[Interview] Lee Min-ho: "I Was Drawn to the Primal Human I Met in the Wild of 'Pachinko'"

Photo by Apple

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "I have never chosen a role based on the image, but I have mainly played refined and fantastical characters. 'Pachinko' was an opportunity to break away from the existing me, return to the wild, and express a primal human being."

Lee Minho, currently promoting in Los Angeles (LA), said in a video interview on the 18th, "I was strongly drawn to the audition offer for the Apple TV Plus series 'Pachinko.'"

Set to be released on Apple TV Plus on the 25th, 'Pachinko' is based on the New York Times bestseller of the same name by author Min Jin Lee. It unfolds the hopes and dreams of a Korean immigrant family over four generations. Starting with a forbidden love story, it travels between Korea, Japan, and the United States, depicting war and peace, love and separation, victory and judgment, recovery, and human resilience.

Lee Minho plays Hansu, a mysterious and charismatic character who steps into Sunja’s teenage life and changes its trajectory, performing in Korean, Japanese, and English. He cited empathy and affection for the character’s way of survival as his reason for joining the cast.

He emphasized that he was attracted because Hansu is not a simple villain. Lee Minho said, "This character is the opposite of the ones I have played before in terms of expression. His energy is one step ahead; he can attack anyone and is always ready to counterattack. I hoped his face would be rough rather than sharp, and unlike when preparing for Korean dramas in the past, I didn’t diet hard."

Photo by Apple

Lee Minho, whose name inspires trust, joined 'Pachinko' after an audition for the first time in 13 years since the drama 'Boys Over Flowers.' Reflecting on that time, he described it as "feeling reborn."

"Preparing for the 'Pachinko' audition reminded me of preparing for the 'Boys Over Flowers' audition. Mixed emotions came over me. Even on the way home after filming, I didn’t feel relieved. I wondered if I had acted correctly or not. I doubted myself more than ever. Perhaps it was because I had a strong desire to express myself sincerely. I immersed myself intensely and approached the work with a free mindset. It will surely help me a lot in my future acting journey."

'Pachinko' is a work that embraces 80 years of one family’s history and the sorrows of the era. In that regard, Lee Minho also shared his positive feelings about participating as an actor.

"I think we live in an era where it’s easy to access the history and culture of other countries, but I was glad to empathize with and represent the pain of our own country. We exist because of the sacrifices and efforts of our ancestors and previous generations in history. I hope everyone reflects on this and thinks together about what we can do for the next generation through this work."

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