[On the Record] "Actually, I Was Scared" Park Seo-joon's Growing Pains

Actor Park Seo-joon Interview

Film 'Concrete Utopia' Minseong Role
Captivated by Ordinary Face... Lost 7kg
Surprise Encounter with Director Bong Joon-ho in London

Actor Park Seo-joon (34, Park Yong-gyu) has recently been going through a difficult time. He was criticized for his attitude during a stage greeting and faced backlash for refusing to make a heart pose at a photo wall. He was also caught up in a dating rumor with a YouTuber. Within a month, his name heated up the media. Despite the harsh criticism pouring in, he quietly continues to participate in film events. He is a so-called rising young actor. Having stood out in melodramas, he has a considerable number of overseas fans as well. Since then, he has challenged various genres such as bromance and action, and even entered the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Directors seeking him are busy reaching out. Having walked only on a path of flowers, he is now suffering from severe growing pains.

Actor Park Seo-joon Photo by Awesome ENT

Recently, Park Seo-joon was met at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Ahead of the release of the film Concrete Utopia (directed by Um Tae-hwa), he said, "I lost 6 to 7 kg for the role."

Concrete Utopia, which was released on the 9th, tells the story of survivors gathering and living in a single apartment building that was the only one left standing in Seoul after a massive earthquake turned the city into ruins. It is a film adaptation of the second part, Cheerful Neighbors, of the webtoon Cheerful Outcast by writer Kim Soong-nyung, serialized in 2014. The film is directed by Um Tae-hwa, who also directed Ingtoogi (2013) and Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned (2016).

Park Seo-joon plays Min-seong, who strives to protect his family. Returning to the face of an ordinary commoner, he said, "It was my first time acting out the psychological changes of an ordinary character. I was drawn to it because I hadn’t done it before, and it was fun."

Min-seong took out a loan to achieve his lifelong goal of owning a home. It was to live happily with his wife, Myeong-hwa (played by Park Bo-young). Park Seo-joon said, "Looking at the character’s setting, I didn’t think he had a muscular body. He wears a thick jumper throughout the film, so his physique isn’t revealed, but I thought it would be easier to immerse myself if my body became Min-seong’s."

When asked how much he empathized with the role, Park Seo-joon replied, "I’m also somewhat timid, so understanding him wasn’t difficult." He added with a laugh, "I tend to hold back and keep my words to myself, but when I get angry once, I lose it." He said, "There were many points I could relate to."

Park Seo-joon [Photo by Awesome ENT]

Lee Byung-hun was cast early on as Yeong-tak, the representative of the apartment residents in Concrete Utopia. Upon hearing this, Park Seo-joon requested to read the script because he wanted to act alongside veteran actor Lee Byung-hun. There was a reason he chose the second role instead of the first.

"As I gained more experience as an actor, I had many concerns. I had been a fan of senior actor Lee Byung-hun since I was a student studying acting, so I really wanted to meet him in a project. When I heard that he was appearing in Concrete Utopia, I became curious. Fortunately, there was a role around my age, and I could work closely with him. I’m happy to share a generation and watch his acting. The director’s meticulousness was also great. The film feels like a precious gift to me."

He has recently been taking on various roles: a former mixed martial arts fighter turned exorcist, a prince of a planet, a soccer player turned coach. In Concrete Utopia, he was thrown into the middle of a disaster. The filming was not easy. Romance acting might allow for somewhat easier performances. When asked why he keeps challenging difficult roles, he laughed and said, "I guess it’s fate." He added, "Ultimately, those are the characters I’m drawn to." He said, "I get captivated by the story, and when I decide to appear and go to the set, a simple line of text unfolds into an enormous situation. It’s always like that," making us laugh.

He continued, "My first priority is the role. I always try to meet different characters. I look at the character first, then the story. I think about how I can express it interestingly and three-dimensionally in any way."

"I like works where I can visualize the situation while reading the script. I have dyslexia, so it’s important that the reading flows quickly. Some scripts don’t even get past a few pages for me. At those times, I think, ‘I can’t do this.’ That’s a huge factor for me. My intuition rate isn’t low, so I try to trust it. Ultimately, the choice is mine. But I don’t count numbers. How much the production costs, where the investment comes from ? more than that, whether it’s fun or not is important. The results may be disappointing, but whether it goes well or not, that way I have no regrets."

'Concrete Utopia' stills [Photo by Lotte Entertainment]

Previously, Park Seo-joon made a special appearance as the friend of Choi Woo-shik in the film Parasite (2019), which won the Palme d’Or at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival and four Oscars at the 92nd Academy Awards, leaving a strong impression. Director Bong Joon-ho expressed affection in an interview with Asia Economy at the time, saying, "It was a very important character, so we needed someone with presence like Park Seo-joon," and "I was surprised by his voice during filming."

Park Seo-joon recalled, "My close friend actor Choi Woo-shik appeared in Parasite, so I was really envious. It was even more so because I got to work closely with seniors Song Kang-ho and Lee Sun-kyun. That’s when I thought I wanted to create an ensemble with various seniors." He emphasized, "I definitely want to meet seniors Song Kang-ho and Choi Min-sik in a project."

Through Parasite, Park Seo-joon and director Bong Joon-ho built a friendship while dining together in London, UK. Park Seo-joon said, "When I went to the UK for Marvel filming, I heard that director Bong was doing pre-production for a soon-to-be-released film. I heard he was on a nearby set, so I contacted him. We ate together at an Indian restaurant near where he was staying and talked." He also expressed his wish to appear in any role in Bong director’s films.

Park Seo-joon said, "It’s difficult to form connections, so they are precious. I have a personality that tries to maintain connections once made. You can’t form connections just with feelings. I think connections happen when the timing and circumstances align."

Actor Park Seo-joon [Photo by Awesome ENT]

About ten years ago, Park Seo-joon was bright and cheerful. He smiled well in interviews and often joked. Although somewhat lengthy, he honestly shared his thoughts. However, the Park Seo-joon met recently was different. He appeared withdrawn and stiff, as if caught on a speed bump, which was heartbreaking.

At the production briefing for Concrete Utopia held in June, when asked about the dating rumors that surfaced before the event, Park Seo-joon was reserved, saying, "It’s a big burden to disclose my private life." Reflecting on that time, he candidly shared the situations and concerns he has recently faced. Contrary to some reports, he never mentioned the words "stalker" or "stalking."

"I wasn’t a conservative person, but have you ever had such an experience? The same car always follows me in front of my house. When I get into my car in the parking lot and leave, that car is there. But it knows where I’m going. It even arrives at the destination before me. The car changes, but the person is always the same. Sometimes they still come by these days. After experiencing this for two months, it’s chilling and scary. That experience pushed me into my room. I’m scared they might harm me. My parents and family too."

Park Seo-joon paused briefly when mentioning his parents and family. After calming his emotions and swallowing, he continued his answer.

"I live each day carefully, worried about causing harm to my family. I used to post family photos on SNS (social networking services), but I regret it now. I don’t know where the appropriate boundary is. As these experiences accumulate, I’ve become more conservative."

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