1. What was it like to be a director for the first time, having been a veteran screenwriter?
I've been in the film industry for 15 years, but now I feel that directing and screenwriting are totally on different levels. What it takes to write a screenplay is imagination and a computer, but to direct a film covers a huge range of things such as controlling the production staff and sometimes making decisions on some things that aren't directly related to the film. The worst thing of all was that this film was shot in Cambodia, under extremely difficult circumstances, which made the job of directing really tough. And so whenever I heard a complement about the screenplay, I felt even more burdened with responsibility.

2. What was the initial inspiration for this film?
A battlefield is a place where a lot of situations that can't be explained or reasoned out take place. I've experienced my own platoon getting killed instantly. And there are so many aspects to war that can't be explained. Various kinds of deaths exist in that world: killing the enemy, slaughtering, getting killed by ghosts, and committing suicide. Many war films have taken broad approaches to telling about the wars themselves. But I on the other hand, decided to talk about the Vietnam war, and in a very specific, microscopic way.

3. Why war and horror?
That part took a lot of thought. The reason why the Vietnam war was painful is because the troops had to fight against enemies which weren't visible; the wild jungle was the enemy. We couldn't tell the soldiers from the civilians. The situation of not being able to identify the true horror and the enemy is what is most horrible. I watched the horror of Vietnam war on TV without any real feelings, which made me feel horrible too.

4. Why were all the locations set in Cambodia?
It was the best choice, I think. When I went to Vietnam, I immediately felt that there wasn't an old or traditionally preserved Vietnam any more. A lot of modernization has blended with the culture, to the point where you can't find anything truly Vietnamese. But on the other hand, Cambodia feels like a country that is just standing still without being changed as time goes. I can't forget how happy and thrilled I was when I found the house in the jungle. It was much better than I expected and it was the perfect setting for our film.

5. Which character do you feel most attracted to?
Of course all of them including CHOI Tae-in are key. They are very ordinary, common looking young men you can come across all the time. They represent the soldiers who were sent to the Vietnam war or their children, or our soldiers who are now in Iraq. very accurately. Let's keep in mind the fact that not very many people know that the son of Moa died in the Korean war. And did you know that President Roosevelt's son participated in the Inchon Project during the Korean war. But how about us? I've never heard of the of children high ranked official being assigned to dangerous task. The young men who are forced to go to Iraq are those who have no other choice but to. In that respect, I love the character Sergeant JANG the most, thinking of his pure heart and desire to go home with the money he made. I cried a lot when we shot the final scene with JANG.

6. What feelings do you want the audience to experience in this film?
As the Korean situation goes, I am sad that many young Korean men have been sent to Iraq. What is the war all about? I want the audience to experience this movie as more than just a horror film. Through this film, I want them to sympathize with and understand the sad feelings involved with the history of war.