[Interview②] Kim Dong-wan "Considered Retiring from Entertainment... Healing My Mind While Living in Gapyeong"

Photo by Hajunsa

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Actor Kim Dong-wan revealed that he once considered retiring from the entertainment industry.

Kim Dong-wan said in a video interview with Asia Economy on the 24th, ahead of the release of the film A Long Day (directed by Jo Sung-gyu), "After moving from Seoul to Gapyeong, I recovered my mind and energy."

On that day, Kim Dong-wan turned on his camera at his home in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, to participate in the interview conducted via video call due to COVID-19. Behind him, a grand wooden roof was visible, and the sound of a washing machine signaling the completion of laundry played warmly.

He said, "It is so quiet at home that no sound can be heard, so I talk to myself a lot. I used to suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder and insomnia, but I stopped taking the medication I was on," adding, "I recommend juniors to stay at a pension for just a week if their heart hurts. Many discomforts disappear. If there is an eating disorder, that disappears too. People need to sleep on the ground."

Kim Dong-wan shared, "I will continue living in Gapyeong. Before moving here, I lived in the provinces for about a year. During that time, I came to the conclusion that I should not be an entertainer."

He continued, "I am only in my forties, but at that time, I felt my career as an entertainer was over. It was meaningless to stand in front of people with depleted energy, but living in the provinces helped me recover my energy."

He added, "If I live in Seoul again, I think my energy will run out once more," and said, "Everyone experiences a lot of stress while working. That’s why I strongly recommend rural life."

Kim Dong-wan, who is more satisfied with life in Gapyeong than in Seoul, said, "Seoul feels like a city that never sleeps because of the light and noise. On the other hand, food delivery is not well available in Gapyeong," and shared, "My mind has recovered, so I am satisfied with living here."

He further said, "The careers of entertainers and athletes are short. The heart is not visible on the outside, so even if it is hurt, people live without knowing it, but the heart also needs healing," and added, "I recovered my heart in the mountains."

Kim Dong-wan once held an apology fan meeting on a first-come, first-served basis for 99 fans.

He said, "I am always in an environment where I am harassed by anti-fans. I cannot report stalkers, and even if I do, nothing happens. Such harassment also occurs online. At that time, those anti-fans were present. I shouted at that person, which caused a misunderstanding. I wanted to resolve it, so I arranged a place to apologize."

He added, "There were various disturbances, but I had to apologize. Even if I retire, I must apologize."

Recently, Kim Dong-wan has faced hardships amid controversies over several remarks. He was criticized for posting a video on his social network service (SNS) supporting singer Lee Soo, who was caught in a minor prostitution scandal. When asked if he felt wronged, he replied, "There are always things I feel wronged about."

He continued, "If I keep thinking about being wronged, I cannot move on to the next stage, so I try to suppress it in my heart," and said, "Maybe nature will heal me. It might be better to quietly watch time pass, but there are many things I want to do."

The interview was conducted on Christmas Eve (December 24). When asked about his plans for the day, Kim Dong-wan said, "I plan to grill a tomahawk steak I bought at the mart yesterday tomorrow," and added, "I am thinking about how to cook it. I plan to share it with a close pension owner and also film a video to upload."

Meanwhile, A Long Day, which opens on the 30th, depicts a day in which a man and a woman meet, part ways, miss each other, and reunite. The film is an omnibus drama consisting of four stories, including The House with a Big Persimmon Tree, The Sushi Restaurant Where the Train Passes, and The Studio with a Sea View, starring Kim Dong-wan and Nam Bo-ra.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.