[Interview] "A Different Charm from Webtoons" Song Kang Reveals 'Sweet Home' Season 2, Military Service, and Socks (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Iseul] Actor Song Kang asked viewers to appreciate the unique charm of the drama 'Sweet Home,' which differs from the original webtoon.

On the morning of the 22nd, Song Kang shared his thoughts on the Netflix original series ‘Sweet Home’ (directed by Lee Eung-bok) during an online video interview.

‘Sweet Home’ is a Netflix original series depicting the bizarre and shocking experiences of Hyun-soo, a reclusive high school student who loses his family and moves into a new apartment.

The series is based on the webtoon of the same name, boasting 1.2 billion views, and was completed by director Lee Eung-bok, known for works such as 'Mr. Sunshine,' 'Goblin,' and 'Descendants of the Sun.' The cast includes Song Kang, Lee Jin-wook, Lee Si-young, Lee Do-hyun, Go Min-si, Park Gyu-young, Go Yoon-jung, as well as Kim Kap-soo and Kim Sang-ho.

In ‘Sweet Home,’ released on the 18th, Song Kang delivers intense action and emotional performances as Hyun-soo, who transforms from a reclusive individual contemplating suicide into the sole hope and simultaneously a threatening presence for the Green Home residents.

On this day, Song Kang said, “As a fan who enjoyed the original webtoon, I was happy but also felt a lot of pressure when I was cast. It was interesting to see Hyun-soo face monsters and overcome fear.”

Song Kang previously led the Netflix original series ‘Love Alarm’ as the main character and was recommended by the director to audition for ‘Sweet Home.’ He said, “I tend to bring out my true self during auditions. I find my own image attractive,” adding, “I was really happy to hear I passed. I communicated a lot with the director to figure out how to express the emotions and facial expressions when facing monsters.”

He reflected, “I tried to express the most introverted side of myself through Hyun-soo, and as the phantom Hyun-soo, I aimed to reveal the most evil face. ‘Sweet Home’ broadened the range of my emotions.”

Contrary to the dark atmosphere of the work, Song Kang said he enjoyed filming with the Green Home residents, describing it as “a warm atmosphere where we monitored each other and exchanged compliments.” He added, “I paid a lot of attention to Hyun-soo’s sense of justice and his feelings of wanting to protect the Green Home people.”

After the release of ‘Sweet Home,’ there was a reaction noting Hyun-soo’s mismatched socks as impressive. Song Kang said, “That was my idea,” explaining, “In that situation, I couldn’t understand Hyun-soo wearing matching socks of the same color. I shared my opinion with the director, and since he liked it, I kept wearing mismatched socks in the scenes.”

The scenes where he faces multiple monsters were created using CG (special effects). Filming against a chroma key, Song Kang laughed, saying, “It was fun to work with chroma key, which I had only seen in videos before.” He recalled, “Acting alone required a lot of concentration. From a week before, I thought about how the phantom Hyun-soo would interact and what emotions he would have.”

Song Kang said, “I tried to discover the darkest side within myself for the phantom Hyun-soo. When smiling, I tried to stretch the corners of my mouth as much as possible to look evil.”

Facing many monsters, Song Kang reflected, “I thought the most about how to express the fear when encountering monsters. It was a big burden but also refreshing,” adding, “I enjoyed acting.”

Right after the casting announcement of ‘Sweet Home,’ expectations grew as many responded that Song Kang had a high synchronization rate with the character Hyun-soo. Song Kang laughed, saying, “When I first received the script, Hyun-soo’s emotions resonated with me. The dark side especially resonated, so I felt the synchronization was above average.”

When asked which other character he would like to play, Song Kang answered, “I want to try playing Lee Eun-hyuk. His personality, making cold decisions among the Green Home residents, is attractive.”

He also expressed a desire to meet Lee Do-hyun, who played Eun-hyuk, again in another project. Song Kang said, “I want to act as close friends who join forces and work together.”

In the adaptation process from the webtoon, Hyun-soo’s role was adjusted by adding scenes where he runs errands for the residents, and some internal conflicts were relatively omitted. His role is also not as large as in the original. Song Kang said, “I mainly wanted to express the side of Hyun-soo who was bullied as a child and gradually became more just, deciding to protect the Green Home residents,” adding, “I think the drama has its own charm. I was satisfied while filming.”

He also mentioned some regrets. Song Kang said, “Watching the scene in the car where he blames his family, I wished I had shown a more wounded side. I recorded in my diary how to improve and what emotions would have been better.”

‘Sweet Home’ ended with an open ending. Regarding the ending that fully opened the door to season 2, Song Kang said, “I like open endings, so I liked it,” imagining, “Hyun-soo might suffer from amnesia or become a subject of experiments. He might appear with stronger abilities.”

Song Kang added, “I haven’t heard any concrete details about season 2 yet. I only heard that if the response is good, it might be filmed.”

Regarding speculation that his military enlistment might disrupt season 2 filming, Song Kang said, “I definitely have to fulfill my military duty,” adding, “Right now, I think I should focus more on my work and fulfill my duty.”

Photo = Netflix