[On the Record] Yang Sejong "My ideal type is a cheerful and optimistic non-celebrity"

Actor Yang Se-jong Interview

Netflix's 'Iduna' College Student Won-jun Role
"Purity and Responsibility Similar to Real Life"

What if a top idol group member suddenly lived in the same dormitory as me? The Netflix series "Lee Doo-na!" (directed by Lee Jeong-hyo) brought this imagination, which existed in a webtoon, to the screen. Actor Yang Se-jong (30) played Won-jun, a college student who naturally opens his heart to Doo-na (played by Suzy), who suddenly quits the entertainment industry and hides in a share house. He is truly a fantasy character. Won-jun understands and embraces others not by their flashy appearances but through the eyes of the heart. Many say his character is quite similar to the pure and charming Yang Se-jong himself. Having been discharged from military service in 2021, he returned to the set after four years since the drama "My Country" (2019). He still shines transparently and brilliantly, but his gaze now carries a sense of strength.

Actor Yang Sejong [Photo by Netflix]

Recently, when meeting Yang Se-jong at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, he laughed and said, "Won-jun is the last pure young man role I will play in my early twenties." He added, "When I received the script, I felt that this would be the last time I would portray a pure young man."

He recalled that his heart trembled upon receiving the script for "Lee Doo-na." Yang Se-jong said, "I only thought about fully living as Lee Won-jun in this work," and "I didn't let go of the script until the end of the project and became Won-jun." He shared, "Through Won-jun, I wanted to evoke nostalgia for a love everyone has experienced at least once. I focused on the process of maturing and changing through love."

"It reminded me of my twenties. Although somewhat different in context from Won-jun, I once faced a wall of reality. I loved acting so much that I stayed up all night preparing for a school acting practice presentation, but at some point, I had to accept the reality I was in. I didn't want to admit defeat, but I had to, and I don't know what kind of emotion it was, but tears kept flowing nonstop. It was a complex feeling. I laughed and cried, and the tears wouldn't stop. I think that's when I started to mature little by little."

Director Lee Jeong-hyo, who directed the work, said, "Yang Se-jong was Won-jun himself." Yang Se-jong admitted, "In terms of personality and being thoughtful, we are similar." He laughed, "People around me say, 'Se-jong is pure.' They also ask why I have so many thoughts even though I'm pure. Of course, Won-jun is purer." He continued, "It's like feeling a sense of responsibility at a young age. The way he feels responsible for life in the given situation is also similar."

'Iduna' stills [Photo by Netflix]

An idol group singer and a college student. They were clearly people from different universes, but they understand and get to know each other's worlds and share their hearts. Yang Se-jong viewed the relationship between Doo-na and Won-jun as "gradually permeating."

"It wasn't because of a particular scene that I fell for that person. Doo-na kept appearing in front of me, and as the time spent together continued, I think the feelings gradually permeated. I wanted to lend my shoulder to this woman. I wanted to be someone she could rely on. As I wanted to share worries, we gradually permeated each other."

Dating a top star. What if it were actually Yang Se-jong? He firmly said "NO" and crossed his arms in an X shape. Then he said, "It would be burdensome. Moreover, if it were a non-celebrity like Won-jun. (laughs) I wonder if my private life would be exposed. As Won-jun said, we are people from different universes. That burden would be huge. I don't think I could realistically endure anything."

"I know the industry's patterns. I know what kind of feelings people experience, how lonely and depressed they can be. So I want to meet someone with a cheerful and optimistic personality, the opposite of me. I prefer a non-celebrity who emotionally connects well. I was optimistic in my early twenties, but I feel my personality changing as I act. It's a job where you have to imagine constantly. There are parts where you get isolated. You never know what role you will get. I also feel fear about whether I can handle the role."

Actor Yang Sejong [Photo by Netflix]

Yang Se-jong's twenties were busy. He debuted in 2016 with the SBS drama "Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim" and took his first lead role in the OCN drama "Dual" (2017) just seven months later. He received praise for his dual role performance and steadily built his filmography. He actively worked in "Temperature of Love" (2017), "Thirty But Seventeen" (2018), and "My Country" (2019). In his thirties, he opened a new chapter with "Lee Doo-na."

"These days, I am living as Se-jong, having let go of Won-jun. When I have no schedule and my thoughts increase, I do boxing or go to the Han River. I keep walking along the Han River, again and again. I listen to music while walking, and couples together at sunset look happy. I envied the couples smiling at each other behind the warm sunlight reflected on the river. I was curious about what stories they might be sharing. It was like vicarious satisfaction. I want to perform the roles given to me well without regret. My life goal is simple: do my best. I want to live well to perform the given acting and roles well."