From Suppressed Emotions to Liberation Through Acting... Ryu Seung-ryong's "Manager Kim" [Limelight]

The Silence of Middle-Aged Korean Men, Accepted on His Face
"I Realized I Had Never Told Myself, 'You Did Well'"
"The Scariest Thing Is Someone Who Loses Themselves While Chasing Achievement"

Still cut from the JTBC drama "The Story of Manager Kim, a Homeowner in Seoul Working at a Large Corporation"

"Naksu, be happy." "Thank you, Manager Kim." This is a conversation between Kim Naksu (played by Ryu Seung-ryong) and his past self as a manager at a large corporation in the JTBC drama "The Story of Manager Kim Who Owns a House in Seoul and Works at a Large Corporation" ("Manager Kim"). This dialogue captures the overall sentiment of the work and encapsulates the reality faced by middle-aged men in Korea.

The force that elevates this simple exchange into an achievement is undoubtedly Ryu Seung-ryong's acting. Kim Naksu appears composed on the outside, but internally, he is a middle-aged man on the verge of collapse. Ryu Seung-ryong expresses suppressed emotions through trembling, then steady gazes, breaths that barely hold together, and subtle pauses between lines.

His restrained performance adds even more depth to each scene. In particular, in the scene where he apologizes to his past self, the calm voice that emerges after holding back tears brings realism to the rare moment when a middle-aged Korean man reveals his true feelings. Ryu Seung-ryong said, "Looking back, I realized I had never told myself, 'You did well.'" It was an unexpected moment that opened up a new emotional layer for the actor himself.

He also demonstrates credibility in his portrayal of everyday life. In scenes where he works as a substitute driver and a car wash part-timer, he embodies the fatigue and resignation of middle age through his walk, the way he grips the steering wheel, and even the small act of taking off his shoes when entering his home. The sense of lived experience, conveyed even without dialogue, comes from careful observation and experience. He brings weight to the scenes without forcefully pushing emotions.

Still cut from the JTBC drama "The Story of Manager Kim, a Homeowner in Seoul Working at a Large Corporation"

This is not just about dramatic details. For a long time, middle-aged men in Korea have lived suppressing their emotions within a structure where organizational cultures allow no mistakes, livelihood pressures follow early retirement, and family care responsibilities must be shouldered alone. Pride was not about saving face, but a means of survival-and ultimately became a shackle that blocked self-care.

Statistics from real life support this reality. Early retirement in the early 50s has become commonplace, but the threshold for reemployment remains high, and eight out of ten small businesses close down. Korea's elderly poverty rate also exceeds the OECD average. Yet these men are not labeled as the vulnerable, since they are still grouped as beneficiaries of past patriarchy.

"Manager Kim" is a work that takes a structural view of this generation. The scenes of Kim Naksu working as a substitute driver and car wash part-timer reveal, through his face, the reality of middle-aged men that statistics cannot show. Ryu Seung-ryong said, "I felt a sense of responsibility because this is a work that puts middle-aged men in their 50s at the forefront."

He confessed that this project also changed his attitude toward acting. "Sometimes, I wonder if I was just going through the motions of acting," he said, admitting to feeling deep frustration when his focus faltered. To overcome this, he explained, "I tried to maintain an orderly life and considered walking and managing my mind as part of acting." He believes that true emotions can only surface when both body and mind are fulfilled.

Still cut from the JTBC drama "The Story of Manager Kim, a Homeowner in Seoul Working at a Large Corporation"

The change in perspective is also evident in what he wrote on social media after the series ended. Ryu Seung-ryong quoted Ko Un's poem "That Flower": "I saw it on the way down / The flower I didn't see on the way up," and wrote, "The scariest thing is someone who loses themselves while chasing achievement." He also referenced Park Nohae's "The More You Go," and Jang Seokju's "A Single Jujube," leaving a message not to lose one's purpose while pursuing goals. These poems convey the idea that as one removes their mask, their true self is revealed, and that ripening in life requires both pain and time.

Ryu Seung-ryong said, "I gave everything I had, with a passion I may never have again." In the process, he did not merely play a character, but accepted the silence and suppression experienced by Korea's middle-aged men as his own. Through that face, "Manager Kim" poses a question to Korean society: When, and before it is too late, will we be able to tell ourselves, "You did well"?

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