[Edaily Reporter Kim Una ] The movie “Hope” has surpassed 2.4 million cumulative viewers on its seventh day in theaters, becoming a box office hit.
As interest in the film grows, attention is also turning to its filming locations. A prime filming location is Haenam, South Jeolla Province. The production team built the “Hopo-ri” set in the Bukpyeong-myeon area, which retains the atmosphere of the 1970s. Scenes filmed there appear in the car chase sequence early in the movie.
Hapcheon, on the other hand, is a lesser-known filming location. It serves as the setting for the road chase scene that concludes the film. The main characters and the alien Mabeyo engage in a cat-and-mouse chase and witness a cosmic disaster.
This scene was filmed on Seonggi Bridge in Seonggi-ri, Gaya-myeon, Hapcheon County. The road is surrounded by high mountains—including Dumusan, Odosan, and Bigeosan—that extend from Mount Gaya and stand at around 1,000 meters above sea level, creating a majestic landscape. It is precisely this scenery, appearing in the background as events of cosmic scale unfold, that leaves a deep impression.

Since Seonggi Bridge has been a closed-off road with restricted access since 2015, it does not appear on portal map services. However, this actually worked to the film’s advantage during production. The scene features a series of high-difficulty stunts, including shootouts and car chases. Since the scene plays a significant role in the film, an extended shooting period was essential. This is why “ease of access control” was included as a condition for securing the location. The unique atmosphere of a space long abandoned by people also aligned perfectly with the film’s tone.

Even after *Hope*, Seonggi Bridge has been used as a filming location for numerous other productions, including the drama *Please Don’t Drink* and the film *The Hole*. However, it is unfortunate that the bridge is off-limits to the public, making it impossible to visit the filming site in person.
Filming also took place in areas adjacent to the road. In a nearby walnut orchard, a portion of the chase scene featuring Go Seong-gi riding a horse was filmed. Hwang Hee-sook of Baramgil Farm, who willingly cooperated with the filming, said, “I didn’t go out to the set because I was worried I might get in the way,” but added, “I saw the horse walking around the village on a stroll and an old-model police car—it was quite an interesting spectacle.” Some walnut tree branches were trimmed to accommodate the actors’ movements, and it’s rumored that Director Na Hong-jin drank the sap that oozed from the cut branches. Ms. Hwang said, “Seonggi-ri is usually a quiet place, but during filming, it was bustling with young people, which brought a lot of energy to the neighborhood,” adding, “Perhaps because we spent over a month together all over the village, I felt incredibly sad when the crew announced they were leaving after filming wrapped up.” The ending credits of *Hope* list the names of Ms. Hwang Hee-sook and other villagers who assisted with the filming.
It is reported that the actors stayed at a lodging in nearby Geochang County while filming. The Hapcheon restaurant featured on the YouTube variety show *Pinggye-go*—which actors Hwang Jung-min, Jung Ho-yeon, and Jo In-sung mentioned as a favorite spot they frequently visited during filming—is actually Baekcho Handmade Noodles in Geochang, not Hapcheon. It was a regular spot frequently visited by the actors and production crew during filming. A production staff member said, “The owner is a bit gruff—he’d say things like, ‘I wish filming would end quickly so everyone could go home’—but if the actors mentioned a dish they wanted to eat, he’d remember it and make it for them. His cooking is so exceptional that not only the actors but also the production crew rank it as a restaurant they’ll remember for a long time.”

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Another scene, which left a strong impression despite its brief screen time, was also filmed in Hapcheon. It is the scene where the Public Health Center Director (played by Hwang Seok-jeong) dissects an unknown life form in a dilapidated, abandoned warehouse. In the pitch-black warehouse—where anything could pop out without seeming out of place—the Public Health Center Director begins to dissect the alien with a massive saw, creating a grotesque scene as sticky blood and internal organs stain her white lab coat.
The location where this scene was filmed is a grain storage warehouse near Songgi Reservoir in Cheongdeok-myeon. Situated in a remote area, it’s a place so obscure that few people—let alone tourists—are even aware of its existence, not even the local residents. The production team scoured the area, inquiring with local real estate agents and residents to identify several potential sites. It’s said that they ultimately selected this warehouse as the filming location because it best matched the film’s mise-en-scène and shooting requirements.

Forged Films stated that their criteria for selecting filming locations were “to prioritize whether the space could faithfully capture the imagery and atmosphere envisioned by Director Na Hong-jin.” At the same time, they examined whether the structure of the space would allow for natural acting movements and action sequences. The final decision on filming locations was made after considering factors such as the feasibility of long-term filming and the ability to minimize any inconvenience to local residents caused by the shoot.
In this regard, Hapcheon was a filming location that met all the criteria. A representative from Forged Films explained, “Hapcheon features winding mountain ranges, landscapes stretching out on both sides of the roads, and sweeping vistas visible from high ground. This made it ideal for effectively conveying the sense of isolation, tension, and intense action that the film sought to capture.”

After completing filming in Hapcheon, *Hope* applied for and received partial production funding through the Location Incentive Support Program offered by South Gyeongsang Province and the Gyeongnam Culture and Arts Promotion Agency. This program provides production funding to works filmed in South Gyeongsang Province based on an evaluation of factors such as the use of local personnel and businesses, as well as the project’s contribution to the region. The funding is disbursed through a post-settlement system, reimbursing 40% of the expenses incurred locally.
Thanks to its connection with Hapcheon, “Hope” also held a free screening at Hapcheon Cinema in Hapcheon on the 15th, the film’s release date.
Currently, the drama “Whale Star” is being filmed in Hapcheon. Starring actors Moon Ga-young and Choi Woo-shik, it is scheduled for release in 2027. Filming is taking place at the Hapcheon Film Theme Park, a large-scale set featuring streets recreated to resemble the 1920s through the 1980s.
Kim Hye-ran, a program manager at the Gyeongnam Culture and Arts Promotion Agency, said, “Just as Hapcheon was used as a striking location in *Hope*, we hope to continue showcasing the charm of Gyeongnam—which captures diverse eras and landscapes—through various productions in the future.”