'Guitar Man' producer and director Lee Sun Jung opened up about the late Kim Sae Ron, the lead actress for the film.

Lee Sun Jung, who is also the CEO of Sungwon Pharmaceutical, was deeply involved in the film, taking on multiple roles including directing, screenwriting, producing, and composing the music.

He recalled the late actress and said, "Sae Ron was a warm and professional actress, who had immense passion for acting." 

Even after Kim Sae Ron passed away in February, Lee Sun Jung continued working on post-production. He revealed he couldn't stop working on the film, determined to honor Kim Sae Ron's final wish. He said the actress had expressed, "I really want this movie to be shown in theaters." He added, "I hope the audience remembers Sae Ron not as the person at the center of a controversy, but as the actress Kim Sae Ron."

At the time of casting, Kim Sae Ron was experiencing a long hiatus following her DUI incident. Public sentiment was harsh, and some staff members voiced concerns over the risks of casting her in a lead role. But Lee Sun Jung believed in Kim’s potential and sincerity.

He explained, "At first, I had another actress in mind. But after meeting Sae Ron, I changed my mind. She had read the script thoroughly in advance and actively proposed various acting ideas. It’s not easy to show that level of passion for a small independent film. I was so grateful."

Once filming began, Kim Sae Ron quit her part-time job at a café to focus solely on acting. Lee recalled, "She’d laugh on set, but when she was alone, you could see how much she was struggling."

He continued, "Because she was conscious of people’s eyes, she mostly stayed in her car when we weren’t shooting. Even during group meals, she would pour alcohol into a water glass, afraid someone might see. Watching that, it broke my heart. I’m sure she wondered, ‘Do I really have to start over like this?’ and blamed herself.”

The director explained that despite these hardships, Kim Sae Ron was one of the most focused actors on set. Her struggles seemed invisible when she was acting. He explained, "She rarely made mistakes. And when she acted, her bright smile was unforgettable. I thought, ‘Ah, this person was born to act.’ That’s why it’s even more heartbreaking. She could’ve created so many more works."

Reflecting on the day he first heard the news of Kim Sae Ron's passing, Lee Sun Jung admitted, "I don’t think I truly grasped how much she was suffering." Feeling deep sorrow, he decided to donate all proceeds from the OST, "The World Without Pain," which he composed, to the Korea Suicide Prevention Center.

He expressed, "She can no longer speak for herself, but there are so many stories circulating among the people left behind. That pains me. I just want to remember her as the actress Kim Sae Ron. That’s the message I wanted to put into the song. Profiting from it is out of the question."

Lee Sun Jung hopes that through 'Guitar Man,' audiences will once again feel the sincerity of actress Kim Sae Ron.

SEE ALSO: Kim Sae Ron’s final film ‘Guitar Man’ to be screened for the first time