In an era where we’re missing out on the essence of the zombie notion, which onlyGeorge Romero’s classic moviesand a few other zombie films likeDawn of the Deadcaptured, the Korean industry has been creating masterpieces with back-to-back productions like Alive and Kingdom. The trend, however, began withTrain to Busan, which has since been regarded as one of the best zombie films ever created.
Train to Busan, directed by Yeon Sang-Ho, is set in South Korea and follows Seok-woo and his daughter Seo Ahn as they become trapped in a train packed with infected people, menacing the entirety of the nation. After separating from his daughter, he joins forces with other survivors to save her and survivein this post-apocalyptic world.
The film was flawless in every way, whether it was action or story, but the actors truly embodied the influence it had on viewers with their outstanding acting abilities. It has been many years since this masterpiece was released, and reminiscing about its cast is always delightful. Here’s a cast and character guide forTrain to Busan.
Gong Yoo as Seok-woo
Seok-woo is the main protagonist inTrain to Busan, a self-absorbed father who devotes his life to providing for his daughter’s future but fails to see that all she really needs is his love. Seok-woo changed a lot throughout his search for his daughter after they were separated, thanks to Sang-hwa, who helped him several times.
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Gong Yooplayed the character flawlessly, befitting his reputation as one of the best South Korean actors. If you liked his performance inTrain to Busan, you should check outhis other noteworthy works, which include a guest role inSquid Game, a key role as Kim Shin inGuardian: The Lonely and Great God, and Han Yoon-jae inThe Silent Sea.
Kim Su-an as Su-an
The little girl who fascinated almost every viewer in the film’s climactic sequence has now grown up. Su-an is Seok-woo’s daughter, and shelongs for her parents' affection. Despite her young age,Kim Su-andisplayed incredible acting talents throughout the film, possibly due to her experience of working in several movies since 2011.
While it was expected that she would win an award or two forTrain to Busanin 2014, her best year as an actress is arguably 2018 because she won five awards, including the Young New Actress of the Year for her role inThe Battleship Island.Memories of the Sword,Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds, andProject Silenceare among her other significant works.
Ma Dong-seok as Sang-hwa
Sang-hwa was the best character in the film, regardless of whether you consider the number of badass scenes he has or how kind he was. He is one of the survivors who fought his way past the zombies to save his pregnant wife and also saved Su-an when Seok-woo could not reach her in time.
Furthermore, since he’s exceptionally well-built and fights like a wrestler, he was the MVP when dealing with hordes of zombies. Due toMa Dong-seok’s rolesas Gilgamesh in Marvel’sEternals, Gom inThe Good, the Bad, the Weird, and Ma Seok-do in theRoundupfilm series, the actor is well-known among both Korean and international audiences.
Jung Yu-mi as Seong-kyeong
Seong-kyeong and Sang-hwa were a lovely couple: humorous, kind, and, most importantly, brave enough to adapt to the circumstances. Despite being pregnantduring the outbreak, she helped several others, including Su-an and In-gil, even though she could have been in serious danger if the attempts fell short.
Since her debut inBlossom Againin 2005,Jung Yu-mihas appeared in a number of successful films and television dramas, includingKim Ji-young: Born 1982,Live,Jinny’s Kitchen, andSleep, as well as box office hits such asFamily Ties,The Crucible, andOur Sunhi.
Kim Eui-sung as Yong-suk
When you despise a character so much that you want him to die horribly, you know the actor has done an outstanding job portraying the role.Kim Eui-sungis a brilliant actor, and his performance as Yong-suk is among his finest. As seen in films and TV series over the years, there aremanipulators in every survival situation, and Yong-suk is one of them inTrain to Busan.
Although the film implied that he wanted to visit his mother in Busan, his actions revealed how selfish he was, and he wouldn’t hesitate to step over someone if it meant crossing the bridge. While he played a true antagonistic part inTrain to Busan, his portrayal inTaxi Driveris entirely contrary and makes you wonder whether it was actually him, highlighting his impressive abilities as an actor once again.
Choi Woo-shik as Min Yong-guk
Min Yong-guk is the only survivor of the baseball team that was aboard the train, aside from Kim Jin-hee. He is in love with Jin-hee, but he doesn’t tell her at the start of the film, although she is interested in sitting next to him, signaling her feelings for him. Nonetheless, he made it more apparent as the film went on, and the romantic subplot added some emotional impact to the climax.
Choi Woo-shikis a Korean-Canadian actor best known for his works, such asRooftop Prince,Special Affairs Team TEN,Set Me Free, andOkja. However,Train to Busanwas not the only film that catapulted his career to international acclaim, as his roleas Kim Ki-woo in 2019’sParasitealso garnered him a lot of attention.
Choi Gwi-hwa as Homeless Man
Train to Busanoffers one of the best depictions of how society functions during turbulent times, andChoi Gwi-hwa, who played a homeless man, is the perfect visual representation. Even though he was terrified, he made sure to repay those who saved him at the film’s beginning, unlike characters like Yon-suk, who sacrificed others for their own gain.
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Choi Gwi-hwa’s performance made him a welcome addition to the cast. Since his debut in 2009, the actor has largely played supporting roles, but his few leading roles, such as Go Dong Pil inUndercover,Jeon Il-man inThe Roundup, and Chae Geun-sik inSuits, have allowed him to showcase his acting abilities to the fullest.
Park Myung-sin as Jong-gil
As previously pointed out, people change and show their true selves when society falls apart. Jong-gil is such a personality in the film who made an unexpected decision since no one cared about her sister In-gil while she was on the verge of death. Even though almost everyone saw it coming, there was an unexpected prominence given to the character, and despite having very little screen time, the actress made sure to leave an impression on the audience.
Park Myung-sinis a remarkable actress, and her appearances inLawless Lawyer,Lee Min-ho’sLegend of the Blue Sea, andBulgasal: Immortal Soulsdemonstrate how versatile she can look when given a suitable character.
While these are the characters who have left a long-lasting impression on viewers, other cast members such as Sohee (Kim Jin-hee), Jang Hyuk-jin (Ki-chul), Jeong Seok-yong (Train Captain), and Ye Soo-jung (In-gil) all portrayed roles that added weight to the story.
