Ha Ji-won to Return to Big Screen After 5 Years

Actress Ha Ji-won is returning to the big screen after a five-year absence.

She last starred in "Chronicle of a Blood Merchant" in Korea in 2015, although she took part in a couple of film projects in China after that.

At an online press event for her new film "Pawn" on Wednesday, Ha said she is a little anxious to be back.

"I'm nervous, as it is my first movie in quite some time. I'm delighted to be part of this great project. 'Pawn' is like a jewel. It's shiny and beautiful," she said.

In "Pawn," a debt collector and his assistant are given a 9-year-old girl as collateral from an illegal migrant woman. The woman is later deported, and the debt collector ends up raising the girl.

"When I read the script, I could feel love and sincerity in the little girl's journey of forming a family with two men. I thought this is truly a family and felt grateful to people around me," Ha said.

"I laughed and cried a lot while filming this. Not because I was sad, but because I was moved. It is a movie for all generations, and I am sure the movie will be as cathartic for audiences as it was for me."

The film will be released in September.