The Lost Kids of '91

Nam Woohyun | 2.8   Park Chorong | 3.3   Bae Joonmyun | 3.29   Bae Joohyun | 3.29

Kang Minhyuk | 6.28   Im Jinah | 9.14   Kim Kibum | 9.23

intro:

May 2, 2031

Kim Yerim sat across from her guest, her recorder ready and her assistant beside her with his hands poised on his laptop keyboard. She takes in the tall man in front of her, eager to begin the interview. Faint wrinkles can be seen forming on the man’s face, but his smile is warm and ageless. He is Kang Minhyuk, age 40, renowned writer and director.

“It’s nice to have you here today, Mr. Kang. I’m a fan of your work.”

The man looks down modestly.

“Thank you for having me here. I look forward to answering your questions.”

The journalist tries not to squeal, despite her idol sitting no more than two feet in front of her. Clearing , she begins her interview.

“There’s a lot to cover, so shall we start?”

She nods at her assistant to signal him to begin.

Q: First off, I want to congratulate you on the upcoming release of your new film, The Lost Kids of ’91.

A: Thank you. It’s a project I’ve been working on for a long time. If I had to be honest, it’s a story I’ve written almost my whole life.

Q: That’s interesting to hear. I’m actually quite excited to see it. I remember hearing about the Lost Kids of ’91 on TV and the news all throughout my childhood. If anything, I think a majority of people know about this group like they know any other celebrity.

A: Ah…I wouldn’t say “celebrity.” I’m simply doing what I’ve always done—write. And what’s better than doing something you love and enjoy?

Q: I agree completely. Now, one of the things that caught my eye was the cast list. You handpicked many actors, both rookie and unknown, to play these seven lead characters in such a complex story that moves through different time frames. What made you decide to take this route?

A: Well, it has to do with our group name actually. People referred to us as the Lost Kids, and in a way, we really were. Although we ran away together, we were merely kids when we did. We grew up on the streets, sleeping wherever we could find shelter. Some days were good, some weren’t; sometimes we were lucky, sometimes we weren’t. To an outsider, we looked like dirty, ragtag misfits. Yet, despite all of that, there were still people who showed us kindness when others didn’t. So casting these “unknown” actors symbolizes that—I want to show the audience that there’s more to us than the name of Lost Kids and I have faith that I picked the right people to take on the roles of characters who have so much depth to them. Like the people who gave us a chance, I want to give these actors a chance.

Q: Since so many people are familiar with your story, do you think they’ll have positive reactions towards it?

Minhyuk chuckles softly.

A: I’m both slightly embarrassed and grateful that people know about it. During that long period of our lives, our group’s main priority was simply to survive and protect each other. We meant no harm to the people who got involved. We were kids and our only family was each other, the seven of us. Although I’m sorry about the some of the things we did, I believe the experience made us stronger as individuals and as a family. Our bond, to this day, is just the same as it was years ago, if not stronger than it ever was. As for the audience, I hope the film will bring back memories of that time, when everyone heard about these young kids doing these crazy things, some of it illegal. But I hope…I hope the people who grew up with our story, with us, will be able to understand us better; why we did the things we did and how, etcetera. It’s quite the story. If I didn’t experience it myself, I probably wouldn’t believe it.

Q: What do the other members think about the film? Did they know you were writing about it all this time?

A: They were very supportive and actually gave me input so I could see the story from their points of view. I spoke to them just recently and they’re all coming to the premiere as my special guests. As for whether or not they knew—no, they didn’t. Even when we were kids, I’d be writing and that’s what they would see me do all the time. Because of that, they never thought twice about it.

He chuckles again at the thought of his friends when they found out he was penciling down their journeys together.

Q: I know you want people to wait for the movie to find out but I want to try and ask anyway—how did the seven of you meet?

A: Well you see, we all arrived at the orphanage at different times for different reasons. I was the fourth one at the orphanage so I got to know Jinah, Joohyun, and Joonmyun first. Then Kibum, Chorong, and Woohyun came a few years after. Some of us actually didn’t get along at first, despite being born in the same year. But eventually, we found refuge in each other and the rest is history. I’ll spill that much.

Q: It’s great knowing that you guys continue to share such a great relationship with each other, especially after all you’ve gone through. And I have another question that I wanted to save, but I couldn’t resist. I think everyone wants to know—why did you all decide to run away together?

Minhyuk stilled. Looking down, his mind moves to find the memory, the one event that started it all. It was the day that changed everything. And it was really all because of one person...