INTERVIEW Actor Jung Il-woo: 'My role in 'Haechi' is the best in my 30s'

Jung Il-woo Yonhap

The just-ended SBS period drama series "Haechi" has received positive reviews for repainting the image of a Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) king known for his strict reigning style as a warm-hearted young ruler.

Lead actor Jung Il-woo is in large part credited with the show's success for his efforts to bring the reinterpreted King Yeongjo alive on the small screen.

"In order to express a young Yeongjo plausibly, I tried to avoid using facial (expressions) as much as possible and act from the bottom of my heart," Jung said in a recent interview with Yonhap News Agency.

"After staying away (from show business) for over two years, I had a lot of hardship shooting ('Haechi') without any moment of rest. It was hard and consuming, but I think it was well done."

Yeongjo was his first acting role after a two-year hiatus from show business to fulfill his military duty.

"I sure had some regrets (about my acting in 'Haechi') in hindsight, but the story of Lee Geum's ascent from low class to the royal throne inspired me to grow with him," the 32-year-old actor said. "My goal for this project was to get comments saying '(You) have grown a lot (as an actor) compared to the time before the military service,' and I was given a lot of good comments."

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The drama tells the coming-of-age story of Lee Geum, a prince born to Sukjong, the 19th king of Joseon Dynasty, and a member of the royal court staff. His dubious origin put him on a bumpy journey to claim the throne, but after taking office, he led the dynasty into its heyday and become Joseon's longest-ruling king. But today he is better known as a brutal king who left his oldest adult son to starve to death, held up in a small rice chest, arguably over partisan strife.

"Yeongju has so far been rarely featured in a main role on period TV series, but screenwriter Kim Yi-young recreated the character of Yeongjo with her tremendous writing power," he said, attributing the show's success to Kim.

Still, the best role he has played remains Yoon-ho, a defiant high school boy from the MBC sitcom "High Kick!" broadcast a decade ago.

"My once-in-a-lifetime role is that of 'High Kick!' because it had such a big influence in forming my own identity," he said.

"But the role of Yeongjo from 'Haechi' is the best character in my 30s," he said, wishing that he could play a lot more different roles going forward.

Returning to the entertainment scene after a long pause, Jung will waste no time getting his career back in full swing.

"I might pick my next acting role within this month. I missed the shooting set so much," he said.

"Going forward, I want to be recognized as an actor, rather than as a star. It's time to seek a weighty presence," he said, adding, "I will accept any role I desire, regardless of its size." (Yonhap)

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