[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] Actor Lee Do-hyun has chosen a massive martial arts action film as his next project following the movie “Exhumation.” In “Nambeol,” his first film since completing his military service, he transforms into a rugged warrior and stars alongside Lee Byung-hun and Ko Yoon-jung.

According to production company Hive Media Corp. on the 20th, the film “Nambeol” is a hard-boiled martial arts action movie set in the early Joseon Dynasty, following nine warriors of varying social status and abilities as they head to Tsushima Island to rescue prisoners taken by Japanese pirates. With Lee Do-hyun joining the cast following the previously confirmed appearances of Lee Byung-hun and Ko Yoon-jung, the main cast lineup has now taken shape.
Lee Do-hyun will play Bo-kyung, the vanguard commander of the expeditionary force. Bo-kyung is a rugged warrior who breaks through enemy lines with unstoppable combat prowess and possesses a fierce sense of loyalty, willing to risk his life for his comrades. As a key figure assisting Lee Byung-hun, who plays Im Eok, the leader of the warriors, attention is focused on the on-screen chemistry between the two actors, who are appearing together for the first time.
This project is also significant as it marks the reunion of Lee Do-hyun and Director Lee Mo-gae. The two previously collaborated on the 10-million-viewer hit film *Exhumation*, where Lee Do-hyun starred and Lee Mo-gae served as director of photography. *Nambeol* marks Director Lee Mo-gae’s directorial debut in feature films, and the trust built during their previous work has led to this new collaboration between director and actor.
Lee Do-hyun, who has demonstrated genre-spanning acting skills in “The Glory,” “Sweet Home,” “Youth in May,” and the film “Exhumation,” is set to showcase a rougher, more primal side of himself in this film. With this being his first return to the big screen following his discharge from military service, expectations are high for his new transformation.
Director Lee Mo-gae, who is helming the project, has previously showcased his intense mise-en-scène and cinematographic sensibilities in films such as *Seoul Spring*, *Exhumation*, *Hunt*, *The Opposition*, and *Declaration of Emergency*. A recipient of the Baeksang Arts Award for Art Direction in the Film category and the Blue Dragon Film Award for Cinematography and Lighting, he is taking on his first feature-length film directing challenge with *Nambeol*.
Production is handled by Hive Media Corp., the studio behind *Seoul Spring*, *Harbin*, *Deliver Us from Evil*, *The Man Standing Next*, and *The Inside Men*. All eyes are on what results will emerge from the combination of a production team with experience in bold, masculine narratives and genre films, Director Lee Mo-gae’s visual sensibility, and the cast featuring Lee Byung-hun, Ko Yoon-jung, and Lee Do-hyun.
“Nambeol” is currently in pre-production, with the goal of beginning filming in the second half of this year.