Choi Woo-shik plays the role of Ha-min in the film "Number One," portraying a character who lives with a secret he cannot share with anyone. Through this work, he reunited with director Kim Tae-yong, who had previously awarded him rookie awards at various film festivals, and took on a new challenge. In an interview held on the 3rd at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Choi Woo-shik revealed, "When I reunited with Director Kim, negative feelings came before positive ones." He explained, "Since we received a good response with 'The Giant,' I wanted to leave that nicely. I felt the pressure to show an even better side than before."

"Number One" tells the story of Ha-min, who learns about his mother's remaining time through the decreasing numbers every time he eats the meals she prepares. This work is based on the novel "You Have 328 Meals Left to Eat Your Mother's Home Cooking" by Uwano Sora. Through the role of Ha-min, Choi Woo-shik leads the story steadily, taking on the burden of dialect acting and emotional expression during filming. He explained, "Emotional acting in dialect was not just a device but a very significant part."

Regarding his reunion with director Kim Tae-yong, Choi Woo-shik said, "Since about 10 years have passed, both of us have gained experience," adding, "There was a pure heart before, but now seeing how worn down we are by society was kind of funny." He also mentioned reuniting with Jang Hye-jin, emphasizing, "My mother's voice tone is similar to senior Jang Hye-jin's, so I could immerse myself more." He added, "As we exchanged emotions and lines just the two of us, we shared more stories and became closer."

In the film, Ha-min is a character who must live knowing his mother's remaining time, an ironic fate. Choi Woo-shik convincingly portrays various stages from high school student to office worker, depicting the situation of a person living alone to protect his mother. He revealed, "I took lessons one to two months in advance to prepare for the dialect acting." Choi Woo-shik explained, "I was worried about both the dialect and emotions, so I just acted as I wanted during important emotional scenes, fearing I might lose both."

Regarding the fear he felt while performing emotional acting, he said, "I actually avoided emotional scenes a lot because I thought I would become unhappy and depressed, but this time I accepted all the emotional scenes." Choi Woo-shik shared, "I had many worries the night before and couldn't sleep well, but just responding to the lines they threw at me naturally brought out the emotions."

"Number One" presents a story that reminds the audience of the preciousness of familiar home-cooked meals through a fantasy setting where the limited time is known. Choi Woo-shik said, "I am a late child, so my parents are quite old. I feel there are only a few seasons left to spend together." He expressed his determination to pay more attention to and communicate with his parents during their precious time.

"Number One" will be released during the Lunar New Year holiday alongside Yoo Hae-jin and Park Ji-hoon's "A Man Who Lives with the King" and Jo In-sung and Park Jung-min's "Humint." Choi Woo-shik encouraged viewers, saying, "There are many movies to watch, but I hope 'Number One' will be the first one you choose." He added, "When you get worn down by society and focus on work, you tend to forget the importance of your parents, but I hope watching 'Number One' and growing with Ha-min will make you ask yourself questions." Choi Woo-shik concluded, "I hope our film brings comfort to the audience."