'Battleship' Director Talks of Love of Korea Ahead of World Premiere in Seoul

Peter Berg, director of the US$200 million Hollywood blockbuster "Battleship", which will have its world premiere in Korea next Wednesday, said this week he feels a special connection to the country that is still technically at war with North Korea.

"My father, he was an American marine, and fought here in South Korea. And he was very proud of his time", Berg said during a press conference in Seoul on Thursday.

From left, Brooklyn Decker, Taylor Kitsch and Peter Berg

The famous filmmaker was visiting the capital with Taylor Kitsch and Brooklyn Decker, his new leading man and leading lady. Singer Rihanna, who is launching her acting career with the movie, did not come here this time.

"Battleship" focuses on allied forces' fight to protect the earth against aliens, and the U.S. battleship Missouri, which fought in World War II, appears in the film.

Berg said he was a huge fan of actor Lee Byeong-Heon, adding that he would like to cast the Korean hunk as a Korean naval officer if he ever gets the opportunity to film a sequel. The director also admitted he has become "addicted to kimchi".

Meanwhile, Kitsch, who plays Naval officer Lt. Alex Hopper in "Battleship", reminisced about his time working with another Korean heartthrob, actor Daniel Henney, on another film project.

Decker, a former fashion model, said she chose to take the role because she was drawn to her character's tough and independent personality. She added that, in the interests of realism, the disabled veteran in the movie is a former U.S. Army colonel who lost his legs in the Iraq War. Decker is married to U.S. tennis star Andy Roddick.