Nam Yun-soo and Ryu Hye-young on filming Killing Time at a real abandoned hospital with no electricity

Ghost stories from a real abandoned hospital

Ryu Hye-young and Nam Yun-soo shot Killing Time at an actual abandoned hospital. No electricity. No functioning waiting room. And, by multiple cast accounts, at least one ghost.

Nam Yun-soo described the power situation plainly: every corner without a dedicated light rig was pitch black. Ryu Hye-young mentioned they'd set up a waiting room for the actors, but nobody used it. The place was too unsettling. Multiple cast members reported seeing the same female figure at their accommodation on separate occasions. Ryu Hye-young doesn't usually see ghosts, but after hearing those stories on set, she prayed every night before bed that she'd fall asleep without encountering one. Nam Yun-soo slept fine—though a fellow actor told him about spotting a ghost at the accommodation just before filming kicked off.

An unexpected pairing that worked itself out

Both leads were caught off guard by the casting. Nam Yun-soo said: "I thought there would be unexpected synergy. Our filmographies have different feels—when these unexpected people come together, I thought the chemistry would be fresh."

Ryu Hye-young's reaction was similar, except she added worry to it. She described herself as a "worry robot" who needs comfort to act well. Her first instinct after learning Nam Yun-soo was cast: how was she going to get close with him?

On set, the roles reversed. Nam Yun-soo plays the crew leader in the film, but in real life, Ryu Hye-young took charge. She approached the director first, spoke up, set the tone for a cast that was mostly rookies. "On set, 누나 showed a lot of leadership, so I felt a lot of stability too," he said.

What the film is and when it opens

Killing Time is a time-attack thriller directed by Jang Jun-yeop (장준엽). An internet broadcast crew lost everything in an accident. They visit an abandoned hospital for a comeback. Something unidentified attacks them.

Ryu Hye-young and Nam Yun-soo appeared on LIFEPLUS TV's 라플위클리 HOT&NEW on October 19 with MC Ahn Hyun-mo (안현모), discussing the thriller genre, action sequences, and the filming stories above. A separate piece, 류혜영레몬과밀치회, dropped October 18. Nam Yun-soo also posted a solo segment on 윤시원 featuring a late-night abandoned hospital visit.

Killing Time opens in theaters nationwide on October 21.