During JYJ member Park Yoochun’s Media Day in Beijing, organised by South Korean agency C-Jes, Sina Entertainment had an exclusive interview with Park Yoochun.
Official visit to China; Beijing not as cold as imagined
Although it is not his first trip to China, it is the first time that the itinerary is without any concert, fan meeting or performance-related activities. In this, Park Yoochun has shown the proper work attitude that Koreans usually have. He said that because he had to film the drama “Missing You”, he was unable to take time out to personally thank the China media. So this trip is made to specially thank them.
Talking about his impression of Beijing, he said he was mentally prepared for Beijing to be very cold but it was not as cold as Seoul. Regarding Beijing cuisine, he revealed there is a small restaurant they patronise so frequently that the boss now can understand Korean and gives him special privileges, and he can order items that are not in the menu. This time in Beijing, the food that he wants to eat most is still mutton on skewers (kebabs).
Selects a work based on feeling; real character is Jung Woo and Lee Gak combined
In 2012, with 2 hit dramas “Rooftop Prince” and “Missing You”, Park Yoochun seems to be enjoying greater popularity than before. Besides fans from his singing days, there are new drama fans; outside the press conference today, it is also crowded with his fans, there just to take a look at their idol.
During the press conference, the hit dramas that he acted in became a topic that must be mentioned. Regarding the great success of his works, he said that for the first work “Sungkyunkwan Scandal”, he did not know how to choose and just listened to the views of the people around him. But for the recent “Rooftop Prince” and “Missing You”, he himself was moved by the script and decided to take it. When asked which part of RTP left the deepest memories, he said he will always remember the wedding at the rooftop; the atmosphere was too sad and even the crew had tears falling. When it was said that “Missing You” has more kissing scenes than RTP, he looked unconvinced and said, actually RTP has more kissing scenes, but viewers are affected by the heavy atmosphere in MY and have the wrong impression.
When talking about his real character, he said it is a combination of Han Jung Woo and Lee Gak; he has Lee Gak’s sense of responsibility without losing freedom and Jung Woo’s traits of acting babyish and spoilt and also joking around. He also took pride in his good interpersonal relations and said he maintains a good relationship with all the actors/actresses he has worked with, keeping in touch even until now. About RTP having the highest number of clicks on the internet, Park Yoochun said he also had a shock when he heard it. Regarding the finale of Missing You that everyone is most concerned about, he is tight-lipped and said the script is not out yet, but he is wishing for a tragic end and asked the scriptwriter to make him die.
Entering the China market possible anytime; wants to challenge a war movie
This media day activity is widely seen as the first step for Park Yoochun to enter the China market. Regarding this, he was straightforward and said it can happen anytime if there is a suitable script. He also revealed that he has received the invitation for several works but he has not made a decision yet.
JYJ member Kim Jaejoong has already entered the silver screen with ” Codename Jackal”; when asked if he would follow suit, Park Yoochun said he is in no hurry. He said, “Wait til I am 30 or 40 years old when I can challenge more kinds of roles; for movies I can take my time.” About the type of movie he would most like to challenge, he was given 3 choices, love, action or comedy. He gave an unexpected answer– war movie. He quipped, “Actually I really wanted to act in a horror movie, but I was too scared and gave up the idea. Now I want most to act in a war movie, best with a scene of 5 hundred horses galloping at me.”
Part II
Suffered a lot for “Missing You”; Harry’s role is too sick
Park Yoochun, because of popular Korean drama “Missing You”, recently received the attention of more and more fans. The engaging performance of all the actors added colors to the story but the sad storyline and chilly weather gave Park Yoochun a hard time during shooting. When asked what was the most painful thing during the shoot, he said, “Because of too many crying scenes, the body lost a lot of energy. My mouth always becomes frozen saying lines in the cold weather.” He also said, “When the icy winds blows, tearing is not that easy”, bursting viewers’ fantasy over Jung Woo’s lines “I am not crying; it’s because the wind is blowing” and appearing real and interesting.
When asked if his own character is closer to Jung Woo or Harry, Park Yoochun exclaimed “Of course I am more like Jung Woo, good at waiting!” Trying to clarify, Park Yoochun explained, in the drama, Harry acted by Yoo Seung Ho, is a control freak with an obsession that is a sickness; as for himself, he wouldn’t be like that and will give adequate trust to the woman he loves without foregoing his principles. In the drama, Jung Woo waited for 14 years for love, and Park Yoochun realistically said, “14 years makes the story look so beautiful, but in reality it is not easy, too long “. When saying this, he made an expression like “I can’t imagine!” and that expression was very cute.
“Missing You” tragic ending is logical; after completing shoot, looking forward to travelling to Cuba
During an earlier interview, Park Yoochun openly expressed that he hopes “Missing You” ending to be a tragedy. Towards the finale, there are 2 more episodes, how will the story end, it naturally became our topic of concern. Regarding this, Park Yoochun said, “Even though people around me don’t agree, my hope for a tragic ending has not changed.” At the same time, he explained, “Not because we must give the story a sad ending, but for the plot so far, only Jung Woo’s death would make the story sound logical and everything look rational.”
Year 2012, Park Yoochun acted in “Rooftop Prince” and “Missing You” one after the other, both receiving excellent results, but he was not able to rest well. When asked, after shooting, what is the thing he wants to do most and what place he most wants to go, he looked like he was drawing a beautiful picture in his mind, then he said, “After Missing You ends, I want to travel, and if I have to choose a place, it will be Cuba, where I can rest freely.”
JYJ album in the agenda; wants to eat roast duck in Beijing
2013 has only just started, Park Yoochun has already placed JYJ’s new album in the agenda. Regarding other projects, he said there are no plans yet, but if there is a chance, it is possible that he might bring a music or TV project to the fans. When asked what food he wants to taste in Beijing, Yoochun quickly said he had already requested the staff to take him to eat roast duck, and after eating, he will have a good sleep. He was full of life and vigour but it could not conceal his tiredness which pained us. When asked to speak a few Chinese words, Park Yoochun shyly said,”More than 10 years ago, I learned Chinese but now I have forgotten most of it. Because I watched many zombie/vampire movies, I can only shout “jiu ming ah” (“救命啊” means “help!” in Chinese). His words made everyone burst out laughing.
This trip to Beijing, from a certain angle, is Park Yoochun’s first step to enter China, even though he is humble about it and said he came to say hello and thank you to the China media. But I believe after this activity, Chinese fans will be able to see him more often. Regarding fan meetings, Park Yoochun also said “Missing You” will be an opportunity for more fan meetings in more locations. 。(Thanks 红丽/文 郑福德/图 张大伟/视频)
