[Interview] Yeon Woo-jin "Bed scenes were beast-like... I kept taking off my clothes"

Movie 'Inmin-eul Wihae Boksuhara'
Actor Yeon Woo-jin Interview
13th Year Since Debut, Goal is Communication
"I Want to Serve for My Family"

Yeon Woo-jin / Photo by JNC Media Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Iseul] "After finishing the post-recording of 'Serve the People' and stepping outside to breathe in the early morning air, I was deeply moved by the feeling of 'I gave it my all, I poured everything out without holding back.'"

Actor Yeon Woo-jin (Kim Bong-hoe) said this during a video interview with Asia Economy on the morning of the 17th. "It feels like a flashback of the past eight years since I first received the script for the 2014 film 'Serve the People' and until filming."

The film 'Serve the People,' set to be released on the 23rd, tells the story of exemplary soldier Mugwang (Yeon Woo-jin), who dreams of success but faces conflicts between the insurmountable social status barrier and dangerous temptations after meeting the division commander's young wife Suryeon (Jian).

Director Jang Cheol-soo, who directed 'The Truth of Kim Bok-nam's Murder Case' (2010) and 'Secretly, Greatly' (2013), took the helm. Yeon Woo-jin revealed his reason for joining the cast, saying, "I really wanted to work with Director Jang, like a bee sitting on a flower."

He added, "I received the script right after the 2014 drama 'Marriage, Not Dating,' and I had a strong desire to transform my acting through a bold portrayal of human love. The production was delayed, but when filming started 6 to 8 years later, my mindset had changed. I was looking forward to raw work that expresses how a person living in one era, chasing desires, changes."

He laughed, saying, "If another actor played Mugwang instead of me, I think I would have felt jealous."

Yeon Woo-jin / Photo by JNC Media Group

In the film, Yeon Woo-jin plays soldier Mugwang, who wavers between his beliefs, goals, and dangerous temptations, performing bold nude scenes and intense love scenes. He viewed the story as one about human desire wearing the guise of love.

"I saw the slogan for the greater good turning into a slogan for desire, which devours Mugwang. A person consumed by desire is weak and ultimately heads toward catastrophe. I wanted to express the subtle human desire and the frail human chasing greater pleasure well. Although the bed scenes are explicit, I wanted to portray them differently?like a beast, somewhat pervertedly. I wanted the audience to wonder, 'Are there really people like this?'"

Yeon Woo-jin debuted in the 2009 film 'Are We Friends?' and gained love as the 'Romantic Comedy Prince' through dramas like 'Introverted Boss,' 'Marriage, Not Dating,' 'Another Miss Oh,' and 'Queen for Seven Days.' He now reveals a new side through the thriller films 'Priest,' 'Search,' and the movie 'Serve the People.'

He said, "Rather than seeking comfort, I feel a thirst for innovation. It would be a lie to say I wasn't afraid of the bed scenes, but I'm satisfied to be able to appear in diverse and distinctive films."

Regarding the bed scenes, Yeon Woo-jin explained, "The art team remodeled an actual house for the shoot. Sister Suryeon's room was on the second floor, and the monitoring equipment was set up in an outdoor space under a tent. Instead of monitoring, we strategized to do one more take."

Usually, filmmakers who are close visit the set to bring snacks and cheer each other on. Yeon Woo-jin confessed that he couldn't invite acquaintances to the 'Serve the People' set. He laughed, saying, "Since I was constantly undressing, when directors I know said they wanted to visit, I told them, 'Please watch it as a movie.'"

Yeon Woo-jin / Photo by JNC Media Group

Yeon Woo-jin cited his family as his greatest motivation. "I have lived diligently for my family. I want to do well for my family, who gives me great strength, and I want to serve for my family," he said. "I have approached acting with a sense of responsibility, remained steady, and come this far without trouble. I want to act with the pure heart that 'every encounter is fate.'"

Now in his 13th year since debut, Yeon Woo-jin turned thirty-nine this year, just like the title of the drama he is currently starring in. Approaching forty, he revealed another goal alongside completing the pilgrimage trail.

"Even before the pandemic, I think I lived an isolated life. I tried to find answers on my own while worrying alone, but from now on, I want to be an actor who communicates. I want to be honest with myself and others. In the past, I cut myself off from the outside, but now I want to tear down the walls and take time to reflect on myself. I think better acting will come from that."

Yeon Woo-jin also shared that he congratulated actress Son Ye-jin, his co-star in the JTBC drama 'Thirty-Nine,' which premiered on the 16th, on her marriage. He said, "We don't talk about personal matters on set, so I didn't know, but I was happy to hear the news. I congratulated her at the press conference. I look forward to the second act of her life after marriage."

He added, "We become stronger through meetings and partings. I wonder if I will have another family someday. I want to serve within a newly formed family."