"I Should Have Been Dead Already"... Chae Seoeun Reveals the Villain's Inner World in 'Gunche' [Limelight]

A Character That Incites Fury, Hiding a Story of Deprivation Within

Rewriting Lines and Naming the Role... Giving Depth to a One-Dimensional Villain

The most infuriating character in the movie "Gunche" is not a zombie. It is the delinquent girl, Park Nayoon (played by Chae Seoeun). She relentlessly bullies the outcast Lee Soeun (played by Lee Damhee) and constantly causes trouble for the group of survivors. She is excessively used for the convenience of the narrative.

Still cut from the movie Gunche.

Actress Chae Seoeun delved deep into the character's flat persona. She even named the character herself. In the script, the role was simply labeled as "delinquent girl." With little description to work with, she developed the character step by step. "At first, I was going to go with the name Kim Mijeong. That name often appears in villainous roles in Director Yeon Sangho's projects. But Nayoon felt more convincing. Lee Damhee and Kim Seongdo, who worked with me, told me there was a real-life delinquent with that name during their school days."

Director Yeon had a reason for not assigning a name. "He once tried to cast an actor who had caught his eye in another project, but was unable to find them because only the character name was listed in the ending credits. It was a paradox: by omitting the character's name, the actor stands out more."

Omitted Backstory

There is a scene the audience cannot know: Park Nayoon and Lee Soeun grew up together in an orphanage. This was included in the audition script and even filmed, but ultimately edited out. "I mention it in the scene where I apologize to Lee Soeun. I tell her that I wanted to bring her down because she studied hard and became popular, and that I'm really sorry. I think it was cut because it felt abrupt in the story's progression."

Park Nayoon's bullying was not out of simple malice, but rather a distorted jealousy born from a sense of lack. Chae Seoeun prepared a matching expression and demeanor. "She's a character who is constantly dependent on someone. Even though Lee Soeun is ostracized, she's bold and enterprising. In contrast, Park Nayoon is timid and weak."

Actor Chae Seoeun.

In her character analysis notes, Chae Seoeun wrote, "She should have died already, but people keep saving her." Though Park Nayoon has a strong will to live, she takes no action to ensure her survival. Each time she survives, it is merely by chance, a result of others sacrificing themselves.

She is not entirely passive. In the underground parking lot, when Lee Soeun says, "If you don't get a grip now, you'll die," she undergoes an active transformation. "I thought Nayoon wakes up to reality when a friend she considered weaker gives her advice. In the following scenes, I tried to express alertness through my eyes. Although this wasn't captured in close-ups or bust shots, it created a shift in the otherwise consistent flow."

Park Nayoon begs Lee Soeun for forgiveness, but the moment a zombie charges at them, she uses Lee Soeun as a shield. Chae Seoeun said, "Both the apology and the betrayal are sincere." She added, "She repents her wrongdoings, but in moments of danger, her only concern is escaping. Since she abandoned her friend, she ultimately fails to redeem herself. Even though I played her, I find her both detestable and pitiful."

The Character's Voice

The process of building the character continued through her lines. In the script, Park Nayoon, while talking to Lee Soeun, says, "I won't say anything that person shouldn't hear." On set, Chae Seoeun changed it to, "Even the police are dead—how can you stay so calm in this situation?" She explained, "For a high schooler like Park Nayoon, the death of a detective would be the greatest fear. I thought it would be unrealistic for her to display composure or courage in such chaos."

Still cut from the movie "Gunche".

She also put effort into scenes that might be unclear to the audience. One representative moment is when she rushes into the elevator and falls after bumping into a zombie. She added the detail that she looked back while escaping, even though the escape route was wide enough to avoid the zombie. "She's the most fearful member of the survivor group. I thought it would make sense for her to look back, afraid that a zombie might be following, and then crash into one."

There were also scenes where she couldn't deliver the performance she had intended. One such moment was when a zombie came right up to her face and sniffed her. "Before filming, I had planned what expression to make, but when I actually came face-to-face with the actor in zombie makeup, tears just streamed down my face. I was so scared."

The final scene was also challenging. Because Lee Soeun, now a zombie, was wearing many layers of clothing, there was nowhere to bite. They agonized over whether it should be the neck or the leg until shooting began. After finishing the performance, Chae Seoeun wrote in her character analysis notes: "See the forest, not just the trees." It was a lesson gained from bringing a character with no name to life.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.