(The Korea Herald /Lim Jeong-yeo)

Hollywood actors Lee Ki-hong and Thomas Brodie-Sangster spoke about the post-apocalyptic action sequel “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials,” at a press conference held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Seoul on Thursday.

“The second movie kicks off right where the first one left off. It follows the characters you know from the first movie but in a completely different sense. Now the characters are outside the safe zone. They try to make it to the end successfully without dying by sticking to each other,” said Brodie-Sangster, the levelheaded and supportive character Newt in the film.

“I would say that in the first movie, you’re living with your family. Food is provided, and you’re safe. But in the second movie, you’re kicked out of your home, you have to find your food yourself and fight with the bad guys,” said Lee, whose identity in the movie is the powerful runner and adroit scout Minho.

(The Korea Herald /Lim Jeong-yeo)

Previously in the first installment “The Maze Runner (2014),” the teenage characters were found locked inside a treacherous labyrinth “Glade,” which twisted and morphed its forms after nightfall and was patrolled by prancing beasts. With combined efforts, the teens ventured out from their safe haven at the core of the maze and escaped, upon which they were picked up by mysterious men who lead them to the desert city, “Scorch.”

The film had attracted over 2.8 million moviegoers in Korea, setting a record mark for a market outside the U.S.

The prominent presence of Korean-American actor Lee Ki-hong in the film had been credited for the fast-sailing success.

(The Korea Herald /Lim Jeong-yeo)

Lee expressed touching sentiments when speaking about his ethnic roots, “I have very fond memories of Korea. Obviously I was born here, and I lived here until age six or seven. I remember the winters, playing with snow and friends. They used to come up to our apartment and ask my mom if I ccould come out and play with them. Living in LA, we don’t get snow. So playing with snow in front of the apartment … (is a memory I cherish). Coming back, I really felt like coming back home.”

“I want to say, being a Korean-American actor in the U.S., I feel responsible for the image I portray of Asian-Americans. I’m fortunate to be able to play a very strong masculine role in this movie. I think Hollywood is changing slowly as in the status of Asian-Americans in the media. I feel very lucky and blessed to be here today. I really want to come back again,” Lee said.

(The Korea Herald /Lim Jeong-yeo)

Brodie-Sangster, in response to a question asking him to evaluate Lee, said, “I’ve known Ki-hong for a couple of years now. He’s a
genuinely nice man. It may sound silly, but that’s hard to come by; a good trait rare to find. He and his wife is a beautiful couple. He’s a badass in the movie but in real life he’s more cute and adorable. He is representing Asian-Americans but regardless of that he’s a fine actor and a great guy.”

(The Korea Herald /Lim Jeong-yeo)

Brodie-Sangster is also a celebrated actor in Korea since his childhood work in timeless Christmas film, “Love Actually,” and more recently in the HBO TV series, “Game of Thrones.”

He said, “This is my first time here. And I think we’re both blown away by how people received us. Kind of crazy for us and for our film. Thank you for the love and support for what we do.”

“Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials” will open nationwide in South Korea on Sept. 17.

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)

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