1970 event where nine members of the Japanese Red Army Faction, a communist group, hijacked an aircraft traveling from Tokyo to Fukuoka. The hijackers demanded that pilots redirect the plane to North Korea, with "Yodogo" being the nickname for the aircraft involved in this dramatic international incident.
Veteran actor Sul Kyung-gu takes the lead role as a mysterious character known as "Nobody," described as an enigmatic troubleshooter who resolves national crises through his flexible problem-solving abilities. Sul provided insight into his character's unique position within the story's framework during the press conference. "The film has many characters from intelligence agencies and ministries, but the character of Nobody felt like the director had created and simply placed him there," Sul explained. "After first reading the screenplay, my first question to the director was that he didn't seem to blend in with the other characters. When I asked if he was supposed to blend in or not, the director said he shouldn't."
Actor Hong Kyung portrays Air Force Lieutenant Seo Go-myung, a character based on a real person from the historical incident. However, Hong emphasized that the fictional elements in the screenplay gave him creative freedom in developing his performance. "While the incident served as a motif, a lot of the script was fiction created from the director's imagination, so I had the freedom to get to know this young man that the director wrote," Hong said. "So rather than the historical facts, I think I put more effort into figuring out how to portray Go-myung."
"Good News" represents the fourth collaboration between director Byun and actor Sul Kyung-gu, following their previous work on "The Merciless" (2017), "Kingmaker" (2022), and "Kill Boksoon" (2023). Byun expressed his appreciation for Sul both as an actor and as an older brother figure, highlighting the strong professional relationship they have developed over the years.
Sul candidly addressed concerns about their frequent collaborations potentially becoming repetitive for audiences. "I thought people might be tired of seeing me continuously appear in Byun's films. I honestly worried about it a lot," he admitted. "With 'The Merciless,' I was initially a bit resistant to his style. But after that, I started to enjoy it. With 'Good News,' I was curious about what kind of style he would show this time." Sul expressed gratitude to the director for providing him with opportunities to explore different aspects of his craft.
Japanese actor Takayuki Yamada joins the cast as a vice minister of transport who is dispatched to South Korea in the film. This marks Yamada's first Korean film project, and he described the experience as educational through his interactions with Korean actors. "I knew about the name of the incident, but I didn't know the details. I think it's important to know history, and I'm happy and grateful to have been able to participate in a project like this," the actor said. "On set, I focused on the character created by the director rather than reality, having a lot of conversations with him."
Director Byun praised Yamada's contributions to the production, particularly his assistance with Japanese dialogue scenes. "To make sure it didn't look unnatural even to Japanese audiences, I asked him if the lines I wrote were natural or if there were better lines for the situation. I asked and relied on actor Yamada a lot during this process," Byun explained, highlighting the collaborative nature of the international production.
"Good News" is scheduled for release on Netflix on October 17, bringing this unique interpretation of a historical incident to global audiences. The film's premiere at the Busan International Film Festival marks another significant entry in the growing catalog of Korean content that blends historical events with contemporary storytelling techniques.
