January 2024 | Source: THE STAR | Translation: Seɭeɳα

T/N: Yeo Jin Goo was asked to do the interview using informal speech.

Yeo Jin Goo, an icon of youth who has relentlessly pursued his acting career since he was a child. His voice still delivers colorful yet unwavering catharsis.

It’s been a while. How was the photoshoot today?
I was a bit nervous. But as I started shooting, the tension gradually eased. I approached it with the mindset of enjoying the shoot as much as possible, considering it’s been a while since I greeted everyone through a photoshoot.

The theme was ‘New Season, Hot Guy’. What makes you burn (passionate)?
I tend to be very interested in new things. In that respect, I think the acting I’m doing right now suits me well. Each time I take on a new role in a new work, it requires different acting. That factor makes me burn the most.

How does it feel to welcome 2024?
At first I thought, ‘It’s already 2024.’ I feel a little down when I think, ‘It’s been another year like this.’ but now, instead of thinking that way, I feel more like ‘A new year has come, let’s live it to the fullest.’

What have you been up to lately?
I’m eagerly learning this and that. I’m diligently preparing for my next project, the movies that I made special appearances in a few years ago were just released, and the movie ‘Hijacking’ that I filmed earlier is about to be released, so I’m making various preparations now. Please look forward to it.

You recently appeared in the movie ‘Ajoomma’.
That’s right. First of all, I was very grateful. I think I decided to appear because I was so grateful. I also thought it was a rare opportunity to greet fans overseas again, where Korean culture, especially K-pop, dramas and movies are loved so much these days.

How did you feel when you saw Ajoomma’s premise, ‘An adventure to Yeo Jin Goo’s country’?
I feel very happy to I have such an experience in this way. If I could greet fans overseas with good works in the future, like in the movie, I would be so happy. (Laughs)

Did you pay special attention to the role of ‘Hallyu Star’?
I was really concerned.(Laughs) At first, I thought, ‘Can I do this?’, but I thought again, ‘If I don’t take this opportunity, when will I try it?’(Laughs)

What’s the most memorable moment during the shoot?
I was familiar with filmshoots in Korea since I was a child, but I’ve only heard about filmshoots overseas. So I was curious and a little excited. Since the language and culture is different, I was very curious about how they communicated, and I wondered how they would interpret the same screenplay. In that sense, it gave me a new perspective. I can feel the natural emotions and interpretations because I’m just a person, and I realized that there are emotions that can transcend country or culture.

You also made a special appearance in the movie ‘Noryang: Deadly Sea’.
That’s right. It’s the last film of director Kim Han Min’s trilogy of Admiral Yi Sun Sin, and I’m really honored to play the role of Admiral Yi Sun Sin’s youngest son, ‘Yi Myeon’. I only appear briefly, but when I think about it, I think I gained a lot of experience through special appearances. In ‘Noryang’, and as a Hallyu star in ‘Ajoomma’. In the movie ‘1987’, I even became the martyr Park Jong Cheol. I was very grateful while living in emotions and moments that I would never have felt before. Thank you very much to the directors who suggested me.

You met actor Kim Yoon Seok again, who you filmed 3 movies with, including ‘Hwayi: A Monster Boy’, ‘Tazza: The Hidden Card’ and ‘1987: When the Day Comes’.
Yes. That’s right!(Laughs) When I appeared in ‘Tazza’, I played the role of a genius gambler that I might never experience again in my life.(Laughs) I have very special feelings for Kim Yoon Seok. I received a lot of great compliments from him in the work we met for the first time, and amazingly after that, I played the role of his disciple, enemy, and son through special appearances. Maybe it’s just me, but every time I see him on the set, I think he looks at me a little differently. I think he cares for me a lot. Is that right, Sunbaenim?(Laughs) I think as long as it’s with Sunbaenim, it would be nice work together whenever I can.

There must have been a lot of fun behind-the-scenes with special appearances.
When I made my first special appearance, it felt more like I was going to have fun rather than going to the set for a shoot, but after shooting a few times, I started working hard again. I remember I was filming more sincerely than I expected, because the special appearances were not just light and fun roles, but all of them were quite meaningful characters or works. There were a lot of powerful scenes, so even though it was a special appearance, I filmed it carefully and seriously.

You’ve been acting since 2005. If you had to choose a work with a special affection, which would it be?
It’s too hard to choose one. Each one is so precious and meaningful. First of all, the movie ‘Sad Movie’, which was my first step in acting, is a very special work in my life. And the drama ‘Giant’ was the work that made me think, ‘I want to act for the rest of my life’ and ‘I want to be an actor’…. Please understand, it’s my filmography, so I have a lot of affection for all my works. I’m really sorry that I can’t pick just one.(Laughs)

Are you interested in other fields besides acting?
In a ‘Shall we try it seriously?’ way, not right now, but I when I get a little older and gain more experience, I’ve thought about participating in the production of movies and dramas to support the industry. It’s nice to work with people who love visual arts such as Korean movies and tv series as an actor, but I think it’ll be a very different experience.(Laughs)

What drives you to work hard?
I’m attracted to roles that are different from my actual personality in any way. The more unconventional the plot or character is, the more attractive it is, or if it has solid storytelling. There are many factors that can make me work hard.

I heard you’re a ‘hobbiest’. How do you discover your hobbies?
I tend to be very curious. These days, you can conveniently access many things on platforms like YouTube. I like trying to learn new things by watching various videos.

