Actor Ma Dong-seok poses at the 'The Roundup: Punishment' box office celebration showcase held at Megabox COEX in Gangnam District, Seoul, Thursday. The fourth series which surpassed 10 million viewers, is the third film in the 'The Roundup' series to achieve this milestone, following the second film (12.69 million viewers) and the third film (10.68 million viewers)." Yonhap

Actor Ma Dong-seok expressed his heartfelt gratitude to his wife, Ye Jung-hwa, during a special showcase event for the movie "The Roundup: Punishment," held at Megabox COEX in Gangnam District, Seoul, May 16.

Reflecting on his journey, Ma shared personal anecdotes and highlighted the unwavering support Ye has provided him, even during his most challenging times.

Director Heo Myeong-haeng, along with actors Ma Dong-seok, Kim Moo-yul, Lee Dong-hwi and Lee Ji-hoon attended the event, which was held to celebrate the film surpassing 10 million viewers on May 15, just 22 days after its release.

Ma reminisced about the beginnings of the "The Roundup" series. "We planned 'The Roundup' in a very small room 10 years ago. When the first film came out, I thought it was a miracle and was very grateful," Ma said. "During the release of the second film, the pandemic had made theaters a challenging environment, but we took the risk to bring it to the audience. Miraculously, it achieved 12.69 million admissions."

For the third film, he said, they were unsure if it would do well because theaters were still not fully recovered and it wasn't released during peak season, but it still surpassed 10 million viewers and the fourth film also reached 10 million viewers quickly.

Actor Ma Dong-seok and the main cast pose at the 'The Roundup: Punishment' box office celebration showcase at Megabox COEX, Seoul, Thursday. The banner reads, 'Thank you for surpassing 40 million viewers, the first Korean film series to do so.' Yonhap

Longtime support through ups and downs

Ma took the opportunity to express his appreciation for his wife's support, especially during his difficult times.

Reflecting on his past, Ma spoke about his wife. "When I first met my wife, I was very poor. I used to plan movies in a small room, covering the walls with 40-50 sheets of A4 paper. She might have thought I was a strange person," he recalled. "Despite my poverty and injuries, Ye took great care of me."

Ma continued, "I've been an actor for a long time, but it hasn't been that long since my name became known and my situation improved. I am grateful to my wife for supporting me from when I was poor until now, giving me ideas and helping me."

Ma emphasized his deep appreciation for the audience, stating that they were the ones who created the miracles for the "The Roundup" series.

He also thanked the cast and crew he worked with throughout the series. "I am most grateful to the audience for making these miracles happen," Ma said. "I also want to thank the people I've worked with on these projects."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.