“Are you referring to the Outlaw leak incident?”
Kwak Myunghwan leans forward. It’s a topic of interest. It left a mark in the history of Korean cinema.
Though it happened almost a decade ago, the repercussions are still felt. It was a shocking event in Chungmuro, where copyright awareness was not clear.
“It was an incident that once caused a stir in Chungmuro. No one ever imagined that the filming footage would be leaked.”
“I understand that such laws have existed in the United States for a long time, but was there no such law in the domestic film industry at that time?”
“In the past, the awareness of copyright in domestic film shoots was vague. There were even people who recorded in theaters with camcorders back then. Nowadays, everyone knows it’s illegal, but it was different at that time.”
Kwak Myunghwan sips his tea and continues.
“Although you mentioned the United States, Hollywood was no exception in the past. For instance, the world-renowned director Marils often led the media to believe he was directing a fake project while actually working on another. Thus, film shoots were always conducted in secrecy. This experience likely heightened copyright awareness in the U.S. as well.”
“Fake projects?”
“Yes, the media would highlight an A project that didn’t exist, while in reality, he was directing a B project. This secrecy became necessary. Over time, the U.S. also developed a strong sense of copyright.”
The PD from the terrestrial current affairs department takes notes and asks curiously.
“The Outlaw leak incident caused a huge stir not only in Chungmuro but also in the broadcasting world. However, when I looked up past media records, there was no mention of finding the culprit. Do you know anything about this, Chief Editor Kwak?”
“How would I know what even the media couldn’t uncover?”
“Chief Editor Kwak, you were quite a well-known figure in the entertainment industry back then. While investigating the case, I found several suspicious points. For instance, the newspaper that threatened Director Baek Janghoon suddenly announced they would delete the footage, and the police investigation was abruptly closed. There were even rumors that Director Baek staged the incident as a noise marketing tactic…”
Kwak Myunghwan smiles faintly.
“PD, was Outlaw such a lacking film that it needed noise marketing? No, it was a huge hit, comparable to Confession of a Priest among R-rated films. Had the rating been eased, it might have been the first film in Korea to attract ten million viewers. There was a lot of talk in the film industry because of that. The Baek Janghoon production, which seemed determined to catch the culprit, suddenly hushed up the case.”
It was an unprecedented incident that caused a stir in Chungmuro. It not only blemished the work of a master but also led to extreme security measures in film shoots.
“I actually know who the culprit is.”
“You do?”
The PD’s eyes widen with curiosity. Kwak Myunghwan’s wrinkled eyes hint at a recollection of the past.
“Can we proceed off the record from now on?”
There’s a sense one develops. With life experiences piling up, my mental age must have surpassed middle age.
Could it be a perk of living repeatedly? My memory and ability to read people’s minds were unusually sharp.
Yang Chigon was troubled by an unexpected ad-lib on set. Even after the shoot, sweat poured down his face like a downpour. Anyone who saw him might think he had a stomach flu.
“Hyung, are you okay?”
Handing him a packet of medicine, Yang Chigon looked up in surprise. He probably didn’t expect me to bring him medicine.
“I noticed during the script rehearsal that you weren’t in good condition.”
“Oh, I haven’t been sleeping well these past few days…”
Yang Chigon awkwardly answered, wiping his dry lips. The atmosphere on set remained cold.
“The atmosphere on set isn’t great today, right? It’ll get back to normal once we catch the culprit. It’s unfortunate that this happened towards the end of the shoot.”
“…”
“Hyung, have you ever seen anyone secretly recording with a camcorder on set?”
“No, I haven’t. It might be better to check with the staff. We did have support staff from subcontractors during the shoot.”
Is it the guilty fleeing?
“That doesn’t make sense. How many staff members from subcontractors were there? The longest anyone stayed was a week. According to the assistant director, more than one piece of footage was leaked. We might need to suspect the actors as well.”
“…!”
“Hyung, are you okay?!”
Yang Chigon, who had just taken the stomach medicine, widened his eyes and gagged. He seemed suspicious, no matter how I looked at him.
But I couldn’t accuse him based only on suspicion. Patting his back, he hurriedly left, saying he needed to go to the restroom.
