[Interview] IU "I Thought of My Mom Who Raised Me While Working All Night"

Aesun and Geummyeong Move Viewers to Tears in 'Pokssak Soksassuda'
Solidarity and Love Amid the Hardships of a Tumultuous Era

Singer IU. Provided by Netflix

"I was glad to be able to portray the stories of the wonderful women who influenced my life."

The Netflix drama Pokssak Soksassuda depicted our faces in the turbulent era right after the Korean War. Through the lives of four generations?from Gwangrye, a haenyeo who lived tenaciously in a 1960s seaside village in Jeju, to Aesun and her daughter Geummyeong, who lived frugally running a market stall, and then to Saebom?the drama delivers comfort and empathy.

Actress IU (real name Lee Ji-eun, 31) played a dual role as Aesun, born in 1951, and her daughter Geummyeong, born in 1969. Both characters endure poverty and discrimination steadfastly; at times, they shed tears over harsh times, and at others, their happiness in the embrace of family made viewers laugh and cry along with them.

On the 2nd, IU met at a hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, and said, "Many acquaintances sent me photos of tissues they used to wipe their tears, saying they enjoyed watching it." She also felt the positive response through reviews posted on social media. She said, "The most impressive feedback was that people were moved because they empathized with the lives portrayed," adding, "I am happy."

IU received a call from writer Lim Sang-chun, who wrote the script, and impulsively took a taxi alone to the writer’s studio. She wanted to hear about the work as soon as possible. The storyline titled "A Daughter’s Story" and the "special scenes" explained by the writer moved her heart.

"The script was so interesting that I read it in one go. The scene where Geummyeong holds her father Gwan-sik’s (played by Park Hae-joon) hand and enters the wedding hall touched me because, in the father’s eyes, his daughter still looked like a child. Also, the scene during Geummyeong’s childbirth where the parents prioritize their daughter over their newborn granddaughter was touching. I was moved by the delicate perspective that deeply explores the story."

'Deceived Completely' still photo. Provided by Netflix

The childbirth scene of Geummyeong was the most difficult for IU to act. She recalled, "It was hard to express pain I had never experienced before, and it was physically demanding." She continued, "My mother and older sisters have given birth, but I think everyone’s experience is different, so I researched and pondered. I wondered how to portray bursting capillaries, and I focused on the lines like ‘I feel like I’m going to faint’ and ‘I can’t breathe’."

Playing mother and daughter made IU think a lot about her own mother. "Now, I am older than the age my mother was when she gave birth to me. I understand my mother more and more. When I was young, I sometimes felt resentful toward her, but she was a mother for the first time too. My parents both worked when I was young. My mother worked at a company and did night shift work. She still works hard. I am often inspired by her."

Back then, because Aesun overturned the dining table, her daughter Geummyeong could live assertively without suppressing her desires, and Aesun could overturn the table because Gwangrye protected her daughter by diving for abalone. IU said, "The respect for previous generations and the message of support for the current and next generations resonated deeply."

Singer IU. Provided by Netflix

What touched IU the most was the way the drama handled "parting." Separation is painful but can also be a stepping stone for growth.

"We all experience parting in various ways. I liked how the drama delicately and lovingly portrayed the time after parting. Aesun only starts to write her marriage poem after Gwan-sik leaves. The work doesn’t emphasize sorrow but highlights how one spends the time afterward. I was comforted by the portrayal of why we must live after going through painful separations and that life is worth living."