[Interview Part 2] Lee Seunggi for @star1 Magazine, Dec. 2017 – Still As Ever, Seunggi

[Interview Part 2]

@ star 1 Magazine | December 2017 | Vol. 69
Still As Ever, Seunggi

English translation: LSGfan via @ star1

Q: You started working right away without a break.

▲ Seunggi:  Thankfully, however, drama scripts, film scripts, variety proposals have come in.  Honestly, I wanted to rest for about 3 weeks after being discharged from the military and get a skydiving certificate in the United States and so I looked into that a lot.  But I’m also happy that folks from many areas have been looking for me.  Also, I didn’t think more energy would come out if I rested.  Since the energy to work has been stacking up neatly while I was in the army.  I decided to do a drama because I felt I had the excess energy on hand.

Q:  The reason you chose tvN ‘Hwayugi’ for your comeback project?

▲ Seunggi:  First off, the script is funny.  And I feel I can do a good job.  I previously worked with the Hong Sisters through SBS ‘My Girlfriend is a Gumiho’ so I had faith.  They are people who know a lot about me.  Also, I wanted to work with Director Park Hong Kyun at least once.

Q:  What kind of drama is ‘Hwayugi’?

▲ Seunggi:  It is a play on exorcism using the old ‘Journey to the West’ motif.  The Taoist with miraculous powers Son Oh Gong commits a big sin and is sealed off and exiled from the human world.  He can go back to his original self if he takes on virtuous good deeds.  The drama is an odyssey of his ill-fated relationship encounters with the White Bull monster/goblin Woo Moo Wang (Cha Seungwon) and the Monk Jin Sun Mi (Oh Yeonseo) and how evil spirits are swept away.

Q:  The release of the movie you filmed prior to military enlistment, ‘GoongHap,’ is coming up.

▲ Seunggi:  It is scheduled to release mid-January.  Actually, I thought the movie would release while I was in the army so I filmed all the promos and then enlisted.  But since the main lead wasn’t around.  They say the movie editing came out well.  I’m anticipating it.

Q:  There are also a lot of fans anticipating an album and variety.

▲ Seunggi:  For the time being, there are no plans for an album.  I have to do variety.  If there’s a good variety program, then any time.  Seeing the variety programs these days, seems there’s a wide range now.  If there’s a good fit, a variety program that I would be good at, then I definitely want to do it.

Q:  Since your debut and up through now, you’ve continuously done well without any bumps along the way.  I’d think your exemplary model student image could also be burdensome.  Have you ever thought about just once, wanting to deviate from that mold?

▲ Seunggi:  There’s no such thing.  I’ve heard so many time that you have to have exceptional talent to be an entertainer so I thought ‘I don’t have that much talent’ up to the time I enlisted for military duty.  But after looking back on 13 years of living a life as an entertainer, I wonder if the general public’s anticipation of military-discharge Lee Seunggi is because I diligently built up my own time.  I came to realize that I had talent for working hard.  Just freely playing around is not a talent.  You need to find work that addresses what am I good at, when am I most natural?

Q:  Goals for 2018?

▲ Seunggi:  I think I need to find Lee Seunggi’s sense of identity.  ‘ Who am I?  What does it mean to be Entertainer Lee Seunggi?’  These are the answers to those questions I ask myself.  It’s not ‘I’m going to keep digging in one field so I can become a master!’  I want to try everything I can.  And I think I can do a good job.  I’m thinking, ‘I’ve been a singer, and I’ve been an actor, and a person who’s also done variety; I’ve freely taken on the challenge of fields I wanted and was good at.’  It’s not so bad to have one character like this in Korea.  

Q:  Lee Seunggi is already 32 years old (31 in U.S. age, come January 2018).  If there’s something Lee Seunggi in his 30s wants to say to the people in their 20s.

▲ Seunggi:  The 20-somethings I saw in the army seemed to have so many thoughts.  And there were a lot of friends who couldn’t act because they had so many thoughts.  I think that a completely different kind of energy can come out when you exhibit a little less fear and decrease the time spent worrying just by a little bit.  I want to tell them to be immersed in this moment here and now.  A bright future doesn’t just come about by daily visualizing a bright future.  Think about ‘What will I do today?’ and just by doing a good job with that day’s work, things will come about some day.

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Editor:  Kim Doori | Interview:  Jung Soomi

Photographer:  Lee Junho |  Behind the Scenes Photographer:  Jung Yoojin

Stylist:  Yeon Shiwoo |  Hair & Makeup:  Im Hyekyung

 

(coat, knit, pants are Bruno Baffi)

 

(zip-up cardigan, shirt, tie are Thom Browne, pants are D Editor by Beaker)

 

(knit cashmere by Acne Studios)