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| ▲ This photo of South Korean singer-actor Park Jin-young is provided by BH Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, July 2 (Yonhap) -- “My father always told me to live with the mindset that life is like a wave. It goes up and down, and neither the highs nor the lows are absolute. That’s something I’ve been reminding myself of lately,” said actor Park Jin-young.
Park, whom co-star Park Bo-young once described as “a young adult with an old soul,” exuded a calm and thoughtful demeanor throughout a recent hour-long interview.
Speaking at BH Entertainment’s office in Seoul’s Gangnam District on July 1, following the finale of tvN’s drama Our Unwritten Seoul, Park reflected on the public’s growing recognition of him as an actor. “Thanks to this drama, more people are beginning to recognize me as ‘actor Park Jin-young,’ and I’m really grateful for that. But I’m trying to stay grounded during this time,” he said. “I tend not to seek out audience reactions for well-received works, because I worry it might make me overly excited.”
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| ▲ This photo of South Korean singer-actor Park Jin-young is provided by BH Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Our Unwritten Seoul, which closed with a peak viewership rating of 8.4%, more than doubling its premiere episode's rating, tells the coming-of-age story of twin sisters who swap lives through deception and, in doing so, discover genuine love and identity. Park played Lee Ho-soo, a lawyer and childhood friend who lives across the street from the sisters.
His character, Ho-soo, is like a tranquil lake — calm, steady, and deep — someone who understands both Yoo Mi-rae and Yoo Mi-ji (both played by Park Bo-young) despite their differences, and who offers help without hesitation.
“I was immediately drawn to Ho-soo’s character,” Park said. “Due to a hearing impairment, Ho-soo only hears about half of what others do, which makes him listen more intently. He reminds us that truly hearing someone means listening with your heart. I tried to portray that subtlety in my own way.”
“When I first read the script, I found it strange — the character had a lot of lines, yet he felt so quiet. I realized that Ho-soo likely speaks slowly, carefully articulating every word in his effort to truly understand others. That detail shaped my approach to the character.”
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| ▲ This photo of South Korean singer-actor Park Jin-young is provided by BH Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Our Unwritten Seoul holds special significance for Park as it was his first project after completing mandatory military service.
“After two years away, coming back with such a meaningful story and a difficult character was a big burden,” he admitted. “But Park Bo-young really saw me as Ho-soo on set, which helped me get into character more naturally.”
Park praised his co-star for her dedication, noting how she essentially played four roles — Mi-rae, Mi-ji, and each pretending to be the other. “I had to respond to each version of her differently, but Park Bo-young completely embodied each character. When she was playing the colder Mi-rae, I genuinely disliked her — and when she was the warm-hearted Mi-ji, I felt comforted,” he said with a laugh.
Having debuted in 2012 through KBS2’s Dream High 2 and gained popularity as a member of idol group GOT7, Park has steadily built his acting résumé with roles in When My Love Blooms, The Devil Judge, and Yumi’s Cells.
He shared that a line from Our Unwritten Seoul resonated deeply with him — one he wished he could tell his younger self. Pulling out his phone, he read aloud from a note he’d saved: “No matter how long it takes, there will be people who truly understand you.”
“Everyone goes through a lost period in youth. I definitely did in my early debut years, feeling like I carried all the world’s hardships. That line would have been such a comfort back then,” he said. “The worst times were when I felt completely alone. I want to share this message with anyone else going through that.”
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| ▲ This photo of South Korean singer-actor Park Jin-young is provided by BH Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Following Our Unwritten Seoul, Park has been actively working on multiple projects, including the film High Five and the drama The Witch, and he revealed that he’s already preparing for his next role.
“These days, I’m focusing on taking things one day at a time — working out, managing myself, staying mentally strong. I want to make sure I’m fully ready for what’s next,” he said. “I’m incredibly grateful for the love this drama has received. But gratitude aside, I know I need to do well on the next project, too. So I’m keeping myself grounded. Still, I can’t help but feel happy when I hear good things,” he added with a smile.
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