Upcoming movie features real-life drug smuggling case

In 2004, Jang Mi-jeong, a Korean housewife, was arrested upon her arrival at Paris Orly Airport. She had been asked by her husband’s friend, whom she had known for more than 10 years, to take a bag of diamonds to France. Turns out, what was in the bag was some 17 kg of cocaine.

An upcoming movie, titled “Way Back Home,” features the 2004 case, which led Jang to serve two years in prison in Martinique, an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea and one of the 27 overseas regions of France, for drug smuggling. Her friend was eventually arrested as well and sentenced to serve 10 years in jail. Jang’s story was later featured on “In Depth 60 Minutes,” a KBS investigative-documentary show, in 2006.

Prominent actress Jeon Do-yeon plays Jeong-yeon, a character based on Jang, and actor Go Soo plays Jong-bae, her husband, who tries to persuade the French authorities that his wife wasn’t aware that what she carried was cocaine.

“Way Back Home” is Jeon’s 14th movie, following her 2011 caper film “Countdown.” She won the best actress award at the 2007 Cannes International Film Festival for her performance as the grieving mother in Lee Chang-dong’s “Secret Sunshine.”

Actress-turned-director Bang Eun-jin, whose 2012 thriller “Perfect Number” was both a critical and commercial success, directed the upcoming film.

“Way Back Home” is scheduled to be released in theaters on Dec. 19.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)