[Interview①] 'Sorikkun' Kim Dong-wan "Completely Captivated by the Charm of Pansori and Rural Life"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Actor Kim Dong-wan revealed that he has become deeply fascinated by the charm of pansori and rural life.

On the 25th, Kim Dong-wan shared various stories about the film Sorikkun (Director Jo Jeong-rae) during an interview at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Sorikkun is a musical film set in the Joseon Dynasty, portraying the sorrow and humor of the low-class sorikkun through the beautiful landscapes of the eight provinces of Joseon and the enchanting melodies of traditional folk music. It reinterprets Korea’s traditional sound and reconstructs it using a modern music system. It is the new work of director Jo Jeong-rae, who moved 3.58 million viewers with Homecoming (2016). Renowned gugak master Lee Bong-geun plays the protagonist Hak-gyu, and Lee Yu-ri stars as Hak-gyu’s kidnapped wife, Gatnan.

Kim Dong-wan debuted in 1998 as a member of the group Shinhwa and was active as a first-generation idol before challenging acting. He left a strong impression playing Lee Yuk-sa in MBC’s Jeoljeong (2011) and appeared in numerous films such as Roundhouse Kick (2014), Yeongasi (2012), Someone’s Dream (2015), Delusional People (2015), Glory Day (2016), and Between the Eyes (2016).

In the film, Kim Dong-wan plays a fallen nobleman who, despite dressing as a yangban, is penniless and sets out to find his wife, Hak-gyu, traveling together across the eight provinces. To prepare for the role, he learned pansori and practiced for filming. He said, “To master the ‘Eolsu’ vocal exclamation, I learned pansori from a master in Nakwon-dong, Jongno-gu. When I asked to be taught ‘Eolsu,’ the teacher said I needed to learn some pansori first and taught me ‘Hwacho-jang.’ I also learned the basics of drumming the buk and practiced singing.” He added, “The master said I had talent and that one or two years of pansori would be enough. I felt that basically, it takes two years to say you have learned pansori.”

He continued, “Talking with Lee Bong-geun, I realized that to express anger, you can’t just shout randomly. You have to sing according to your vocal condition. If the sound doesn’t come out well, you sing according to that day’s condition and feeling. Hearing that made me think, ‘Why did I sing trapped by my condition today?’ and gave me a new perspective as a singer.”

Kim Dong-wan said he became completely immersed in the charm of pansori through Sorikkun. He said, “I wasn’t particularly interested in pansori before, but I liked it. I was also interested in new-age music. I’m close with Harim hyung, and I like artists who do various kinds of music like him.” He added, “There is a perception that pansori is old-fashioned and outdated, but watching Sorikkun will change that thought.” He continued, “Is there a Korean film that has captured pansori with such advanced technology? We made great efforts with live sound recording on set. I felt the vocal tone and sound as if I were at a live performance.” He emphasized, “It’s more of a musical film than a musical. Your ears will enjoy it throughout.”

Earlier, director Jo Jeong-rae recalled his first meeting with Kim Dong-wan in an interview with reporters, saying, “He was very determined. At the first meeting, he read the script and said, ‘I want to do this.’ That was really impressive and cool.” He added, “I was captivated by his pure appearance. The fallen nobleman is a wrinkled, clumsy, somewhat empty character. But he said, ‘That’s exactly me,’ and appealed strongly. When filming started, he was exactly the fallen nobleman. It was really great.”

Kim Dong-wan said, “At first, the director was worried about entrusting me with the role of the fallen nobleman. He said, ‘The fallen nobleman has to look insignificant for the story to work, but Dong-wan, you’re handsome,’ and he was concerned. But I can really do insignificant roles well, so I appealed hard.” He added, “In the musical The Gentleman's Guide, my role starts insignificant. I start as a butcher who is not recognized socially. At that time, I felt such a character was attractive and that I could do well. In that sense, the fallen nobleman is a character with a story, so he is attractive.”

Currently, Kim Dong-wan lives in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, and has become deeply fascinated by rural life. After feeling peace by chance in Whistler, Canada, he returned to Korea and continued a life close to nature. He recalled, “I went because city life was hard, and in Canada, I felt the healing power of comfortable sleep and nature. I also met bees for the first time there. I wanted to live with bees at a place where indigenous people do beekeeping.” He continued, “I used to stay at quiet pensions for one or two weeks and then come back, but one day I stayed for three or four weeks. I thought I should live in the countryside instead. Through healing, I gained energy and was able to try various things.”

If he gets married, Kim Dong-wan hopes his spouse shares similar values and lifestyle. He joked, “If I have a girlfriend, I’ll have to test if she can handle rural life well.”

He added, “There are cases where couples retire and move to the countryside, but the woman wants to return to city life. I’ve seen quite a few couples like that around me, so I think lifestyle is important.” He also said, “Basically, I want to be in the provinces. I want to live smelling the earth and listening to the sounds of insects.”

He also recommended rural life to juniors who are busy as idol singers and actors. Kim Dong-wan said, “It’s not hard to find nature in Seoul. When stressed, I recommend not only looking for healing spaces in Seoul but also getting out of Seoul.” He advised, “I hope they find various ways to heal and overcome.”

Meanwhile, Sorikkun is set to be released on July 1.

Photo=Office DH