[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] Actress Gong Hyo-jin will once again team up with Lee Jung-eun as mother and daughter in the film "Gyeongju Journey."

Set to open on the 26th of next month, “Gyeongju Trip” is a family revenge drama about four women—a mother and her three daughters—who embark on a “killer” trip after an eight-year wait, all for the sake of their youngest daughter, “Gyeongju,” who never returned from a school field trip. Gong Hyo-jin plays Jang-ju, a woman for whom family always comes first.
Jang-ju (played by Gong Hyo-jin) is the dependable eldest daughter who has long helped out at her mother Ok-sil’s (played by Lee Jung-eun) tailor shop, “Ok Fashion,” and looked after her younger siblings. Even after starting her own family, her mother Ok-sil remains her top priority. While she joins the revenge trip for her youngest sister, she secretly worries about what might happen to her own family if things go wrong.
Gong Hyo-jin embodied Jang-ju herself, tending to her highly anxious mother’s emotional state and mediating between her siblings whenever they fight. She realistically portrays the character’s multifaceted emotional journey, even going so far as to personally suggest details such as white-tinted sunscreen and eyebrow tattoos.
Why did Gong Hyo-jin, who had initially turned down the role once due to scheduling conflicts, ultimately choose *A Trip to Gyeongju*? Gong Hyo-jin expressed her affection for the project, saying, “The script was so powerful that it left a lingering, poignant impression on me for days after I read it. I really wanted to breathe life into this story.”

Director Kim Mi-jo, who revealed she had been a long-time fan of Gong Hyo-jin, praised her, saying, “Jang-ju appears mature and independent, but in reality, she is the most dependent and constantly wavering character. With her unique persuasiveness, Gong Hyo-jin perfectly embodied this complex eldest daughter.”
Following the drama *When the Camellia Blooms*, she is set to reunite with Lee Jung-eun—with whom she last played mother and daughter six years ago—to showcase an incredibly close mother-daughter chemistry.
Gong Hyo-jin shared, “I really wanted to work with Mom Lee Jung-eun one more time. Any actress would covet the role of Mom Ok-sil after reading the script, but knowing it was Mom Lee Jung-eun, I felt a strong desire to stand by her side and support her,” hinting at a mother-daughter dynamic distinct from their previous work and raising anticipation for their seamless on-screen chemistry.
“Gyeongju Journey” is the first commercial film by director Kim Mi-jo, whose directing skills were recognized with her debut film “The Seagull.” Notably, the film received critical acclaim at the 24th Florence Korean Film Festival held last March and was honored with the Audience Award. It opens on the 26th of next month.