Jung Ho Yeon shares she gained 4kg (8.8 lbs) of muscle for the film 'Hope'

Jung Ho Yeon opened up about the intense preparation she underwent for the film Hope.

On May 18, Jung Ho Yeon met with Xports News at a hotel in Cannes, France, where the 79th Cannes Film Festival is currently taking place.

'Hope' tells the story of Beom Seok, played by Hwang Jung Min, the head of a local outpost in Hope Port near the Demilitarized Zone, who hears reports from local youths about a tiger appearing in the village. As the entire town falls into chaos, he is confronted with an unbelievable reality. The film marks director Na Hong Jin’s first new project in 10 years since 'The Wailing.'

Jung Ho Yeon plays Sung Ae, a police officer at Hope Port who possesses a clear sense of morality and faithfully carries out her duties no matter the circumstances.

The actress made her film debut through 'Hope' under director Na Hong Jin.

She recalled, “He first asked for a meeting and gave me the script that day.” She added, “Later, I heard he saw certain qualities of Sung Ae in me. Even before receiving the script, I was already such a huge fan of his that I knew I wanted to do it no matter what.”

Director Na envisioned Sung Ae as a character embodying justice and human goodness, qualities that ultimately led to Jung Ho Yeon being cast.

In 'Hope,' Jung Ho Yeon performs physically demanding scenes involving firearms, driving, and shouting.

“I kept discussing with the director to find the right tone for Sung Ae’s voice,” she explained. “At the beginning of readings, her voice was much higher than my natural tone. I actually lost my voice during rehearsals, but once filming started, my throat adapted to it. Later during ADR recording, it was difficult trying to recreate that voice again after so long.”

Jung Ho Yeon also revealed that she trained for five to six months for the film’s gun action and car chase sequences.

After undergoing firearms training and weight training to physically prepare for the role, she shared, “I gained 4kg purely in muscle.”

She added, “I’d never really had a reason to learn manual driving before, but I even got a manual driver’s license and learned car chase techniques. It was incredibly difficult, but I had a lot of fun.”

Reflecting on the experience, she said, “I wondered if this is what extreme sports feel like. Even long after filming wrapped, I kept thinking about how to calm down from all the adrenaline and excitement.”

“I feel proud,” she continued. “Of course, there are parts I still wish I had done better, but considering all the effort and time I put in, this was the first time I watched my own acting and genuinely thought, ‘I did it.’”

Jung Ho Yeon also expressed gratitude toward director Na Hong Jin for fully supporting the preparation process.

“I learned so much,” she said. “As a rookie film actress, meeting a perfectionist director like him was a blessing. He somehow managed to draw so much out of me.”

She continued, “Whenever the director asked for many takes, there was always a very clear reason behind it. If he wanted me to look more exhausted, it was because he genuinely wanted to capture the real state of my exhaustion. Since he always explained his intentions, I never felt psychological pressure even when we had to do multiple takes. I was so passionate that I would even ask to try myself again.”

Meanwhile, 'Hope' has been invited to the Competition section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, where it will compete against acclaimed films from around the world for the Palme d’Or. The film is set to premiere in South Korea this summer.