Quite big interview, provided kindly by infiniteupdates.
Really, really interesting read.
KBS2 <Dream High> left the popular expression ‘pesticide-like
girl’. Go Hyemi (Suzy) kept on complaining since she couldn’t get rid of
the country bumpkin Song Samdong (Kim Soohyun) no matter how hard she
tried. By chance or by necessity, during the casting meeting of
<Dream High>’s staff, Seo Ingook suggested that it would be fun if
they had a country boy character using a Korean dialect. Even though
the <Dream High> casting he was hoping for fell through, instead
he got the role of the Busan dialect-speaking hero, Yoon Yoonjae, in the
‘pesticide-like drama’ <Reply 1997>, joining the line-up of stars
both in name and in reality. Even if he was the first winner of
<Superstar K> which led the audition craze, he still couldn’t be
called a star. It’s exactly this Seo Ingook who captivated the whole
country with his Korean dialect. That’s why expressions like ‘life is
full of ups and downs’ and ‘it’s not over till it’s over’ exist.
That’s right. This couldn’t fit the expression ‘pesticide-like’ more.
How common is it to have a drama that can make people laugh, cry, and
go crazy within an hour? In this world full of dramas, how can a drama
with no villains, conspiracies nor traps, no CEO that we see all the
time or director of headquarters, be so funny? Furthermore, even when
watching the rerun after the first broadcast and even when rewatching it
from the first episode, you don’t get tired of it. You don’t get tired
of it and you slowly spot all the set-ups that you couldn’t see at
first. The drama ended but when will this addiction stop?
As soon as the drama gained momentum, not a day went by when it
didn’t go on various medias and the phone didn’t ring, asking ‘what’s
the secret of their popularity?’, ‘what are their strong points?’ If I
had to say all the reasons why I like this drama we would stay up all
night though? But since we’ve already started talking about it, let’s
select a few points. First, since I’m the mother of two children, I
liked seeing the mother-daughter relationship between Siwon (Jung Eunji)
and Siwon’s mother (Lee Ilhwa) more than anything. No, strictly
speaking, I was envious of how Siwon’s mother treated her child. Because
she was a mother who didn’t expect anything back from her child, a
mother who was satisfied with just having her child by her side. It
might be because she had the painful experience of outliving her
precious child but I never saw her ask something from her daughter nor
criticize her. I don’t know why mothers, myself included, live
forgetting this precious truth. The very existence of your child is
already filial piety. And she wasn’t only embracing her own child, she
also could cherish someone else’s child as much as her own child; isn’t
she a mother with a truly warm heart? The natural result was that Siwon
was more positive than anyone else. A child who is raised by such a mom
has nothing to worry about.
Secondly, I was happy that they cast light upon the ‘brotherly
love’, of course in the drama but in real life as well. In the past, the
American series <Rich man, Poor man> led the many other movies
and dramas talking about brotherly love. Now we are well aware that
everyday, brothers fight to the blood over wealth, but I think that in
Korea, even on TV, just like Choi Soojong and Bae Yongjun who were
brothers on <First Love>, I think that the strong bond between
brothers was important. Ah, right. Now that I think about it, wasn’t
<First Love> made in 1997? Anyway, as a woman I can’t understand
this feeling, but when the big brother Taewoong (Song Jongho) ran
hurriedly while wearing his shirt inside out after he was cut off on the
phone from his little brother Yoonjae, and when he let out a relieved
sigh after seeing that his little brother was safe, I thought
immediately ‘So that’s brotherly love’. He waited a long time for Siwon
but when he learnt about Yoonjae’s feelings for Siwon, Taewoong sent a
short text message saying ‘Hyung is sorry’. From there, we learnt more
about the untold stories concerning Siwon’s parents and the story got
deeper.
And third is the sexual identity problem of a man liking another man.
Truthfully, it was a great contribution for TV to become an
enlightening place for this. From the American series like <Sex and
the city> or <Friends>, to <Life is beautiful> where Song
Changhee and Lee Sangwoo appear as a couple, our thoughts changed a
lot. So while watching <Life is beautiful> we thought ‘we should
stop being narrow-minded’, ‘we can’t have prejudices’, we settled down
but there’s still residue left of ignorance. I’m saying that it’s
difficult to say that we’ve made efforts to understand it or that we
totally understand it. But that’s a really weird thing. When I was
watching Junhee (Hoya) reveal his feelings to Yoonjae, I didn’t feel
this sense of distance at all. I just candidly accepted it as the
feelings of a person simply liking another person. Was it because the
production made the characters well? Or was it because of the special
charms that the actors had? Because I was still curious about it, I
personally went to see Hoya who had the role of Junhee. It was on the
day where the typhoon Sanba was approaching and the rain was pouring
down.
