[Interview] Jin Seon-gyu: "My Daughter Watched UDT and Said 'Dad, You're Cute'... I Succeeded"

'UDT: Our Neighborhood Special Forces' Drama
Plays HID Veteran and Stationery/Hardware Store Owner
Reunites with Yoon Kye-sang After 8 Years
"Wants a Second Season"

Actor Jin Seon-gyu. Courtesy of Coupang Play

"My sixth-grade daughter made sure to watch the show as it aired, and afterwards she told me, 'Dad, you're so cute.' As she was naturally growing more distant from me with adolescence approaching, it felt both unfamiliar and moving to hear her say that after watching the drama. She also said, 'If something like that ever happens, Dad, you absolutely can't go. We have to run away together.' In that moment, I thought, 'Ah, this is success.'"

On December 10, during an interview held in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, actor Jin Seon-gyu said, "My daughter's reaction was the greatest achievement," referring to the Coupang Play and Genie TV series 'UDT: Our Neighborhood Special Forces.'

'UDT: Our Neighborhood Special Forces' is set in Changri-dong, Giyun City, and depicts the process of residents with past military service experience solving a series of suspected terror incidents.

Characters who served in special operations units or as technical soldiers each use their unique skills to protect their neighborhood. Jin Seon-gyu plays Kwak Byung-nam, a former HID counter-terrorism unit member who now runs a hardware store and stationery shop as the head of the local youth association.

While developing Byung-nam's character, he aimed to create "a person you might easily see in everyday life, but with a face you can't forget." Before filming, Yoon Kye-sang suggested a mustache, which the makeup team further developed. Jin Seon-gyu said, "I don't usually monitor my own work, but this time my family's reactions were so positive that I watched it with them," adding with a laugh, "Maybe I looked a bit cooler than usual."

Jin Seon-gyu and Yoon Kye-sang have worked together for nearly a decade, including in the drama 'Road No. 1' (2010) and the films 'Poongsan' (2011) and 'The Outlaws' (2017). In a previous interview, Yoon Kye-sang even referred to Jin Seon-gyu as his "acting mentor." Jin Seon-gyu said, "I wasn't completely sure when I first read the script, but knowing Yoon Kye-sang was involved made up my mind." He added, "Because of the trust we've built over many years, our teamwork was even stronger when we reunited."

He continued, "Yoon Kye-sang stayed on set even on days he wasn't filming. That gave the cast a great sense of stability," and added, "He's an actor I want to keep working with for a long time." By the latter part of filming, their reactions on set were said to be completely in sync.

A scene from 'UDT: Our Neighborhood Special Forces'. Provided by Coupang Play

It was also especially meaningful for him to work again with actors like Kim Ji-hyun and Cho Han-cheol, with whom he had shared the stage since their university days. "We already knew each other's acting styles, so it was much easier to coordinate scenes," he said. "I didn't want to part ways even after filming ended, and talk of a second season kept coming up on set."

In the drama, Byung-nam doesn't have many direct fight scenes, but he uses his technical background to build equipment and manage situations. "I wanted him to be seen not as someone with exaggerated abilities, but as someone who prepares and endures," he said. He added, "Yoon Kye-sang and Kim Ji-hyun led the action up front, and I supported them like MacGyver, which suited the drama better. I especially liked the scene where Ji-hyun, who plays the supermarket owner, does hand-to-hand action."

The viewership rating started in the 2% range and rose to over 4%, and within two weeks of its release on Coupang Play, the viewing volume increased by 420%. "What meant even more to me was people around me saying they enjoyed it," he said. "If a second season is produced, I'm confident we could reach a 10% viewership rating."

This year, he was busy balancing regional theater performances with filming various dramas and movies. "I haven't stopped working on projects since the end of last year, but it feels like I'm being rewarded with love. I'm wrapping up the year well," he reflected.