"Kim Bu-jang" Yoon Kyung-ho, recalling "30 side jobs to make ends meet" and "tears"… "I was sorry to my daughter in my womb" [Interview ③]

Actor Yoon Kyung-ho (46) spoke directly about stories related to "Chief Kim."

Yoon Kyung-ho met with Star News in an interview about the SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Chief Kim" (written by Nam Dae-jung, directed by Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun) at a cafe on Hakdong-ro in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 27th.

"Chief Kim" is a revenge action drama set in the father universe, in which a "most ordinary in the world" dad becomes the "most dangerous in the world" man and fights to recover his one and only daughter. "Chief Kim" started with a 9.5% viewership rating for episode 1 and reached 21.6% in just 4 episodes, setting a new record as a drama that surpassed 20% for the first time in 2 years. In the final 10th episode aired on the 25th, it recorded a peak rating of 23.1%, proving its syndrome-like popularity. (Based on Nielsen Korea nationwide) "Chief Kim" successively surpassed the records of all previous SBS Friday-Saturday dramas such as "Stove League," "Taxi Driver 2," and "The Fiery Priest," setting a major record by rising to 2nd place among SBS Friday-Saturday dramas of all time in viewership ratings.

Its global success was also dazzling. "Chief Kim" ranked No. 1 globally in the Netflix non-English TV show category for three consecutive weeks, proving its worldwide popularity. In addition, it ranked No. 1 in TV-OTT drama buzz for three consecutive weeks and dominated the top ranks in cast buzz as well, sweeping both ratings and global popularity, as well as topicality.

In the drama, Yoon Kyung-ho played Park Jin-cheol, a former "god of the battlefield" whom even the state could not control in the past, and who now lives as a daughter-loving dad. Park Jin-cheol showed chemistry in the "dad universe" with Kim Bu-jang (played by So Ji-sub) and Sung Han-soo (played by Choi Dae-hoon), and stood out as the "rock and roll Park Jin-cheol," with bold power action and a cheerful human touch. Yoon Kyung-ho brought energy with a down-to-earth performance as Park Jin-cheol, a former Marine with plenty of swagger, drawing laughs just by appearing.

-You came today wearing luxury shoes. Is that proof of your popularity?

▶These shoes were a gift I received. The clothes are from Topten. I thought my clothes were too plain, so I wore nice shoes to balance things out. My fortune reading says that "wealth leaks away," so I am trying to do some financial planning in any way I can, and these days I invested in Samsung and SK Hynix. I am also trying to cut back on eating. I was told that I am the type who first takes on debt and then builds wealth while paying it off. A priest I know well in Rome told me, "You keep talking about fortune readings, please stop." (laughs) I was previously told that a 23-year luck cycle seems to have come my way. But I am trying not to be swayed by ups and downs. I am trying to live within my means, and my wife tries to calm my excitement. She says, "Don't keep checking your phone so much; think about becoming a good actor and a good father."

-You have said that you also went through difficult times in the past.

▶I used to have tried about thirty part-time jobs. While doing theater, it was hard to keep a regular part-time job, so I did a lot of short-term and daily-paid jobs. The main thing I did was manual labor, and I also tried a part-time job as a clown handing out balloons when stores opened. The biggest crisis was when I got married and my first child was on the way. Until then, even if my card was cut off and I went into the red, I thought I was the only one who had to endure the pain. But when I had a child, I thought, "I don't want to pass this on," and wondered if I should quit acting. I worried a lot, thinking, "I don't even have any other qualifications, so what should I do? Should I learn a trade?" Around that time, the film "The Battleship Island" came to me, and that work was so meaningful to me that I even lost 34 kg at the time. I get emotional talking about that period. I told my daughter in my belly, "Dad is sorry. I've never played a role like this before, but I want to do well this time. Even if you're a little hungry, please wait for me," and after that I ended up doing "Okja" and "Goblin." I felt that a path opens up for people. Before, I only wanted to become "the best actor," but after my child was born, I worked without caring about the risks, and I think another world opened up.

-In reality, as someone with a daughter, you played a "daughter-loving dad" role in "Chief Kim."

▶After I had a daughter, the way I viewed the world changed. Women I had seen before no longer looked like juniors or colleagues, but like "someone's daughter." I came to understand things women go through, such as the fact that their resident registration number starts with "2." So I think I was able to empathize more deeply with "Chief Kim." My daughter is now in 4th grade, and she keeps searching for her own name online and telling me, "Dad, please talk about my name a lot too." (laughs)

-What kind of actor do you want to be now?

▶Right now, I think, "I hope work never stops," and "I want to save money well until the kids can stand on their own." I want to keep working steadily, like a strand of noodles. I envy seniors who have acted for a long time without any ups and downs. I think my current popularity is like passing lottery luck.

Reporter Han Hae-seon [email protected]