The Beginning of Project 577
Project 577 is a documentary film released on August 30, 2012. With an audience of about 96,000, it does not seem to have been made with box office success as its primary goal. The film documents a 577-kilometer cross-country march across South Korea. Actor Ha Jung-woo once pledged that he would undertake such a journey if he won an award—and he did. This promise led to the start of the project.
The preparation process includes interviews, camera tests, and production meetings. After company dinners and medical tests, 18 participants were selected. The journey began on November 15, 2011, departing from the Seoul Arts Center.
The Sung-cheon Hidden Camera Prank
On the 15th day of the march, as a prank, stones were secretly placed into Seung-ha’s bag, turning it into a heavy “stone backpack.” Sung-cheon ends up carrying this bag. He gets injured and eventually collapses while walking. Sung-cheon stubbornly refuses to go to the hospital, and the atmosphere turns grim. He says he is quitting, tells Seung-ha not to worry because it’s not his fault, and says goodbye.
Then he asks, “Could I get some food?”—and suddenly appears perfectly fine. It was all a hidden-camera prank. This scene, where actors deceive another actor through acting, is the best moment in Project 577.
Lingering Disappointment
When watching Channel A’s Steel Troops series, you can clearly feel how physically exhausted the contestants are during their competitions. In Project 577, this sense of physical struggle feels lacking. However, the post-credits scenes show moments that were not included earlier in the film.
Walking Again
At the end of Project 577, Ha Jung-woo says that he wants to do it again. It is unclear whether he actually went on another cross-country march. There is a book published in 2018 titled Walking Man, Ha Jung-woo. Judging from the documentary and the book’s title, he truly seems to love walking.
Ha Jung-woo also talks about Project 577 in episode 59 of SBS’s Healing Camp, which aired on August 27, 2012. However, as of June 27, 2025, the episode is not available for streaming on Wavve.