2019. 04. 25
♥ Minho with magazine 'ELLE Korea' May Issue
♥ Interview
♥ Pictorial
Are you counting down to the D-Day of your enlistment.
No. I do have a heart of wanting to enlist faster. Rather than me thinking about this and that because of the free time I have, I think that it would be better for me to face it.
You seem to prefer moments when things come gushing to you all at once.
Percentage-wise, it is. I feel more at ease when I have(many)things to work on. It could be because of the inertia I had over the period of time, there are times when I get rather disordered if I am going through a hiatus (/away from a long period of time). Recently, unlike during my early 20s, I have gotten a lot of time for myself, for my hobbies and for me to enjoy the relationship I have with people around me. I have familiarized myself with the method of resolving stress through exercising too.
Daily exercise too, is a method of cure.
Even though the essence of life may be different after meeting people at soccer or basketball gatherings but in the end, I think I am still living with the similar worries that I am hugging onto. If dissatisfaction, worries, and stress get built up, I might end up appearing unpleasant that’s why, even on days that I am tired, if I go out and meet people, it helps. That heart (all that is built up) disappears a little if I try to resolve it one by one.
It’s good that there’s a sense of rhythm in your words of solving them one by one, calm and orderly.
I think that I have spent a 20s that was packed with various experiences as I correspondingly engage in relations with many people with me starting to work earlier than my peers. I think it’s the activities that I was busily moving for and amongst that too, the part that I work hard in trying to look back at myself was what created a good synergy in my life.
If there’s a keyword that led the packed life of your 20s.
We all feel worn out regardless of the things we do, don’t we. For me, I have a motto that even when I feel worn out, I would gain more strength, wanting to make the surrounding atmosphere brighter, to do well in my work with a smile. There’s a lot of effort being put in too but the influence my parents have is greater than anything else.
Your solo song ‘I’m Home’ holds the emotion of unfillable loneliness despite living in a glamorous and busy life.
No matter who, everyone would have the time when they feel lonely and solitary so I chose this song wanting to tell them to overcome those times well. I think it can be a form of consolation as well as a form of a gift. Honestly, I was doubtful thinking whether “Can I release a solo song.” Not only SHINee’s activities but I have also consistently participated in productions as an actor and those times were really enjoyable for me that I thought that I must continue on. Just nice at the right timing, I was able to meet with a good song and I thought that if it’s this song, I would like to try. I am glad that many fans are able to empathize with it.
Was the acting career that you wish to continue with, originally a dream of yours?
(Being an) Actor was my dream right from the beginning. I came to debut as a singer first as I was training as an SM Entertainment trainee. I am the type to work hard in whatever work that was given to me so when my debut was being confirmed, I just went all out. I was working hard without looking back and at some point, I became SHINee’s Minho. There were times that I was confused if this path was good or not for me who was dreaming of becoming an actor but thinking about it now, I think it was a very good process. The various experiences and the love that I received really gave me lots of strength. More than anything, I am also grateful for the fact that I am a SHINee member.
The movie ‘Derailed’ that you took on the role of the runaway-fam leader, ‘Jinil’ for, left a deep impression in me when I watched it recently. It’s different from the productions you have all the while chosen.
I am the kind to find a character more charming when it has lots of different points with me. Of course, I am enjoying the characters that reflect the usual me too. <Derailed> was a production that I really wanted to do but also at the same time, felt the most burden and worried for. At first, I was worried ‘What if my company is against it’ but rather than that, they gave me the support that made me gained a sense of responsibility and a positive strength to do well. I was just simply thinking that it would be good to have a production like this in my filmography and going forward, I had the heart, wanting to break the prejudice of my image too. Even though it’s the audience part to think about how they are going to absorb this, personally, it was a goal to show them that ‘There’s this new side of me in me too.’
Looking at the productions like ‘Canola,’ ‘Inrang’ and etc. you seem to have an interest in small but impactful roles too.
