<The Unknown Seoul> How can one not become attached to the character Lee Ho-soo (Park Jin-young)? Like a lake that holds deep currents beneath a calm surface, Lee Ho-soo is a character who stands tall after overcoming inner growing pains. He shows maturity by understanding both Yu-mi-rae (Park Bo-young), who is worn down by reality, and Yu-mi-ji (Park Bo-young), who seems to live freely, without hastily intervening or advising in their lives.
Lee Ho-soo is a character who pursues what is 'right' to the extent that one might think, as the unknown says, "Isn't he a fool?" He quits a large law firm to defend the weak according to his beliefs. Thus, Lee Ho-soo is also the most fantastical character in <The Unknown Seoul>, which closely depicts the most ordinary office workers. Every office worker struggles at every crossroads, wondering whether to follow their beliefs or to align with reality.
Lee Ho-soo's 'calmness' in <The Unknown Seoul> is not innate but rather cultivated. For example, his line, "Am I just forcing myself to stay because I said I would sleep over? What time should I leave to catch the last bus? When should I lay out the bedding for you to feel comfortable? Should I sit on the sofa or the floor? It would look bad if I only wear short sleeves, should I put something on? I’ve taken it off and put it on three times already," (from <The Unknown Seoul> episode 9) is evidence that his 'calmness' was born after much contemplation. Like a swan that looks graceful but is paddling frantically beneath the surface, his calmness is the result of extensive deliberation and reflection.
The current Ho-soo pursues his beliefs without hesitation. However, he was not always this strong. Perhaps the current Ho-soo is merely 'acting' strong. After losing his father in a major car accident during his childhood, he suffered irreversible physical damage. In his teenage years, he was extremely sensitive, eager to hide this 'flaw.' However, the experience of spending high school with Yu-mi-ji, who had a life attitude completely opposite to his own, played a significant role in his ability to mimic strength and become indifferent to his physical flaws.
Ho-soo suffered from a serious illness in his childhood and mirrors Mi-rae, who was ostracized at work for doing what is 'right.' Having been both a sensitive person and a calm person, Lee Ho-soo creates a natural gradient between Mi-ji and Mi-rae. Lee Ho-soo is not a 'border person' belonging to either extreme of Mi-ji or Mi-rae, but rather a bridge connecting the two points. Having experienced both states of Mi-rae and Mi-ji, his mature attitude that allows him to be indifferent makes it impossible not to love Lee Ho-soo in <The Unknown Seoul>.
The essence of Lee Ho-soo, interpreted and expressed by actor Park Jin-young, comes from his restrained acting. Lee Ho-soo is a character who expresses emotions more through the depth of his gaze than through words. The Lee Ho-soo portrayed by Park Jin-young maintains an appropriate distance from others while harboring emotional waves within. He has a long-standing love for Mi-ji but does not express it directly or burdensomely; instead, he conveys his feelings through small actions and considerations.
Park Jin-young naturally expressed Ho-soo's heart through his gaze, slow gestures, and the rhythm of his lines. He intentionally adopted a low and slow voice tone and dialogue to capture Lee Ho-soo's character. Park Jin-young, who always goes through the process of finding the voice tone of the character he plays first, portrays him with a voice that closely resembles the trajectory of Lee Ho-soo's life. In fact, Park Jin-young stated, "Although Ho-soo has many lines, I wanted him to be remembered as a taciturn person. I tried to speak slowly and took the rhythm of the lines slowly to build the character," sharing detailed acting points.
In <The Unknown Seoul>, Mi-ji also wanted to live like Mi-rae, and Mi-rae also admired Mi-ji's life. Although they seem to be opposites, they actually share the same desire, the wish to live a 'life without suffering.' Like Mi-rae and Mi-ji, who started from the same root but live completely opposite lives, Park Jin-young's life itself is a dual role. This refers to his ongoing journey between his activities as a singer (GOT7) and as an actor. He perfectly embodies the dual roles of twin brothers Il-woo and Wol-woo in the movie <Christmas Carol> and the dual role with actor Shin-gu in the recently released movie <High Five>, showcasing his ability to express various emotions and desires that branch from a single root.
Like Lee Ho-soo, who appears graceful but paddles frantically beneath the calm surface, Park Jin-young's acting, which emphasizes detail, does not merely stem from his 'sensitivity' but arises from constant research and interpretation. In an interview, he mentioned, "When studying acting, I heard that the voice of a character contains the history of that character. I try to find the unique voice of that character in each work," and this principle was equally applied to Lee Ho-soo in <The Unknown Seoul> and to Young-chun in <High Five>.
Just as the current Ho-soo pursues his own beliefs without hesitation due to past growing pains, the current Park Jin-young, shaped by intense contemplation, does not define his identity strictly as either a singer or an actor. Instead, he walks his own path in each work and album based on his firm standards, focusing on 'authenticity.' In an interview with Cineplay conducted at the time of the release of <High Five>, Park Jin-young mentioned that acting and singing activities seem to create synergy, stating, "The energy gained from one side refreshes me when I am exhausted on the other side. This process keeps me feeling fresh. So I think these two balance me out."
Park Jin-young, who balances between the two points and creates his own gradient, must have gone through numerous reflections and considerations to complete that gradient, just like Lee Ho-soo in <The Unknown Seoul>. Once, due to his work in productions like <Dear Eun-dong> and <Yumi's Cells>, he was called 'the male Suzy' due to his strong 'first love image.' Now, he is expanding the spectrum of his entertainment activities by transitioning between everyday characters like Il-woo and Wol-woo in <Christmas Carol> and the villain Young-chun in <High Five>.