A: Thinking back, I think most of the idols that
know how to speak Korean dialects auditioned. I wasn’t the only one in
my group that auditioned, actually. Since I didn’t have the intention to
act, I obviously didn’t have any expectations about it. Instead, I did
think before debut that it’d be fun if I acted but after starting our
group’s promotions, the company and even myself didn’t think about it. I
really went to the auditions only because I knew how to speak in Korean
dialect. But something unbelievable happened, as you know. I directly
got the role. I don’t really know either why the production chose me.
But a week after telling me we were going to work together, before they
called me, I didn’t know what role I had. I only heard about it later.
Since I originally didn’t have any bias nor prejudices about it, I
wasn’t really burdened. However our representatives must’ve been a bit
worried about it. They were worried about whether my image was going to
be alright in the future. I said I wanted to do it and asked to
absolutely do it. I asked so many times, saying I wanted to do it. This
role.
Q: Even if the perceptions changed a lot, we can only say
that the sexual identity problems are still an uneasy point. But oddly
enough, Junhee wasn’t uncomfortable. What was the reason to it?
A: Yes, I’ve heard this a lot. Firstly, it’s thanks
to the production team who made Kang Junhee into an innocent character
you want to hug and who is easily likeable. And our representatives told
me that I had to protect Junhee. During the drama’s filming we talked
about it a lot. So I think that the character was made with the help of
many people. Originally, I’m in charge of the manliness (?) in the team
right? Or the charismatic member. Since Junhee’s character is delicate
and thoughtful, wouldn’t the combination of them work well? So I think
that the middle point that the director wanted appeared.
Q: By chance, Mnet’s <Ranking King> and <Reply
1997> were broadcasted at similar time slots. Hoya went from a bad
boy concept at the start of <Ranking King> to a slowly softer
image. You even unexpectedly made a love line with Woohyun. If you were
the old Hoya, wouldn’t it be something unimaginable?
A: Ah, you felt that. I was also surprised when the
director replied to me jokingly when I said ‘Director, I found my sexual
identity’ with something like ‘What, wasn’t it that?’. Even if it was a
joke, since he kept on saying it I slowly started to worry a bit. But
since it was my first time acting, I could only practice a lot. I kept
on practicing, reading the script again and again, and since I was
always living as Junhee on the filming set, it must’ve become a second
nature before I knew it. Even my manager hyung said that he thought my
personality changed these days. Should I say that I got more crafty? I
heard that I talked more.
Q: It feels like Infinite’s Hoya and the drama’s Junhee
are total opposites, right? It could even surprise the people who knew
Junhee first, and then saw Hoya on stage.
A: It was also worrying at the company for me. Since
the people who don’t know Infinite would just think about me as the
kind hearted and delicate Junhee. They could be confused when seeing me
on stage with a dark image. But I can’t be laughing like Junhee. The
other members are in charge of the loveliness so it’s a bit worrying.
(laughs)
Q: Since it was your first time acting, you might have had a role model?
A: I didn’t think that I especially wanted to act
like someone. I just did my best to express Junhee as it was written on
the script. Now that I think about it, showing charisma on stage was
also acting. Dancing is also acting.
Q: The unexpected hype, the fans like it right? But at first, I think they watched it uneasily.
A: It is no exaggeration to say that Infinite came
until here with the fans’ strength. It might be like that for all the
idol groups but if we compare our fans, our group’s fans are
exceptionally close. Even at the start, the fans promoted even more than
our company, may it be on influential internet cafes or boards; they
really worked hard to launch the videos privately and publicly. Before
our debut, we got known with the reality program <Infinite! You are
my oppa>. Since we gave off the feeling that we were the
neighbourhood’s little brothers who aren’t like idols, I think they
liked this easygoing side. That’s why at our first debut stage’s
prerecording, a lot of fans came. Even when I think about it again, I’m
touched. My fans said they were waiting eagerly for the day I’ll release
a solo album. I think they were also confused that a kid who had no
interest in acting suddenly started acting. It’s normal to be worried
when a kid who has no experience in acting says that he’s going to act.
I’d like to tell them to relax since I’m always working hard.
Q: Without comparing you to PSY who suddenly got involved
overseas, when you think about the time when you came from Busan 2
years ago, it’s an amazing result right?
