Actor Lee Byung-hun is seen in a poster for the movie “The Match,” which will be released on March 26. Lee plays legendary Go player Cho Hun-hyun. Courtesy of BY4M Studio By KTimes Actor Lee Byung-hun makes his return to the big screen with "The Match.
" On Thursday, distributor By4M Studio released still cuts from the upcoming film. "The Match" follows the story of Korea’s greatest Go legend, Cho Hun-hyun (played by Lee), who, after losing a match against his protégé, embarks on a journey to reclaim his dominance through sheer competitive spirit. Set in the 1990s, when Go was revered as the ultimate intellectual sport, the film portrays Cho as a global sports icon on par with modern-day stars like Kim Yuna, Park Ji-sung and Son Heung-min.
Given the film’s historical and biographical nature, the casting process was meticulous. Director Kim Hyung-ju revealed, "From the moment I wrote the first page of the script, I knew Lee Byung-hun was the perfect fit. His ability to convey the confidence of a master, the devastation of defeat and the determination to rise again is unmatched.
Watching him on set, fully immersed in the character down to the trembling of his eyes over the Go board, reaffirmed that he was the only choice." With promotional materials such as posters and trailers now released, audiences have been buzzing about Lee’s striking resemblance to a young Cho. Many online reactions compare his transformation to a seamless overlay of the real-life Go master.
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