If one is an actor in their 20s, they would probably have the desire, wanting to work in productions with good senior actors and directors. There wouldn’t be anything else better than an opportunity to be able to meet with experienced seniors while one is in this current phase where we are stacking things calm and orderly, one by one. Honestly, I really like going to the sites. I learned lots of things from the staffs that were located here and there at the filming site through a variety of elements.
Heard that the movie that is waiting for its premiere <Battle of Jangsari> (working title) is actually a sequel to <Operation Chromite>?*
I myself too didn’t know that there was such a true story up till when I received the script for the movie this time. It was a movie drawn by the Battle of Jangsa that was added in order for the Battle of Inchon to succeed and I took on the role of a student soldier commander Choi Sungpil. He might look extremely cold and act like he is strong on the outside but because he is, more than anyone else, a young boy on the inside, I had lots of affection for it. I heard that there were student soldiers who participated in this battle and survived and with that, I was able to be even more immersed in the production. I could feel it while thinking that ‘Ah, so this is the power that a true story gives’ and my heart was immediately drawn to it. Also, because it’s a war movie, I had to film it while risking my own life. Even though it was one movie that was being filmed but I would like to express it as ‘I fought in a war.’
*<Operation Chromite> is the movie made from the story behind the real 'Battle of Inchon'
You felt like you have fought a war.
There were lots of action scenes too and I also had a sense of feeling that I had to do well here. I think I took it as if I was fighting a war throughout the filming because I really wanted to deliver the real scene well.
Did you foresee this production as the last movie you are going to appear in before your enlistment.
Even though I did think of whether “Would I be able to do another production if time allows,’ the thought of it being the last one was big(ger)/huge. That's why I gave all that I could. I really like the chemistry with Director Gwak Kyungtaek too. He gave me a clear direction for me to express my character well and I am also grateful that he gave a calm judgment in order for me to focus only on acting when I am acting.
I think that with the more experience gained, the more passion is being fired up.
I think that synergy is only there when a sense of trust is starting to form between the director and the actor. I had that kind of trust with the director and through the process of accepting each other’s proposal pleasantly, I think that's how a good production was achievable.
<Operation Chromite> had Liam Neeson acting in it and <Battle of Jangsari> would have Megan Fox appearing. Did you have any point of contact with her.
Even though she doesn’t have a scene that overlaps with mine, I still got the chance to greet her. I was able to feel the aura of a Hollywood actor at the filming site. The director told her about me so she looked up on the internet and said ‘Cutie boy’…
A question that can finally be asked now. Why the Marines
There were 2 reactions on me enlisting into the Marines. It was exactly half-half of ‘Why did you do that vs It’s so like you.’ Even though I am enlisting later than my peers, I applied thinking that ‘Wouldn’t I be able to serve the Marines too.’ I am thinking that wouldn’t there be a point that I can change myself on my own as I focus on the time that I am giving my all to train at a place that is totally separated from things that I am doing right now. I think that it’s good for me to return after going through my military life handsomely with no regrets and I also think that it’s a chance for me to express my sincerity to the public.
Seems like it’s triggering a sense of competitiveness.
Hmm, it isn’t that I did not regret after I got accepted (laughs). With a worried heart, I thought ‘Oh, why did I do that?’ ‘Well, I have no choice now’ and did fell asleep like that too.
There’s an expression saying that when an athlete leaves the field, their body would cool off
There are also sayings about ‘dropping in form.’ That’s why the expression ‘Pulling up the form’ is also being used. I too, have to pull up my form before I reappear on stage again. If I do my best in the time ahead, I think it will naturally be pulled up.
You are going to greet 30 in the military.
That's right. People who know me, do cheer on me, telling me that “Go and return well, you can do it.” This (period of) time might rather be of help to me. The same thing for my career in the future too.
It could be a period of time where one would think a lot but rather, I can feel a sense of simplicity in your mind.
I want to go through the training well and discharge handsomely with a firm mindset. I am thinking of nothing else but that. Wouldn’t time pass quickly like that? Even though there are those kinds of saying. Those who say that even though time passes fast for people who are outside, it passes slowly for those who are inside (laughs)...
