[Interview] Kim Eui-sung "2030 Generation Changes as Election Leaders... The Future Is Not Dark"

Kim Eui-sung / Photo by NEW

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Actor Kim Eui-sung viewed the 2030 generation as becoming the main players ahead of the 20th presidential election.

In a video interview with Asia Economy on the 5th, Kim Eui-sung said, "If the younger generation continues to take an interest in politics like now, the future of our country will not be bleak."

Kim Eui-sung, a Seoul National University graduate, began acting in a theater troupe in 1987 and became an actor. Recalling those days, he chuckled, "I just hated working at a company, but without knowing much, I started acting simply because I liked it."

He said, "The 1980s when I was in college was an incredible era. Everyone was throwing stones and protesting, but when I threw stones, they didn’t fly very far. So I just wanted to deliver messages through theater, and that’s how I became an actor. I also took a break from acting for over 10 years. After going through life’s hardships, I started acting again in my mid-40s," he recalled.

Having walked the path of an actor for the past 34 years, Kim Eui-sung said his perspective on actors and acting has changed.

"Can actors be the agents delivering messages? The role of actors I feel now is different from that in the 1980s. Theater can convey messages, but I see actors as professionals who provide enjoyment to the public. I think an actor’s job is to deliver catharsis and entertainment on behalf of the audience and viewers."

Last November, Kim Eui-sung posted on his social network service (SNS), "This might be my last political story," adding, "After going through one presidential election, general election, and local election, I will be over 60 years old. I am considering retiring from voting after these three elections, and I probably should."

When this was mentioned, Kim nodded, saying his beliefs have recently changed. He said, "Watching the recent presidential race, I realized the 2030 generation has changed. In the past, we had to urge them to 'please vote,' but now they have become the main players in elections."

He continued, "The older generation, including myself, cannot easily change political orientations. We unconditionally support and keep finding reasons to justify it, but the younger generation is different. They change based on what is right and beneficial."

Kim added, "I used to laugh at my father’s generation saying, 'I experienced the Korean War, so communists are no good,' but now I wonder if I am aging similarly. Maybe my mind is growing old. I thought that making political choices with such a mindset would not help social progress."

He also said, "I still have doubts about voting. I used to think the younger generation was becoming conservative, but I realized my own heart was hardening and reflected on that." He said, "If the younger generation takes more interest in politics, the future of our country will not be dark."

Kim Eui-sung has posted opinions on various social issues through SNS. He emphasized, "All members of society should freely discuss political issues and what is right or wrong socially."

"I disliked the atmosphere where people who criticize are told 'mind your own business.' Healthy debate must continue, but looking back, I feel embarrassed that my way of speaking was blunt or hurt many unspecified people. From now on, I will speak considerately with refined language. As I grow older, I believe it suits me to watch over the darker parts of society and serve, and I am gradually practicing this."

He said communication on SNS is an "effort to keep up with the times." Kim Eui-sung said, "It is important for actors to meet audiences and viewers through acting, but it is also meaningful to share who you are directly," emphasizing, "The times have changed."

He said, "There was a time when I wanted to speak only through characters in works, but that era is over. If possible, I want to communicate little by little with many people as the person Kim Eui-sung himself."

Meanwhile, the crime action film "Special Delivery," opening on the 12th, depicts a chase that unfolds when Eunha, a special delivery driver, gets caught up in an unexpected delivery accident. Kim Eui-sung plays Baek, the president of the special delivery company Baekgang Industry, delivering an impressive performance.

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