Watch: "Jirisan" Cast Bid Farewell To The Drama + Cast And Crew Climb The Mountain At Sunrise For Final Filming

Dec 13, 2021

tvN has shared the last behind-the-scenes video from the drama “Jirisan,” as well as closing comments from the cast.

Written by Kim Eun Hee (“Signal,” “Kingdom”), “Jirisan” is a mystery drama about rangers at Mount Jiri National Park who uncover the truth behind mysterious accidents on the mountain.

In one video, the key rangers of the show, played by Jun Ji Hyun, Joo Ji Hoon, Sung Dong Il, Oh Jung Se, and Jo Han Chul, shared their closing comments on the drama.

Jun Ji Hyun said, “As for my closing comments… I really can’t believe it. In one way, it was such a long filming process that I often wondered when it would end. Our first filming for ‘Jirisan’ really took place on Mount Jiri. Back then, just like now, the forest was green. We saw the leaves fall and the winter pass by, and filming is now coming to an end as the trees are turning green again. It was challenging, and fun, and we made more memories compared to other dramas. I am grateful to the staff and I want to congratulate myself as well on finishing such a memorable project.”

Oh Jung Se said, “We’re wrapping up on 10 months of filming ‘Jirisan.’ It’s a relief that the cast and crew finished filming safely without any major accidents. I had fun on set thanks to the director and his brilliant work. I wasn’t very familiar with mountains, but as I filmed, it felt like the mountain was speaking to me, telling me to rest, embracing me. There were so many places where I was awestruck by the view. Personally, I had a lot of interesting experiences. Thank you for showing your support and love for the drama.”

Sung Dong Il said, “I realized anew that there are many amazing places in Korea. All four seasons appear in our drama. We started in the heat of summer, filmed scenes in drifts of snow, and created a story that went beyond imagination.” He joked, “While filming this drama called ‘Jirisan’… I came to hate mountains. The staff had to do so much work! They had to lug all that gear up to the top of the mountain. I think that probably a lot of the staff hate mountains now too. But the drama is fun! To the viewers, please continue to show your love and support for us so that the actors, director, writer, and production staff can take heart until the end. Thank you.”

Jo Han Chul said, “For ‘Jirisan,’ we went all over the country and spent a lot of time together like a family. It’s a relief to think that our long filming process was rewarded by the results of our work. I worked with director Lee Eung Bok for the first time on this drama. I’d always looked forward to working with him someday, but it happened sooner than I thought, so I was happy. Thank you for making such a happy set. I hope that the beautiful Mount Jiri will remain in people’s hearts for a long time thanks to ‘Jirisan.'”

Joo Ji Hoon said, “If you include the time I spent talking with the writer, before we’d started filming, I’d been preparing and working on ‘Jirisan’ for over a year and six months. Of all the projects I’ve ever done, this one is the longest. We went all over the country and shared our joys and sorrows with each other and the staff. This drama is 16 episodes, and there are times when I watch the director and editors put together the results over their shoulders, and I remember each and every scene. Where we filmed, around what time, and what I felt during the scene. It’s fascinating. We worked really hard to bring the story to life, and I’m curious to see whether that will show onscreen.

The drama also unveiled the behind-the-scenes video from the filming of episodes 15 and 16. This includes Lee Sun Bin’s cameo as Joo Ji Hoon’s little sister. Lee Sun Bin appears on set to film her short conversation with Jun Ji Hyun’s character and reveals that her first kiss scene as an actor was with Oh Jung Se. Jun Ji Hyun reacts with playful horror and says, “What? Really?” She then gives her “advice” as a senior actor, joking, “You can’t do stuff like that.”

In one scene filmed on the mountain, Sung Dong Il and Jun Ji Hyun battle swarms of mosquitoes to get the right shot. Another scene appears in the drama to take place on a dangerous mountain road with landslides, but the behind-the-scenes video reveals that to ensure the safety of the cast and crew, the car was on set surrounded by rain machines and screens and the production staff moved the car with their own strength to imitate the shaking and sharp turns of the mountain road.

The video concludes with the final scene from the drama: the hikers who climb to the top of the mountain to watch the first sunrise of the new year and the rangers who keep the hikers from getting too close to the dangerous edge. This scene was actually filmed on the mountain and all the cast and crew had to hike up with their gear with head lamps to make their way in the dark. After filming wraps up, the cast and crew take a photo together at Cheonwangbong Peak.