As I watched him walk away, lost in thought,
“Youngguk, the director is calling you.”
I approached my grandfather at the assistant director’s call.
“Actor Jang.”
In public, my grandfather always called me Actor Jang. Despite the chaos, he was monitoring the scene we had just filmed as if nothing had happened.
He looked away from the monitor and gazed at me.
“Why did you ad-lib?”
Oops, I forgot my grandfather hated ad-libs. Not all ad-libs, but they had to be appropriate.
Scratching my head, I replied,
“Given the situation in the script, I thought Attorney Kim might suspect Jeong Haeseok of betrayal.”
“Really? But you know the actual script, that Kim didn’t betray Jeong Haeseok, right?”
“Based on what I know of Jeong Haeseok, he would have verified things thoroughly. Even Lee Howon, who became a Deputy Prosecutor as a Jeongil Group scholar, revealed his true colors. There’s no guarantee Attorney Kim wouldn’t do the same.”
My grandfather subtly glanced around. Except for me, no one was around. During monitoring, everyone gave space for communication between the actor and the director.
His next words made my eyes widen.
“Are you suspecting Actor Yang?”
How did he know? Grandfather continued, still looking at the monitor.
“Don’t push him too hard. He must have his own reasons.”
“Grandfather, did you know?”
Grandfather smiled kindly and replied,
“The director is the first to notice when an actor is different from usual.”
“Why did you leave them alone, hyung?”
My uncle’s shout echoed through the hall. He was so angry that his voice alone revealed it.
Thankfully, my grandfather resolved the Outlaw leak incident. Whether he used money or connections, I didn’t know, but it was over.
“Who was the culprit?”
At my uncle’s question, grandfather smiled faintly, which seemed to agitate my uncle even more.
“You can’t be so kind, hyung. You should nip such people in the bud. Don’t you know how chaotic Chungmuro and the broadcasting world are because of this incident? We even have to check everyone’s belongings, actors, and staff, before entering the set. It feels like an airport.”
Grandfather paused and then spoke.
“The culprit’s mother is ill.”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s bedridden and couldn’t afford the hospital bills. You know how tough it is for everyone in this industry except the leads. Especially for minor actors, who don’t know when their next role will come and don’t have steady work.”
“So, it’s okay to commit a crime because you’re poor? Should everyone in hardship commit crimes?”
At that moment, someone knocked on the mansion’s gate.
Grandfather and uncle peeked beyond the hall, and I crossed the garden to open the gate.
There stood a familiar face, looking haggard.
“Chigon hyung?”
It was actor Yang Chigon. He looked terrible, like he had aged years in just a few days.
Avoiding my gaze, he walked towards grandfather and knelt, collapsing in tears.
“I’m sorry, director.”
Yang Chigon’s tears fell like raindrops. Whether they were crocodile tears or genuine, I couldn’t tell.
But his next words made me lean toward the latter.
“I’ll take any punishment. I’ll return all the money I received. I’m deeply sorry for tainting your work. If you want, I’ll quit acting. I won’t get any roles after this anyway. Please forgive me just once. Once my mother’s surgery is over, I’ll face the consequences. I’m truly sorry.”
The culprit was indeed actor Yang Chigon, as grandfather had said. My uncle still glared at him distrustfully.
Grandfather listened silently and then asked,
“Will you really quit acting?”
Yang Chigon’s eyes shook violently. He hadn’t expected grandfather to ask so firmly.
But knowing his guilt, Yang Chigon bowed his head.
“I’ll quit.”
“Then what about the current filming of Outlaw? If you quit, we’ll have to reshoot your parts and recast your role. How will you compensate us?”
Grandfather frowned and continued,
“Did you come here to say you’d quit acting without being able to bear the consequences? I knew about your mistake and overlooked it. The reason is simple: everyone makes mistakes. But that doesn’t mean your mistake is trivial. I was furious too. But seeing your bedridden mother, I decided to let it go.”
The full moon shone brightly above the jar stand. As the old pine tree swayed, grandfather spoke firmly,
“There’s only one way to repay me. Give it your all in the remaining filming period!”
