[Interview②] Kim Hye-sung "Gwangjin-gu Dog Dad, Cherishing Daily Life with Pet Dog Hyedong"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Actor Kim Hye-sung expressed his deep love for his pet dog, Hyedong.

On the afternoon of the 21st, Kim Hye-sung shared various stories about his 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 depicting the story of funeral director Seong-gil, who lives with his son who became physically disabled due to an accident, and how meeting a mother and daughter who moved in next door rekindles his forgotten hope for life. The film gained domestic and international attention as Ahn Sung-ki won the Platinum Award, equivalent to Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Actor at the 53rd Houston International Film Festival.

Kim Hye-sung plays the role of Ji-hyeok, Seong-gil’s son whose life was shattered by the accident. He said, “I paid as much attention as possible to moving naturally without being forced. I wanted to appear natural,” highlighting his focus in acting.

Kim Hye-sung debuted in 2005 with the film Jenny, Juno and has been an actor for 15 years. Reflecting on his journey, he confessed, “Acting becomes difficult and mentally painful as I get older.”

He continued, “When I was young, I was full of confidence and believed in myself while acting. I suffered from doubts about whether I did well or not, but looking back, wasn’t that the most fun and happiest thing? I was happiest in front of the camera, feeling alive and enjoying it.”

The popular sitcom Unstoppable High Kick, which aired from November 2006 to July 2007, became an indispensable work in Kim Hye-sung’s filmography. At that time, he rose to stardom through the work, and his comedic acting matched his handsome appearance, drawing attention.

“It’s a very grateful work. I gained much more than I lost. Thanks to ‘High Kick’ Min-ho, I still get opportunities to act. However, the unresolved task is that I haven’t met a work or role that breaks the Min-ho character. Although it’s a work from 15 years ago, people still talk a lot about Min-ho when they see me. I think it’s because I’m lacking, but I’m also thankful for those stories. I see it as a task I have to solve going forward.”

Kim Hye-sung also expressed gratitude toward PD Kim Byung-wook, who directed Unstoppable High Kick. He recalled, “The filming set was fun thanks to Director Kim Byung-wook. He is number one among the directors I have met. He never said anything unpleasant even once. When I think of it, it was a filming set that vaguely makes me feel good. We filmed for six days, and on the day off, the script for five episodes came out at once, but everyone filmed while laughing.”

Regarding the recent online resurgence of Unstoppable High Kick, Kim Hye-sung said, “Thanks to that, young people recognize me. My younger brother, who is a middle school first grader and a family acquaintance, usually had no interest in what I do. But one day, he contacted me after seeing a meme on SNS. After watching ‘High Kick’ and ‘Potato Star’ videos, he said, ‘You really are an uncle celebrity.’ I’m just grateful that young people remember me, an ajusshi (middle-aged man),” he laughed.

The term ajusshi felt somewhat unfamiliar to Kim Hye-sung. Born in 1988, he is 33 years old this year, but due to his youthful appearance, hardly anyone sees him as his actual age. When this was mentioned, he emphasized, “I’m an ajusshi now,” and continued.

“Now I consider it an advantage. I really hated having a youthful appearance before. As I entered my mid-20s, male actors want to show masculinity. I envied colleagues who transformed their images, but I think it’s not something easily changed. As I entered my 30s, I began to hope that the range of roles would widen. I’ve seen seniors in their 40s and 50s play roles in their late 20s. I think a day will come when my youthful appearance will work as an advantage as I age.”

In an interview three years ago, Kim Hye-sung revealed that if he were to retire, he would want to completely leave the entertainment industry and be forgotten. When this was brought up, he firmly replied, “It still holds true.”

“If I stop acting, I won’t even step into this field. I won’t be vaguely involved. I want to disappear without a trace. If I retire, please don’t write articles about me. I want to live quietly without being in the public eye. I’ve thought about what to do. Of course, I want to act, but you never know what will happen.”

When attention was drawn to his unexpected retirement mention, Kim Hye-sung revealed that he was sick last year and went to the hospital for nearly a year. This period helped him grow once again.

Kim Hye-sung said, “I suffered a lot from illness for a year. I used to smoke often, but I quit everything. I used to think acting was everything, but now I decided it’s better to think of it as a hobby. Because while going to the hospital due to illness, I realized that stress from acting made my body worse. From now on, I will think of acting as a fun and enjoyable hobby and approach it with a light heart.”

Kim Hye-sung described himself as a ‘Gwangjin-gu dog dad’ with a very happy smile. He emphasized, “I like exercising, so I do climbing, ride a bicycle, and learned boxing. Recently, the most time I spend is with my dog.”

“I take him for a walk three times a day. Even when I’m with friends or women, I go home for my dog. My whole life is focused on my dog. I even cooked Hwangtaetguk (pollack soup), which I haven’t cooked for my parents, for my dog. I currently live in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, and I might be in the top three dog dads in Gwangjin-gu.”

Kim Hye-sung laughed, saying, “I currently don’t have a girlfriend, nor do I have the desire for one. I just think that if my older brother gets married and has a niece or nephew, I should spoil them.” He then added, “My dog’s name is Hyedong. It’s a name derived from Kim Hye-sung + younger sibling, and when I told the name at the animal hospital, everyone laughed. The daily life I spend with Hyedong is very precious,” once again showing his affection for his pet dog.

Paper Flower will be released on October 22.

Photo = Road Pictures