On the 24th, Park Ji-hwan conducted an interview at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, regarding Disney+'s original series 'Kangmaegang', sharing various stories.
During the interview, Park Ji-hwan revealed, "There hasn't been a time as distressing as now," admitting to being in a state of complacency. He said, "I'm tormenting myself a lot to avoid becoming stagnant. My acting is currently overrated. People say I've reached the peak of comedy acting and that I'm 'trending', but I know myself. I know I'm not at that level," adding, "If I stop here, I'll become trash and spread out. It's the perfect time to become arrogant and conceited. Everywhere I go, people praise me and try to treat me well."
He also shared a similar experience from the past. Park Ji-hwan said, "When I was really dedicated to theater, I was anxious that everything would be exposed. When people in the theater scene praised me, saying 'Park Ji-hwan is really good', I knew I wasn't at that level. One day, while cleaning the theater, three senior actresses came in and talked. One senior said, 'Park Ji-hwan is good at acting and cleaning,' but another senior said, 'Isn't Ji-hwan's acting overrated?' It was truly refreshing. It perfectly described me," he recounted.
To overcome this complacency, he is seeking advice from his mentor. Park Ji-hwan said, "In the past, inspiration would come even with a breeze, but these days, it doesn't come at all. However, I'm not selling low-quality acting like a cheap product. I'm really working hard," adding, "I told my teacher, 'If I'm not careful, I might rot and become a worthless fruit. What should I do? Please save me.' They said it seems like I'm going through the processes that colleagues and seniors have experienced. They advised me to be wise."
'Kangmaegang' is a comic crime investigation drama about the meeting of the country's worst detective team and the best elite detective captain, forming the strongest team.
In the drama, Park Ji-hwan plays the role of a charismatic bulldozer detective who investigates based on intuition, delivering a passionate performance.
'Kangmaegang' is a highly anticipated work by writer Lee Young-chul, known for the legendary sitcom series 'High Kick', and co-writer Lee Kwang-jae, who collaborated on 'Potato Star 2013QR3' and 'Smashing on Your Back'. The series has released up to episode 16 and consists of 20 episodes in total.
Kim Seo-yoon, Ten Asia Reporter seogugu@tenasia.co.kr