Kim Seon-ho makes film debut with ‘The Childe’

Actor Kim Seon-ho, who had been keeping a low profile after being embroiled in a scandal in 2021, is making his silver screen debut with director Park Hoon-jung’s new noir action film “The Childe.”

Before starting the press conference to promote his new film on Monday, Kim apologized for the inconvenience caused due to earlier rumors surrounding his personal life. His ex-girlfriend in 2021 claimed he coerced her into getting an abortion. He admitted to pressuring her.

“I’d like to apologize for causing people to be worried with my personal life. I’ll later talk more about it during an interview,” Kim told reporters at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University in eastern Seoul.

In "The Childe," Kim stars as Gwi Gong-ja -- a name that roughly means "the nobleman" -- who goes on a mysterious, mad chase after a boxer, Marco (Kang Tae-joo), from the Philippines to Seoul. It's the first time Kim has played a villain character since his acting debut in 2009.

“For an actor, it’s a feeling of both expectation and worry to play a new character. But it was so thrilling and exciting to have played the role and I felt like, ‘I did it,’” Kim said.

Director and screenwriter Park Hoon-jung said he cast Kim because he was able to capture the coldness and ruthlessness of the character, showing a different side from his normal roster of the attractive, charming male lead roles the audience is used to seeing Kim play, such as in rom-coms like “100 Day My Prince” (2018).

Park said the rumors surrounding Kim back then did give him pause over the casting, but he’s glad that Kim played the role.

Park, who helmed “New World” (2013) and “The Witch” (2018), said this new noir action flick is a bit different from his previous works.

“The plot line of ‘The Childe’ moves a lot faster than my previous films and I tried to get rid of darkness, so I believe this one will be less tiring for the audience,” Park told reporters.

The film was originally titled “Sad Tropics,” but the title changed because he thought the movie was "not sad enough."

To deliver realistic, action-packed scenes in the film, Park said he made sure all the actors mastered the stunt scenes on their own because he hates using body doubles.

Rookie actor Kang Tae-joo plays the target Marco, a Filipino Korean descendant in search of his father. He was chosen after rounds of auditions, beating some 2,000 other candidates.

“I practiced boxing with boxers who train for the national competition, because most of the actions that Marco shows required boxing techniques,” Kang told reporters.

Actors Kim Kang-woo and Go Ara star as Director Han and Yoon-ju, respectively, who get caught up in the complicated chase.

“The Childe” hits local theaters on June 12.