Film director Yoo Ha revealed Friday that he had some initial concerns when he cast hallyu star Lee Min-ho for his latest movie “Gangnam 1970.”

Speaking in a news conference for the promotion of the action noir movie, Yoo said his first impression of Lee was “cheesy” at best.

Lee Min-ho appears on the poster of hit drama "The Heirs" (left) and the still photo of film "Gangnam 1970." (SBS, Lotte Entertainment)

“I saw him star in the drama ‘The Heirs,’ and I found him cheesy,” the director said, driving the crowd into laughter.

In “Gangnam 1970,” Lee plays Kim Jong-dae, who spends his childhood in an orphanage and join the gangsters. But Yoo said he did not find the “prince charming” actor suitable for playing a street rat.

“He was too good looking. Actors need some sort of empty room (to suit many roles), but he looked too much like a manga character,” Yoo said.

The movie director then pointed out that Lee could give a huge impact by showing himself making a dramatic change in image.

Starring Lee and actor Kim Rae-won, “Gangnam 1970” portrays the two young men’s desire for money and friendship in Seoul’s Gangnam district in the 1970s, when the region began changing due to a boom in real estate investment.

The action movie will launch on Jan. 21.

(khnews@heraldcorp.com)