Anchor: Days before South Korea's newest movie "Operation Chromite" opens in local theaters, the film is already garnering a lot of attention. The action film is not only based on the actual Incheon Landing Operation but it also tells the story of the unsung heroes who were part of a secret operation called X-ray, that turned the tide of the Korean War.
Our Park Jong-hong tells us more.
 
Report:[Sound bite: audio clips from the film "Operation Chromite"]
 
About 70-thousand troops were sent in to carry out the mission code-named Operation Chromite, or the famous Incheon landing operation to reclaim Seoul during the Korean War. 

But it is little known that an advance unit, a secret espionage team of 17 soldiers, was the first to go deep into the enemy lines.

Their dangerous covert operation was pivotal in opening the waterways for the historic amphibious operation.

The film focuses on this mission code named Operation X-Ray, an actual part of history, that comes to life thanks to historical accounts of survivors.

In the movie, Hollywood star Liam Neeson takes on the role of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur, with a surprising likeness to the real character.

The head of the intelligence unit is South Korean actor Lee Jung-jae, who says it was tough to recreate the characters who were hidden behind the scenes.
 
[Sound bite: Actor Lee Jung-jae (Korean)]
“I was very nervous and careful as I was playing a character who actually existed. I knew I didn't want to end up causing tarnishing the heroes in any way.”
 
To recreate the chapter in history, a vast set spanning 66-thousand square meters was created to portray the vivid scenery of Incheon in the 1950s.
 
Former South Korean Navy Chief of Staff Hahm Myung-soo, who led Operation X-ray, recalls the unit member who took his life to save his team.
 
[Sound bite: Ret. Admiral. Hahm Myung-soo - Former S. Korean Navy Chief of Staff (Korean)]
"It hurts especially as it reminds me of [him] sacrificing his life saying this is my last service to the government."
 
The movie by director Lee Jae-han aims to highlight the heroic sacrifices behind Operation Chromite which beat the odds of one-in-five-thousand to turn the tide of the Korean War.
Park Jong-hong, KBS World Radio News.