Lee Jung-ha Shines Again as a High School Prodigy in 'ONE: High School Heroes'

Actor Lee Jung-ha returns to the screen as a high school student once more, following his role in 'Moving'. This time, he plays a top student rather than a character with superpowers. Reflecting on his own school days, Lee shared with a shy smile, "I was actually the top student in my class, especially excelling in memorization subjects."

On the 11th, Lee Jung-ha was interviewed at the Post Tower in Yeouido, Seoul. Throughout the interview, he radiated a bright and honest energy that lit up the room.

Lee takes on the role of Euigyeom in the Wavve drama 'ONE: High School Heroes' (hereafter 'Heroes'). 'Heroes' follows Euigyeom, the top student, and Yoon-gi (played by Kim Do-wan), who seeks to use Euigyeom's innate fighting skills to form a masked group called 'Heroes' to overturn the hierarchy of school violence.

Debuting in 2017 with the web drama 'Heart Attack Warning', Lee Jung-ha has expanded his acting range with roles in 'Nevertheless' and 'Run On'. In 2023, he captured the public's attention with his portrayal of Bong-seok in the Disney+ original series 'Moving', earning critical acclaim for his pure and cheerful performance, which won him the Best New Actor award in the TV category at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards.

In 'Heroes', Lee's character Euigyeom is a top student who suffers from his father's oppression and violence, leading to a transformation. Lee explained, "Euigyeom, who lives with a complex inner world, gradually changes as he learns to fight."

"Euigyeom at the beginning of the series is very different from Euigyeom at the end. I worked hard to clearly express this change. I thought about why Euigyeom turned dark, and it was ultimately due to the stress of studying and his father's violence. In the beginning, Euigyeom releases this stress on himself, but by the end, he directs it towards others. I wanted to show Euigyeom's transformation step by step."

When asked why he chose another high school role following 'Moving', Lee said, "I remember enjoying the original webtoon 'ONE' on which 'Heroes' is based."

"Before being cast in the drama, I had already read the webtoon 'ONE'. Although both characters are high school students, Euigyeom and Bong-seok are completely opposite. After being cast in 'Heroes', I was worried about whether I could do justice to the character of Euigyeom as a fan of the webtoon. (Laughs) So, I read the webtoon again, paying close attention to the dialogue in the speech bubbles."

The character of Euigyeom, being the top student, provided Lee with a unique enjoyment. He shared, "I wasn't bad at academics during my school days. Sometimes, while filming, I found parts I knew, which was fun."

"I studied quite a bit during school, especially excelling in memorization subjects. I was first in Korean history and second in Korean geography. I seemed to do well in subjects with 'Korean' in them. (Laughs) Based on my good grades in Korean history, I want to try historical dramas. I've already done one historical piece, but I could do it a hundred times more."

When asked about his charm as a person, Lee said, "I'm not exactly sure, so I asked my fellow actors what they thought my charm was. They often said, 'Talking to you makes me happy.' I think my charm is that being with me makes people happy."

Lee Jung-ha mentioned, "The last two episodes of 'Heroes' will be released on the 13th. Some are waiting for the final episodes, while others are waiting to binge-watch the entire series. We've worked hard, so please look forward to it."

"Euigyeom is a character who learns and evolves in fighting, so you'll see a more changed version of him as the series progresses. Especially the action scenes in the final episode will be incredible. (Laughs) I hope it gains more popularity through word of mouth and receives even more love."

Reporter Jung Se-yoon, TenAsia yoon@tenasia.co.kr