Seo Kangjoon reveals a pre-enlistment interview and pictorial with GQ Korea!
During the interview, Seo Kang Joon revealed that he was a night owl who loves staying up late to think about himself. “I don’t really draw pictures of the future in my head. I’m obviously curious. However, the future will one day become the present anyway. That’s why I try to live in the moment,” the actor answered when the interviewer questioned if he did the same kind of thinking about the future.
Seo Kang Joon celebrated his 29th birthday (by Korean reckoning) on October 12, marking the last year of his twenties. "I do feel aware that it's the end of my twenties," Seo Kang Joon said, “but I don’t think age has a big meaning. I believe your thirties is just a difference in number. If I had to purposely give it some kind of meaning, I’d say that I have a lot of excitement. I’m looking forward to the projects and people I’ll meet in the future.”
"I tried everything," Seo Kang Joon said as he reflected on himself during his twenties. “I worked busily and went on many vacations. I have nothing in particular to regret,” Seo Kang Joon said when asked if he's done everything he's wanted to do in terms of acting. “I don’t really have specific projects that I want to do. I typically develop a desire to do a project while reading the script, and I’ve focused on that attraction at the moment to get to where I am today. I’ll always feel regretful, but I have no regrets. Because I gave it my all. And because it’s my decision.”
He added, “Although it’s important to take into consideration the opinions of others, I believe you ultimately have to make the best decision yourself. That way, you don’t blame others or have regrets even if the results aren’t great.”
Seo Kang Joon was then asked about what motivates him to work so hard. "I think it’s my inferiority complex," he said. “When I watch the projects of actors I like and respect, I am overwhelmed with emotions mixed with jealousy. In my opinion, my thoughts like ‘Why can’t I act like that? I work hard too, but what do they do to go beyond that? What kind of concerns did they have while filming this scene?’ become the drive that help me work even harder.”
Seo Kang Joon also claimed that acting is the only thing that makes him feel inferior. "I'm kind of single-minded," he continued, "so if it’s not something I really like, I don’t have much interest in it. Besides acting, there’s nothing else I’m greedy for. I tend to be indifferent. If I want to do something, I do it, and I don’t measure or calculate it. I just go with the flow.”
“I’m sure it’s possible to get deeply into character, but I tend to think that you can’t perfectly become one with your character,” Seo Kang Joon told GQ with regards to drawing inspiration from his characters and projects. “If that were to happen, it’d be impossible to live your everyday life. However, if you think from your character’s perspective and keep imagining the parts that aren’t depicted in the script, you are inevitably influenced [by the character]. Once, I heard from a staff member I worked with for a long time that while the person Seo Kang Joon stayed the same, my personality would change slightly with each project. I had no idea before.”
When asked who in Seo Kang Joon's life most understands him, the actor named his mother. "I perfectly take after my father’s looks and my mother’s inner self," Seo Kang Joon remarked. My mother and I have comparable tendencies and are well-acquainted with each other. It was a moment of many anxieties for me when I took a break from advertising last year. “My mother and I have similar tendencies and understand each other well. When I was on a break from promoting last year, it was a time of many concerns for me. One day, my mom called me late at night and empathized with what I had to say, sharing her personal concerns and experiences with me one by one. That’s when I realized, ‘Oh, although she’s my family, I didn’t know everything about my mom. My mom is very similar to me.”
Finally, Seo Kang Joon discussed his upcoming enlistment, which was just a few weeks away at the time of the interview. “While taking a quick break last year, I mentally prepared myself somewhat for a hiatus. Whether it’s work or entirely personal matters, you need time to take one step back and see things from a wider perspective. In the past, I felt a lot of pressure regarding filming sets, but when I thought about it while resting, it was a place I missed and was thankful for. Where I also have many happy memories. Likewise, during my hiatus, while I’m serving in the military, I’ll have time to look back on myself and think.”
On November 23, Seo Kang Joon enrolled as an active-duty soldier. "Happy New Year," his upcoming feature, will be released later this month.
