Korean actress and singer Lee Jung Hyun said that she can do movies regardless of the production budget as long as the script is good.
The 37-year-old star recently appeared in the hit film "The Battleship Island," playing the role of a comfort woman during the Japanese occupation of South Korea.
She has been working in the Korean entertainment industry for 21 years starting in 1996 in the film "A Petal," which won her the best new actress award at the Grand Bell Awards and Blue Dragon Film Awards.
The movie also won best film at the Asia Pacific Film Festival and Bangkok International Film Festival.
Lee Jung Hyun also became successful as a singer, winning awards from 1999 to early 2000.
She said she doesn't have any regret about any movie she has made and the production budget does not matter to her.
"If I want to make money, I can continue filming dramas in China, and only do many commercial films here and there, but I'm not intrigued. It cost 60 million won ($53,496) to film 'Alice in Earnestland' and the budget for 'The Battleship Island' was over 20 billion won ($17.83 million)," she told Ilgan Sports and Korea JoongAng Daily.
She added, "But the happiness I felt during each project was about the same. I even used my own money while filming 'Alice.' The piece was good and the director and other staff members were passionate. As long as a script is good and there is passion, I can do a movie for 5 million won. There is no reason for me to not do it."
"The Battleship Island," about Koreans who were forced to work in Hashima Island in Japan, has grossed $44.7 million with total admissions of 6.57 million, according to the Korean Film Council.
Lee Jung Hyun said the script is most important when it comes to choosing a project.
"The first thing I look at is the script. And then I check who is directing the project. While reading the script, I don't think about anything but whether I would enjoy being involved. I find it interesting when characters have a unique personality. I always think, 'When would I ever get to play such a role?'" she said.
When asked if she enjoys taking challenges, she said, "I don't think I am 'taking on a challenge.' Regardless of the role or the amount of time, I take work as long as I can enjoy doing it. For now, I think that I want to work for a long time and in a steady manner."
For now, she is focusing on her movie career although she has not given up her singing career.
"I'm not retired from it, but since I have been filming many different movies back-to-back, I am not doing any prep work to release an album. But I'm not saying I don't sing anymore. If there's a chance, I want to meet fans on stage," she said.
