Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
INTERVIEW Park Seo-jun took inspiration from father in his role for 'Concrete Utopia'
Actor Park Seo-jun / Courtesy of Awesome ENT
By Kwak Yeon-soo
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Actor Park Seo-jun is coming off his biggest year yet. The star played the role of a cranky football coach in the sports film “Dream” and is poised to appear in the disaster thriller “Concrete Utopia” and the Netflix series “Gyeongseong Creature.” Park will make his Hollywood and MCU debut in “The Marvels,” which will be out this November.
“Some film releases have been delayed by the pandemic. I feel so grateful to finally present my works to audiences. Each time I release a new film, I get really nervous because, unlike television viewers, moviegoers actually purchase tickets to watch my performance on screen,” Park said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.
Park chose to star in “Concrete Utopia” after he finished filming “Dream.” He opened up about how tricky it was for him to play the role of Min-seong, a man who does everything to protect his wife Myeong-hwa (Park Bo-young) in a disaster situation.
“Min-seong always puts his family first. My character is very similar to my father, who is a loving family man. I took after my father in terms of feeling responsible and protective about my family. Much of the character was inspired by him,” he explained.
Asked if he shares his concerns with his family, the actor said he usually talks about serious things to his friends. “I don't get into too much detail about work when talking to my parents because I don't want them to worry about me,” he said.
A scene from the film "Concrete Utopia" / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment
The 35-year-old actor said adjusting to the heat and the sweat was the hardest part. “We had to pretend it was winter in the middle of summer. There were times when I felt dizzy because I lost about seven kilograms for the part. I had to explore certain emotions that I have never experienced before” he said.
The disaster film follows residents of the last remaining apartment building in Seoul following a massive earthquake. Amid the chaos, Yeong-tak (Lee Byung-hun) struggles to defend the apartment against outsiders, along with a married couple ― played by Park and Park Bo-young ― who dedicate themselves to protecting each other.
On working with veteran actor Lee, Park said he learned a lot just by observing.
“It was extraordinary to watch Lee work on set. He likes to keep everything chill and relaxed on set. He can be laughing one minute and then suddenly give a great emotional performance,” he said.
On partnering with Park as a newlywed couple, he said, “I have watched many of her previous works, so I felt comfortable. I wish we could work on another film at a later date.”
The film is directed by Um Tae-hwa, who previously helmed the 2016 fantasy film “Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned.” “Director Um didn't give much direction to actors on set. He was very open to our ideas, which was encouraging,” he said.
“Concrete Utopia” will hit local theaters on Aug. 9.