I adore him as an actor ever since ‘La Dolce Vita’, and perhaps I should make some time to see the MBC sitcom, “High Kick Through The Roof”. Hopefully, someday.
Jung puts a new spin on embattled Korean men
Veteran actor Jung Bo Seok plays a seemingly helpless and hopeless character in the hugely popular MBC sitcom “High Kick through the Roof.”
He works for his father-in-law’s food company as a vice president, but he has neither ability nor authority. His wife, daughter and other family members simply ignore him, as if he’s invisible.
Jung’s character is, if anything, a pathetic loner in the noisy family, representing a growing number of middle-aged Korean men who are finding their role shrinking rapidly at home and in the workplace.
This particularly embarrassing character bearing his real name in the sitcom is fairly new for Jung, an established actor with numerous roles under his belt for television dramas and movies including director Hong Sang-soo’s “Oh! Soo-jung (Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors)” (2000).
“Bo Seok is a lonely guy, and he finds himself squeezed in the workplace. At home he cannot talk about his work, nor does he have any nerve to talk about his family matters with his colleagues. Nobody recognizes him, so he often hangs out with his drinking buddies, and I think there are many Korean men like him,” Jung said in an interview.
Jung’s character in “High Kick,” which is drawing to a close this month, is especially fearful of his father-in-law, Lee Soon-jae, a bossy food company chief. Jung swallows verbal abuse from Lee on a daily basis, having no alternative but to stay the course.
“In fact, all workplaces are battlefields. We are battling to survive and struggling to protect the family. But since we stretch ourselves like this, we end up being lonely,” Jung said. “People are just focused on running faster. For real happiness, what we need is take it slow, at least one step behind.”
Although the character does not have any positive aspect, Jung’s popularity is through the roof. Jung is fondly called “Jok-sama” – referring to his one and only talent in simplified soccer called “jok-gu” – and the number of fans tracking his performances is on the rise.
Jung, who made a debut as an actor in 1986, said he has never experienced this kind of enthusiastic response from fans. “Even a kindergarten kid recognizes me on the street,” Jung said, adding that the pathetic character in “High Kick” has certainly narrowed the gap with the public.
Jung, however, believes he has a long way to go as a professional actor. “I’m still trying to improve my performances because I know my acting is not up to the standard. In my career, I think I’m almost halfway through, but I don’t want to sugarcoat my public image. Perhaps by the time I turn 60, I may be able to let myself act naturally,” he said.
Jung said he tries to connect with the character he plays, as he believes true communication between what he is and what he wants to represent on television or in films is the best way to broaden the horizon in terms of acting.
Jung’s willingness to communicate with his drama character as well as other people is well illustrated on his Twitter account (http://twitter.com/bsjung). Unlike other famous people who rarely follow other ordinary Twitter users, Jung tries to follow as many people as possible. On Sunday, Jung tweeted on his generous policy: “I follow those who follow my account because I have started Twitter in order to communicate with people from all walks of life. Where can I find a better place to learn as an actor?”
(insight@heraldm.com)
By Yang Sung-jin
