Kim Woo Bin, the renowned South Korean actor, has made an inspiring comeback after a six-year hiatus due to his battle with nasopharyngeal cancer.

Since his return in 2019, he has taken on the challenge of filming the Netflix drama 'Delivery Driver,' which commenced in December 2021.

Considering the timing of his return and the fact that his character in the drama is a 'smoker,' the production faced anticipated difficulties.

However, the director, Jo Yi Seok, went to great lengths to ensure Kim Woo Bin's well-being and prioritize his health during filming.

In a recent interview with director Jo Yi-seok and News1, it was revealed that all of Kim Woo Bin's smoking scenes were meticulously created using computer graphics (CG).

Director Jo explained that he initially intended to employ numerous stunt doubles for Kim Woo Bin's action scenes due to his limited physical stamina.

Nevertheless, if a particular scene wasn't overly demanding and Kim Woo Bin insisted on performing it himself, he gladly took on the challenge.

Despite Kim Woo-bin's willingness to perform certain scenes, the director firmly stated that smoking scenes couldn't be assigned to him under any circumstances.

He emphasized the significance of the character's smoking habit, which was deeply ingrained in the original webtoon.

Removing this element would have compromised the authenticity and impact of the character.

Considering Kim Woo Bin's health condition, the director and the team made the careful decision to rely entirely on CG to depict the smoking scenes realistically.

The use of CG in the production was not without its challenges. CG work is known to be time-consuming and costly.

As a result, 'Delivery Driver' completed its filming in May of the previous year and underwent an extensive post-production phase lasting approximately one year.

Furthermore, it was disclosed that an impressive budget of 25 billion won was allocated to the production of this six-part series.

Despite the complexities involved, director Jo's thoughtfulness in choosing CG for Kim Woo Bin's sake has garnered widespread applause.

Netizens and fans alike have expressed their appreciation for the director's commitment to ensuring the actor's well-being and for his dedication to maintaining the character's integrity through CG techniques.

Netizens' comments:

User123: It's amazing to see Kim Woo Bin back in action! Kudos to director Jo for prioritizing his health and finding innovative ways to portray the character. Can't wait to watch 'Delivery Driver'!

FilmFanatic22: This just shows how much effort goes into creating quality productions. I'm glad they took Kim Woo Bin's health into consideration and used CG for the smoking scenes. It's important to support actors' well-being.

KdramaAddict: Kim Woo Bin is such a talented actor, and his perseverance is truly inspiring. The director made the right call by using CG for the smoking scenes. I hope 'Delivery Driver' becomes a huge success!

MovieLover89: Wow, that production budget is massive! But I'm glad they invested in creating a visually stunning series. Kim Woo Bin's health should always come first, and CG was the perfect solution for the smoking scenes.

DramaQueen: Kim Woo Bin's return is one of the most anticipated moments in the industry. I'm grateful to director Jo for handling the smoking scenes with care. It's a testament to his professionalism and dedication.

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NewJeans' Minji touched fans' hearts with a handwritten letter on her birthday — even while the group is currently unable to promote due to legal issues.

On May 7, Minji celebrated her birthday by sharing a heartfelt message on the group’s personal SNS account, which the members opened themselves to stay connected with fans.

Minji began her letter with honesty, writing, “I think I’m living a busier life than I expected. When I finally looked up, it was already May, and it was my birthday.”

She admitted that she had a lot she wanted to say, but her thoughts felt “messy.” Still, her message to fans was clear, “I just hope that I, our members, and Bunnies can all be happy. Happiness is the biggest goal in my life.”

Minji then opened up about her personal journey and struggles, saying, “I sometimes think that running toward my happiness by doing what I love might look foolish to others. But isn’t giving up your happiness now for the sake of a future that might not even come… too harsh on yourself?”

Despite everything, she ended on a hopeful note, “I really miss the times when we shared our feelings through the good music we made together. But I always look forward to what’s ahead."

She added, "We didn’t stop here, and we’re not going to stop! It might look like we’re standing still, but I believe we’re growing deeper.”

Her message comes during a difficult time for NewJeans. The group announced last year that they were cutting ties with ADOR, their original agency, after trust was broken. They later began working independently under the new name ‘NJZ’.

However, ADOR responded with legal action — claiming the exclusive contract with NewJeans was still valid and asking the court to stop the group from promoting or signing deals.

The court sided with ADOR and granted an injunction, forcing NewJeans to pause their activities. Their appeal was rejected, and they’ve now filed a second appeal.

Through it all, Minji’s message proves one thing — even when forced to stop, NewJeans' hearts are still moving forward.

Source: [1]