Youngjun Choi “It’s easy to recognize at this point, but the reaction of not knowing is still good, but it’s also disappointing.” [Interview M]

I met Choi Young-jun, who played the Japanese sergeant Kato in the Netflix series ‘Gyeongseong Creature’. ‘Gyeongseong Creature’ is a story about two youths whose survival was everything in the spring of 1945, when the darkness of the era was deepest, confronting a monster born of greed. Among these, Gato uses Rajin to kill the Creature. Appeared as a scientist and soldier.

Choi Young-jun, who said many good things about people around him after the work was released, said, “I was curious about how it would come out and how it would look because I was acting in something I had never done before. The villain has some obvious points, so I discussed a lot with the director about how to break away from that obviousness while acting. “We went into it thinking it would be a little different, but the response from those around us was better than we expected,” he said.

From the viewer’s perspective, Choi Young-jun’s image in this ‘Gyeongseong Creature’ was transformed so completely that it felt like he had really sharpened his teeth, giving him a new look. However, he confessed his concerns as an actor, saying, “But in this work, there is also a response that they will not recognize me again, so I am worried about whether I can continue to be an actor who does not recognize them.””I think it’s a good compliment to be an actor with a wide spectrum, but on the other hand, I wonder if I don’t have my own signature. Even in real life, I was under a lot of stress because people didn’t know me or remember me, and there were many people who couldn’t recognize me because they said I was very different depending on whether I wore glasses or not and whether I gained weight or not. I sometimes wondered if it was my fault. However, there is also joy in being seen differently while working on a new work. It’s been 5-6 years since I’ve done a drama, so I know it by now, but why don’t I know it? Even though I want to do it, I also wish they didn’t know when I’m working on a new work. “If you really don’t know, it’s a bit disappointing,” he said, revealing his honest and conflicted feelings and causing laughter.

Choi Young-jun, who mainly performed in plays and performances, said, “I think I had a bookshelf in my heart where I put all the things I acted in plays one by one. I think that when he did dramas or movies, he acted by quickly pulling out certain parts that were on the bookshelf and showing them. However, this time, he said, “I feel like I wrote a new book while acting in ‘Gyeongseong Creature’.”He said that it was a very meaningful work for his acting career.

When asked how he would ultimately like to appear or be remembered by audiences and viewers as an actor, he said, “I think ultimately the spectrum of acting I have done so far will become my signature.”So, if you don’t recognize me, I think the good but bad situations will continue to repeat themselves. I keep worrying about whether I should hide myself or show myself, and I keep worrying about whether to act as myself or to overtake myself and be seen as a character. I don’t want to give an answer yet. “Up until now, I have been acting by hiding a lot of myself, but I think I need to study again to act in a way that fully reveals myself.” He said, raising expectations that if you look at it for a long time, you will be able to know the true character of Choi Young-jun through his acting.

‘Gyeongseong Creature’ is a story of two young people whose only goal was survival, confronting a monster born of greed in the spring of 1945, when the darkness of the era was deepest. Season 1 is currently available on Netflix.

iMBC Kim Kyung-hee | Photo provided by Ace Factory