Actress Seo Min-joo revealed the extensive preparations behind her portrayal of detective Lee So-young in the crime action comedy "The Information Agent," including visits to police units and giving up makeup to play the character authentically.

The interview was held on Nov. 26 at a café in Hapjeong-dong, Seoul, after the film's release. It focuses on former ace detective Oh Nam-hyeok (Heo Sung-tae) and informant Jo Tae-bong (Jo Bok-rae) getting caught up in an unexpected high-stakes case. The project is directed by Kim Seok and produced by Popcorn Film. OSEN first reported the behind-the-scenes details.

Seo explained the early challenges of portraying a detective in a calm, reflective tone. Introducing her remarks, she said, "The job of a detective was so unfamiliar and unfamiliar to me. I was like, what should I do? At the time, all I could do was search or look for movies. That's how I got the source. I was like, 'Why don't you try going to the police station?'"

She added, "After hearing about it through a series of rumors, I ended up going to the narcotics investigation team, where I saw and learned a lot. There were no female detectives there. I went there primarily to see how the detectives worked. So I interviewed a female detective separately, which was quite helpful."

Chosun Biz previously reported the interest of the industry in the film's commitment to authenticity in production, which matches Seo's first-hand observations. For an example of such details she learned, she cited "It's a detail. The detectives don't carry bags. They all wear them on their belts. Only the youngest ones carry bags. Also, the detectives don't wear heavy things. Even if they come wearing coats, they all change into windbreakers. I got the source for their appearance, and I think I observed the details of how they conduct investigations."

Seo said, "When I interviewed the female detective, she was very quiet. After that, I followed her to work, and she really changed. She was very gentle, and when we went to the market together to look at the CCTV, she was talking to the manager. She's a bit different when she's working. That was interesting."

She also talked about her physical approach to the role. Working without makeup, she said, meant ""I didn't wear makeup to express myself naturally. I didn't lose any weight, and the director told me not to. So I ate a lot of late-night snacks, but I gradually lost weight while filming."

Another follow-up comment: "Actually, when I watch the movie now, I don't really like (my appearance). At the time, I was playing a detective. I thought (no makeup) was right, so I did it naturally. I liked it, and I thought it was right (for the character). But now that I look at it, I think, 'Maybe I should have lost some weight.'"

Now, "The Information Agent" draws attention for its depth of characters and commitment to realism, helped in no small measure by Seo Min-joo's immersive preparation.