[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] “Starting with Lee Jung-eun, actors Gong Hyo-jin, Park So-dam, and Lee Yeon were all names I had written down in my notebook. I was determined to work with them.”

Director Kim Mi-jo made these remarks during a pre-release interview for the film “Gyeongju Trip,” held on the 19th at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, where she shared details about the film’s preparation process and behind-the-scenes casting stories.
“Gyeongju Trip” is a family revenge drama about four mothers and daughters who, after eight years of waiting, embark on a “deadly” journey for the sake of their youngest daughter, “Gyeongju,” who never returned from a school field trip.
Lee Jung-eun plays “Ok-sil,” the mother who intensely portrays the grief and anger of losing her daughter. Gong Hyo-jin plays Jang-ju, the eldest daughter for whom family always comes first; Park So-dam plays Young-ju, the second daughter and the “brain” of the family who acts based on meticulous calculation; and Lee Yeon plays Dong-ju, the third daughter who is impulsive and throws herself into situations without hesitation. Byun Yo-han plays the role of “that guy,” Baek Sang-hyun.

“Gyeongju Trip” originated from Director Kim’s personal experience. He explained, “It began when I went on a family trip to Gyeongju and saw my family walking through Daereungwon wearing raincoats. I had always associated Gyeongju with beautiful things, so I found the scene strangely eerie.” He added, “It started with the idea of telling a story about a family resolving a tragic event that occurs within the setting of Gyeongju.”
In fact, Director Kim—who has four sisters—said she projected a great deal of her family’s story into this film: the eldest sister who worries about their mother, the second sister who is the smartest in the world, and the third sister, a former professional wrestler. Director Kim herself was the youngest daughter who dropped out of school without her parents’ knowledge and took the college entrance exam four times, surprising the entire family. “I think my mother realized that she had as many different faces as she had daughters,” Director Kim said. One phrase that stayed with me the most was that she was both our strongest ally and our strongest adversary,” she said.
She began conceptualizing *A Journey to Gyeongju* when she started making films in 2014 and began writing the screenplay in 2021. Director Kim said, “Jeong-eun was already the protagonist in my mind. I think I’ve always admired her for the emotional depth and resonance she brings to her performances.”
He continued, “The mother I was portraying was very similar to Senior Jeong-eun,” adding, “After filming *The Seagull*, I became a scriptwriter for another movie, but seeing myself crying while watching Senior Jeong-eun’s performance gave me the certainty I needed. I felt I absolutely had to make this film.”
Director Kim said she had many in-depth conversations with Lee Jung-eun. She shared a deep connection with Lee by giving her books that tell the stories of bereaved families and survivors, such as *The Right Not to Forgive* and *Come Back on Friday*.

Regarding Gong Hyo-jin, who plays the eldest sister Jang-ju, he said, “I felt Jang-ju needed to provide a strong center for the story.” He continued, “I was a huge fan of Hyo-jin. I consider myself a ‘successful fan,’” and added with a smile, “To be honest, I didn’t think she’d accept the role, so I was thrilled when it worked out.”
Park So-dam played the role of Young-ju, the second-eldest sister. Director Kim said, “I thought of it as a role like a lonely island. She’s talented and has a lot, but her circumstances don’t measure up; she speaks harshly but is actually fragile.” Regarding Park So-dam, he remarked, “Isn’t she doing a fantastic job?” and added, “I think I often thought she looked lonely while watching *The Ghost*.”
Regarding Lee Yeon, who played the youngest sister, Dong-ju, he mentioned the film *Ivy* in which she appeared. Director Kim recalled, “I’d had her name written down in my notebook ever since then,” adding, “It’s such a difficult character, but after watching *Boy Judge*, I was convinced she could pull it off with her energy. I knew without a doubt that I had to work with her.”
*Gyeongju Journey* is the first commercial film by Director Kim Mi-jo, whose directing skills were recognized with her debut film *The Seagull*. She said, “Until then, I don’t think I really considered the audience when making films. While the fundamental approach for this work hasn’t changed, I did think a lot about whether the audience would feel exactly what I feel.”
She continued, “Since the film deals with the sensitive subject of private sanctions, I think my goal was to make the audience feel, regarding Ok-sil’s choice, ‘I think I could do the same thing.’ It was most important to structure the story in a way that would evoke empathy. Because I also had to maintain the genre’s entertainment value and suspense, I found myself being very conscious of that throughout the production process,” she explained.

“Gyeongju Journey” unfolds its story using a different narrative approach than conventional revenge dramas. It faithfully drives the plot forward, creating tension for the audience without emphasizing the characters’ cruelty. Referring to Byun Yo-han, Director Kim explained, “He worked so hard that I found myself wondering, ‘Why did he do this without a guarantee?’” He added, “He also contributed many ideas, which helped shape the character of Baek Sang-hyun.”
Director Kim added, “Since it’s both a revenge drama and a thriller, I did consider that showing cruelty might heighten the genre’s tension, but ultimately, when I reflected on my original intent and the essence of the work, that wasn’t important. I think I wondered whether it was right to depict that process cruelly when the story is about their grief.”
When asked about his feelings ahead of the release, Director Kim said, “I was so nervous before the preview screening that I couldn’t sleep a wink.” He continued, “I hoped viewers would feel the emotions and sincerity I had when making this film, but I was also very worried they might ask, ‘Why did you turn this tragic story into a black comedy?’ Rather than being nervous, I felt relieved because it seems they received it well.”
Director Kim had three goals: to create a film that wouldn’t embarrass the cast and crew; to make a film that would surpass the break-even point; and, finally, to use this film as a stepping stone for his next project. “I made this film while always keeping these three things in mind,” Director Kim said.
Compared to the story the film tells, the title *A Journey to Gyeongju* felt somewhat unremarkable. He said, “I tried very hard to change the title, but it had been *A Journey to Gyeongju* ever since I first conceived this story in 2014.” He continued, “I really enjoyed reading *A Journey to Mujin*, and I think I’ve been fascinated by the imagery of fog in the novel since I was a child,” adding, “I really liked the word ‘journey.’ It means both ‘travel’ and ‘strange behavior,’ and Gyeongju is both a place and a name, isn’t it? I believed that after watching the film, you’d understand what I mean.”
Even before its release, the film has been generating anticipation after being invited to prestigious film festivals such as the Hawaii International Film Festival and the Florence Korean Film Festival. In particular, “Journey to Gyeongju” received rave reviews at the 24th Florence Korean Film Festival held last March and had the honor of winning the Audience Award.