What hobby are you into lately?
I’m not into it yet but there is a hobby I’m considering. It’s origami. You can fold more things than you can imagine and there are techniques. It’s called polyhedrons. and you can even fold dragons and dinosaurs, I’m not kidding. I was really surprised.” (Laughs)

It would be fun to film a content about that.
Wouldn’t it take a really long time?(Laughs) And I need to have the basics. I don’t think it’s going to be as easy as it seems, but I’ll think about doing origami.(Laughs)

As a ‘Yoseknam’ (Cooking-Sexy-Man) and ‘Meokjilal’ (Food-Know-it-all), what is a food that you must eat in winter?
I think hot soup would be the main dish. When I make it myself, I like to try new food. So I tried making French onion soup after watching it on YouTube last winter, it was so delicious. You can even make it Korean-style by using beef bone broth, and there are many variations. Even if you don’t have guests, I think it’s nice to try a taste that you’ve never experienced when you eat alone at home.(Laugh)

I wonder if Yeo Jin Goo has a unique way to enjoy winter.
I like to cover myself with a cotton blanket and eat tangerines on a heated mat at home. Also, there are many special days to enjoy in winter. Holidays such as winter solstice, Christmas, and New Year’s Day have many events you could enjoy. And it’s fun to watch snow outside when it snows, or have a snowball fight. Rather, I want to ask. If you have any special ways to spend winter, please let me know in the comments.(Laugh)

‘If you’re handsome, you’re called oppa’, and you’re nicknamed ‘Jingoo Oppa’. What’s your favorite nickname?
Do they call me oppa because I look older? I don’t know.(Laughs) Among my nicknames, I like ‘Jingoo Oppa’. I’ve heard it a lot since I was young, and sometimes naughty younger brothers and older brothers call me oppa, so it’s fun. I think it’s a very meaningful nickname for me.

“Yeo Jin Goo is …” How would you fill in the blank?
“Yeo Jin Goo is more fun than I thought.” I want to be a fun person.(Laughs) However, saying this doesn’t sound fun.(Laughs)

What kind of impression do you want to make on the public as an actor?
‘An actor without limit.’ I want to be an actor with a wide spectrum of roles, really capable of digesting various characters and make people curious every time I greet them with new works and roles.”

When did you laugh the most recently?
I think I laughed the most today. Answer alone, laugh alone.(Laughs) I’ve been having many repetitive days recently, so I don’t think I’ve laughed out loud. But I don’t feel bored or bland, I’m just living each trivial day.

On the other hand, when did you last cry?
No laughter, no tears, I’m just living a stable life. I really don’t remember when I last shed tears. Do I seem a little cold-blooded?(Laughs)

How do you overcome your own slump?
It’s very difficult to find the right answer to this kind of problem. First of all, I think how you look at a slump is important. When I felt like I settled down without further growth and development, I think I experienced a slump. So I think the reason why it felt like a slump was because I already gave it my best in my craft. Perhaps I felt that way because l already achieved growth and development (laughs). In that case, I think it’s an opportunity to take good care of myself, work hard until the [next] slump came, and look back on my condition. If there are people who think that they are in a slump, rather than blaming themselves or blaming others, if they gracefully admit it and work hard again, wouldn’t there come a moment when they can overcome it worry free? Let’s cheer up. Fighting!

What is your happiness index now?
Overall happy. If 10 is really happy, it’s about 7~8. I’m living a very happy life these days.(Laughs)

Is there anything you want to say to your fans?
I can’t speak informally to my fans. Let me drop the casual speech for a while.(Laughs) Thank you for always supporting me. I say thank you like this every time, but I feel bad because I can’t repay you for all the love you give me! I feel a bit shameless for receiving your support and excessive love right now, so I think working harder and greeting you more often is the best thing I can do for you. If you say ‘I’m a fan of Yeo Jin Goo’ somewhere, I’ll try to become a good actor that people around you can cheer for. Thank you.” (Laughs)

Say something to yourself too.
Sure! Jingoo, come to think of it, time has passed so quickly. At first, you just wanted to appear on TV, so you learned children’s songs, and what was just a simple curiosity for acting turned into 20 years of acting. Apart from the time that has passed, I think you were very lucky to meet many people who supported you to do what you like from a young age. I hope you will be able to act happily for a long time in the future, and as much as you receive a lot of support and love, I hope you will love and support many people. Please take good care of me in the future. Fighting! (Laughs)

What do you wish to achieve in 2024?
I’ve reached a point [in age] where I wish for better health. I feel it more and more. Whether it’s physical or mental health, I think I need to know myself well, and I want to have more time to look after myself in 2024. I wish to know myself better than anyone else, and I hope others around me will do the same.

I’m curious about your future plans.
I’m diligently preparing for the release of the movie ‘Hijacking’, which I filmed from 2022 to early 2023. I hope many will look forward to it. Also I’m working hard to greet you with another work, so please pay a lot of attention to me.(Laughs)

Lastly, what do you want to say to the readers of THE STAR?
This is very difficult.(Laughs) Still, I’ll stick with the casual speech setting until the end. Considering it roleplay, and we are speaking causally now, we are friends, right?(Laughs) It was so nice to meet you, and it was nice to say hello like this. I hope to see you often in the future. I hope 2023 ended well, and I hope 2024 will be a very happy, lucky, and healthy year for you. I hope you will continue to love THE STAR, and be sure to love and care for me as well! Please.(Laughs) Happy New Year, and you did a good job in 2023. Let’s always be happy.▣