Park Seo Joon And Park Hae Il May Be Reopening One Of Korea’s Darkest Chapters

Some films chase spectacle. Others chase buried truths. I Am a Firefly (working title) is aiming squarely for the latter, and on July 2, Ilgan Sports reported that Park Seo Joon and Park Hae Il are being eyed to lead this haunting new period mystery.

What’s The Film About?

Set in 1974 during South Korea’s military dictatorship, the story follows a detective long burdened by the country’s guilt-by-association system. While chasing a high-profile case meant to boost his career, he stumbles onto something far bigger — the secret of Hwayong Village residents who have spent years living in hiding after faking their own deaths.

Park Seo Joon And Park Hae Il- Overview

The Two Central Characters

Park Seo Joon has reportedly been offered the role of Seol Jun Gyeong, a Public Security Bureau detective whose father remains under government surveillance. Having spent his life quietly conforming to survive within the system, he begins unraveling the truth 24 years after the massacre, confronting brutal realities that shake his long-held beliefs.

Park Hae Il, meanwhile, is said to be in talks for Kim Man Seop, nicknamed “Grandpa Button” — a homeless elderly man who was once the first chief of the Hwayong police substation. Despite appearing to hide his memories, he holds sharp insight and quiet strength, making him the key figure who eventually points the detective toward Hwayong Village’s buried secret.

Park Seo Joon’s agency, Awesome ENT, confirmed the casting news is legitimate, calling it one of the projects currently on offer, while Park Hae Il’s side has yet to respond.

Rooted In Real History

The film draws directly from the Bodo League massacre, a politically motivated mass killing of suspected leftist sympathizers during the early Korean War — a tragic chapter that continues shaping Korean historical cinema decades later. Director Lee Joon Ik, known for The King and the Clown and Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet, has consistently explored pivotal, painful moments in Korean history, making him a fitting choice for this project.

Filming is set to begin in October 2026.

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