[Interview②] 'Jongi Kkot' Yujin "Without my husband Ki Tae-young's support, I wouldn't exist either, Master of Parenting"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Actress Yoo Jin expressed her gratitude for the support of her husband Ki Tae-young.

On the morning of the 21st, Yoo Jin shared various stories about her work during an interview held at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, ahead of the release of the film Paper Flower (director Ko Hoon).

Paper Flower is a film about Seong-gil, a funeral director living with his son who has mobility difficulties due to an accident, who meets a mother and daughter who move in next door and regains hope for life he had forgotten. The film gained attention both domestically and internationally by winning the Platinum Award, equivalent to Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Actor at the 53rd Houston International Film Festival.

Yoo Jin returns to the screen after 11 years, playing Eun-sook, Seong-gil’s neighbor who has hidden pain but lives positively.

On this day, Yoo Jin said, “I expressed the character much brighter than my own personality. While reading and working on the project, the director requested a brighter portrayal, so I asked, ‘Brighter?’” She explained her acting focus, “He wanted a brightness that made the past unguessable. A brightness beyond ordinary. After hearing that, I thought Eun-sook’s pain would be better revealed later. Even if it comes across as somewhat exaggerated, the character’s pain was well expressed.”

Yoo Jin, a 23-year veteran actress, mentioned a change in her attitude toward works and roles. She recalled, “I really like movies, but I felt it’s hard to succeed in the market. After working on dramas, I was happy to receive a film offer after a long time. I thought Paper Flower was a kind of play I could do. Thankfully, it was an opportunity to work with great senior actors.”

Yoo Jin revealed her changed mindset, saying, “While taking a break from projects, I wanted to do films again, even in small roles. I wanted to return to films as a supporting or minor role.”

She also felt changes brought by the introduction of the 52-hour workweek limit. Yoo Jin laughed, “Unlike before, we can’t shoot for long hours in a day, so it helped manage stamina.” She added, “I remember it was tough during the last drama shoot because the law wasn’t applied then. When I was offered the drama Penthouse recently, I said I probably couldn’t do a long drama, but they told me the shooting hours are now fixed. I was able to work with peace of mind.”

Yoo Jin married fellow actor Ki Tae-young in 2011 and has two daughters, Ro-hee and Ro-rin. Her experiences with marriage and childbirth expanded her range as an actress. She said, “Before having children, I played many mother roles and did my best, but I didn’t truly understand the real emotions. Now that I know a mother’s feelings, acting is much easier and better. I can genuinely feel those emotions. It might be easier to convey them to the audience as well.”

Ki Tae-young took charge of childcare and household chores, enabling Yoo Jin to continue her acting career. Yoo Jin expressed her gratitude, saying, “My husband does almost everything. Without his support, I wouldn’t have been able to act.”

Yoo Jin said, “Since we have two children, even if someone else takes care of them, I wouldn’t feel at ease. We agreed that either the mother or father should be with the children. We have a philosophy that we can’t fully entrust them to others.” She added, “My husband is working very hard and taking great care of them,” showing affection once again.

Yoo Jin and Ki Tae-young appeared on KBS2’s The Return of Superman, revealing their parenting and daily life. Yoo Jin said, “As shown on the show, Ki Tae-young is very meticulous and good with the kids. When raising children, unexpected situations happen, and my husband handles them well. I’m a cool and free-spirited type, while he is detailed, observant, and understands the children’s psychology well. He definitely does childcare better than I do,” she laughed.

She continued, “If my husband wasn’t good at childcare and clumsy, I would feel uncomfortable even while working, but I’m not worried at all,” repeatedly expressing her gratitude toward Ki Tae-young.

Yoo Jin said, “Recently, there are fewer projects. Opportunities for actors to work are decreasing. I think we should take any offer that comes.” She added, “Ki Tae-young and I compare the projects we receive to consider who fits better and can do better, and then decide. We want to keep working without too long a break,” sharing her future plans.

Yoo Jin debuted in 1997 as a member of the female trio group S.E.S. Their first album I’m Your Girl gained popularity, and they led the golden era of 90s Korean pop music, competing with the female quartet group Fin.K.L, who debuted around the same time.

Yoo Jin said, “My eldest daughter Ro-hee knows that her mom was part of S.E.S. She watches the music videos and listens to my songs. She even came to the 20th anniversary concert. She may not remember everything exactly, but she knows about it.”

She also expressed support if her daughter dreams of becoming a singer. Yoo Jin said, “One day, Ro-hee said, ‘I want to be a singer like mom.’ She really likes dancing and singing. If she has talent, I will let her pursue it.”

She continued, “Some parents send their kids to academies from a young age with the intention of making them singers, but I don’t want to go that far. If she wants to do it, I think it should happen naturally.”

Meanwhile, Paper Flower is set to be released on October 22.