A: I was born in Busan but I moved to Changwon and
lived there until I was 17. I started to like dancing so much but I
couldn’t dance while following the lessons for the high school
certificate. I’m the type of person who can’t do many things well at the
same time. So I thought about dropping out of school. My father really
opposed to it a lot but I was stubborn. He could only be angry at a kid
who said he wanted drop out of school after going to the reading room
and receiving private lessons at dawn until middle school and said that
he was going to go to police academy. I also got hit by my father a lot,
my mother was protecting me so she cried a lot. When I think about it
now I’m really sorry. I call my mom once every two days but you know
Busan men right? I’m the one calling first but I coldly say a few words
and hang up quickly. Oddly, my voice gets lower? Why is it so. From now
on I have to do well. Actually, I first came to Seoul to learn dancing
but I went back to Busan again as it didn’t go as I wanted. At Seoul it
feels like getting lessons at an institute while at Busan it’s more of
an underground feeling, it doesn’t feel like learning from a teacher but
more like we were enjoying together so I liked it.
Q: While this is your first time acting, it’s also your first solo activity, it seems like it was difficult.
A: I’m the type to be shy with strangers and it’s
the first time I’m doing something without the members so I was
cautious, of course. Luckily there was Ingook hyung whom I already knew
so he introduced me and had the role of the middleman. Moreover, the
other people weren’t shy with strangers so they approached me first.
Since we were all playing the roles of friends, we had to get close
quickly so it could help the drama. So I overcame my personality and
made a lot of effort to approach them. In Jiwon hyung’s situation, he’s a
big senior right? We were a bit unfamiliar only during the first day
and after 2 days, we immediately got close. That’s why I ended up
opening my heart to hyungnim. Like Jiwon hyung’s nickname, meaning that
he is elementary-schooler like, he’s also very innocent in real life.
Q: It also feels like you’ve changed your goal a bit?
A: Since I’m the type who has a lot of ambition, I
also want to do a lot of things. Mithra hyungnim wrote the raps for our
1st [mini] album but after that I wrote it all personally. After rapping
I have ambitions in singing too so I worked hard receiving vocal
lessons, since I’m not someone who is naturally talented. I think that
I’ve only practiced in my life. Actually, my dancing was clumsy too. I
worked hard so I could get here. I kept on dancing like I was
exercising. I didn’t think about acting but after doing it, I got
ambitious about it. I want to try studying acting for real. But it’s
still not in the script yet. (laughs)
Q: Did you think about the time you were going to school
while appearing on <Reply 1997>? Didn’t you regret the friendship
with your friends and such?
A: I dropped out of school but while spending all my
time in the practice room after that, the teammates who were practicing
with me became my friends as if they were my school friends. So I don’t
regret dropping out of school. Because this period is a precious memory
other people couldn’t experience. But the thing that I was thankful of
while filming <Reply 1997> is that even if it was all acting, I
got to find back the school days’ feeling that I lost as I wore a school
uniform again and was living with friends. Even if I say I don’t regret
it, I must have a bit of sadness left. This kind of indirect experience
was nice. It kind of felt like receiving a compensation.
Q: Lastly, let’s make an imitation of ‘Radio Star’. What’s <Reply 1997> to Hoya?
A: In a word, a gift? It’s difficult to describe but
it was something like a miracle. Because I gained really, really a lot
of things. I met a lot of good people. Even if I didn’t sleep for few
days, it was so much fun everyday, I wasn’t even tired. I never had any
hobbies. Because the members call our work our hobby. When we had some
free time, we just went to the practice room and only practiced, we
lived like this. But after getting to know acting, I have to experience
various things to act right? And I think it will be good thing since I
can experience indirectly many things with acting. Moreover I gained
popularity. (laughs)
[T/N: Spoiler of the last episode under the read more cut]
Epilogue
<Reply 1997> started at the alumni meeting of the 33 years old
men and women in 2012, it ended with Junhee’s back finding a new love. I
wondered if the title of the last episode ‘The reason why the first
love wouldn’t come true’ was made by the production in consideration of
Junhee. I wasn’t curious about whether the owner of the red car who came
to fetch Junhee was a man or a woman. I was just satisfied because
Junhee wasn’t lonely anymore. I was happy as much for Junhee being
happy, and also the leap for Hoya. It’s because a bit over a month after
their debut? I met Infinite who looked anxious and shaky. He came in
the region by himself, dropped out of school, danced well but was in a
company that never had any experience in raising idols before, right?
That child I was looking at with worried eyes has now accomplished
what’s called success. On the one hand I’m getting moved to tears.
Because I can guess how hard he worked by himself during these two
years. You’re great Hoya!
