Actor Park Jung-min, who transformed into the representative of the publishing company Mujé, praised the character and acting skills of junior actress Ko Min-si, who participated in the 'listening novel' project.
On the afternoon of the 17th, the 'How I Read Books - My Bookstore Concert' was held at the National Library of Korea's international conference hall located in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. This event was organized by the National Library for the Disabled and featured a discussion about the audiobook 'First Summer, Wanju', represented by actor Park Jung-min's publishing company Mujé, moderated by the author Kim Geum-hee and director Baek In-ha.
'First Summer, Wanju' is a work published in reverse order of the typical publishing process, with the audiobook released after the paper book. The event was realized due to the determination of representative Park Jung-min to present the 'listening novel' project and the National Library for the Disabled to promote it.
In particular, several scenes from the audiobook of 'First Summer, Wanju' were revealed on site during the book talk. The first scene introduced was a conversation between the protagonist Yeol-mae, played by Ko Min-si, and her grandfather Choi Yang-rak. Their dialogue, reminiscent of a charming Chungcheong dialect comedy skit, was comparable in quality to a radio drama. Amidst this, Park Jung-min, along with Kim Geum-hee, closed his eyes and focused, immersing himself in the audiobook.
The voice of Ko Min-si, who played the protagonist Yeol-mae, reverberated throughout the hall, bringing a poignant moment. Park Jung-min, who also directed the audiobook recording, expressed gratitude for Ko Min-si, saying, "She struggled a lot. She came to record 3 to 4 times. So I couldn't contact her. I made her work too hard. I want to repay her with the results when the book is released, and I am preparing diligently."
Author Kim Geum-hee also praised, "She did exceptionally well. I listened to it about twice and felt that Yeol-mae gradually became more solid, and I sensed the growth reflected in her trembling. I felt incredibly grateful."
In response, Park Jung-min said, "As I listened, I thought that Ko Min-si could now star in a work by herself as a protagonist. I had no direction to give. If I provided direction, things actually got worse. Later, I heard that what Min-si did at first was actually better. An actor is an actor. I definitely felt that her interpretation was excellent."
'First Summer, Wanju' tells the story of the protagonist Son Yeol-mae, who, with her money, searches for her missing best friend Go Soo-mi, traveling to Soo-mi's hometown Wanju, where she meets various characters, from Soo-mi's mother to the village headman, a middle school student next door, an actor who returned to farming, and a redevelopment villain, while undergoing transformation and growth. As an audiobook, it is being donated to the National Library for the Disabled and various foundations and welfare centers, allowing people with disabilities to engage as both readers and listeners.
Author Kim Geum-hee has published numerous works since debuting in 2009 through the Korean Daily's New Year Literary Contest, including 'The Heart of Gyeong-ae', 'To Bok-ja', 'The Greenhouse Repair Report', 'Only One Person's Share', and 'Too Much of a Daytime Romance'. She has also swept major Korean literature awards such as the Young Writer's Award, Shin Dong-yup Literary Award, Hyundae Literary Award, and Kim Seung-ok Literary Award, delicately capturing the sensibility of contemporary times.
The publishing company Mujé was founded in 2019 by actor Park Jung-min with the purpose of addressing the theme of 'talking about the marginalized'. Following 'Saving Lives' and 'Sisters' Diary', it is now proposing a new reading experience to convey the emotional impact of literature not only through text but also through voice in this listening novel project.
[Photo] OSEN reporter Kim Seong-rak.
[OSEN]