When acting isn't acting: Zo In-sung evolves style with spy thriller 'Humint'

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When acting isn't acting: Zo In-sung evolves style with spy thriller 'Humint'

Published: 11 Feb. 2026, 18:37 Updated: 12 Feb. 2026, 09:19

JIN EUN-SOO
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A still from "Humint" [NEW]

Actor Zo In-sung, with nearly 30 years in the industry under his belt, says he is now seeking a style of acting that doesn’t feel like acting.

“I want to reach a point where I don't seem to be acting any more,” said Zo in a recent interview to promote his latest blockbuster, the 23.5 billion won ($16.2 million) espionage drama “Humint.”

“After years of experience, the challenge becomes that nothing is new any more. What I can do differently within those boundaries is always a concern. Now I consider standing still to also be a form of evolution. As a matter of fact, it's hard to do nothing in front of the camera. I tell myself 'let's do nothing this time' or 'let's see how I turn out on camera when doing nothing'.”

The pursuit of this acting method is partially reflected in “Humint,” where he plays a South Korean intelligence agent named Manager Zo whose role is to gather information through a network of human sources, or humint. Although Zo the actor pulls off a bunch of intense action sequences in the movie, his character overall is less expressive compared to those portrayed by co-stars Park Jeong-min and Park Hae-joon.

Zo In-sung [NEW]

“When you say you are a national intelligence agent, it brings with it a rigid, sometimes scary image and I wanted to go away from that,” he said. “I wanted to portray this character as more multidimensional and tried to pull that off with soft and gentle dialogue tones and gestures.”

“Humint” is an espionage action film by renowned director Ryoo Seung-wan. In the film, the Manager Zo character heads to Vladivostok to track down a high-profile crime that involves both the Russian mafia and the North Korean government. There, he meets Chae Seon-hwa, a North Korean restaurant server played by Shin Sae-kyeong and North Korean agent Park Geon, depicted by Park Jeong-min.

Zo In-sung debuted as a model in 1998. He started his acting career by joining the hit sitcom “Three Guys and Three Girls” (1996-1999). Quickly rising to stardom, his early projects mostly focused on intense romances such as “What Happened in Bali” (2004), where he co-starred with Lim Soo-jung, and “Spring Day” (2005) with Go Hyun-jung.

The actor shone in these vehicles through his emotionally charged performances, sometimes crying his eyes out or wailing in grief. But such intensely heart-wrenching roles left little room for restraint, or for moments of “not acting.”

His approach began to shift when he worked with acclaimed screenwriter Noh Hee-kyung for “That Winter, the Wind Blows” (2013), said Zo.

A still from "Humint" [NEW]

“Working with Noh changed how I think about acting,” he said.

“She would always tell me to stand still and deliver the line simply. When I feel unsure about my performance, I tend to fidget. But the character I was playing wasn’t an anxious person, so I tried to act in a more composed way. I’m not saying this approach is ‘right,’ but that's the direction I am putting more value into these days. Both in my life and in my acting, I try to keep things simpler nowadays.”

Zo hinted that such an approach may be reflected a bit more in his upcoming film “Possible Love” (working title), where for the first time he will be working with an auteur director.

“Possible Love” is a romance film directed by Lee Chang-dong, who is best-known for deeply psychological or tragic films such as “Burning” (2018). In the new film, Zo will be acting next to big names like Jeon Do-yeon and Sul Kyung-gu. “Possible Love” is slated for release in the second half of the year on Netflix.

“I am very anxious to see how I show up on the screen because Lee is known for his auteur styles,” he said.

Aside from “Humint” and “Possible Love,” Zo has another project releasing this summer: Na Hong-jin's mystery thriller “Hope.”

“Humint” was released in local theaters on Wednesday. The film accounted for nearly 40 percent of total ticket reservations as of Wednesday morning according to Korea Film Council.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [[email protected]]