Singer and actor Park Ji-hoon, who passionately performed in the 'Weak Hero' series, expressed his calm feelings about the overseas popularity and acclaim for the work.
Park Ji-hoon conducted an interview on the morning of the 28th in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. In this setting, he met with domestic reporters to discuss the recently released Netflix original series 'Weak Hero Class 2' (abbreviated as 'Weak Hero 2').
'Weak Hero 2' is a drama about the brutal survival and brilliant coming-of-age of Yeon Si-eun (Park Ji-hoon), a model student who transferred to Eunjanggo after confronting violence for a friend but ultimately failed to protect them. It serves as a sequel to 'Weak Hero Class 1,' which was released in 2022, and Park Ji-hoon reprises his role as Yeon Si-eun once again.
'Weak Hero' series is a work adapted into a drama based on the popular webtoon of the same name. Director Han Jun-hee, known for the acclaimed 'D.P.' series, oversaw the planning as the creator, while director Yoo Su-min, widely recognized as the brother of actor Yoo Su-bin, directed both seasons 1 and 2. Season 1 was released as an original on Wavve, where actors such as Choi Hyun-wook, who plays Ahn Soo-ho, and Hong Kyung, who plays Oh Bum-seok, also received acclaim. This success has propelled the 'Weak Hero' series, referred to as a 'Netflix adoptee,' to capture the second place in the Netflix Global TV Show rankings (based on FlixPatrol).
Regarding the overseas popularity of 'Weak Hero 2,' he noted, "I think the strengths of this school series that many viewers love are the intensified action, the narrative surrounding the protagonist, the pathos, and the sad bro-mance chemistry. I believed there would be various heroes that excelled in fighting and studying during our school days. Because I also had friends like that, it seems those elements combined have made many people enjoy it."
Did Park Ji-hoon feel the change after being released on Netflix from Wavve? He said, "Actually, I don't tend to pay much attention to the reactions. It seems nothing has changed because something has changed. I attempted to focus more on unfolding the story of Yeon Si-eun."
Nonetheless, there was a buzz when 'Weak Hero 1' was released again on Netflix after three years. Park Ji-hoon said, "From the perspective of an actor and the production company, it's fantastic. It's a great honor," and smiled. He added, "After filming 'Weak Hero 2,' the response to season 1 was so positive that I felt a sense of accomplishment. It was wonderful to coordinate with the actors."
Is there anticipation for how high the global second place ranking, achieved immediately upon release, could soar? There is curiosity about whether this school series could surpass the achievements of the 'Squid Game' series. However, Park Ji-hoon laughed and denied the question from reporters asking if he had any goals to surpass 'Ogam.'
He said, "I originally don't run with a target in mind. I might run or walk quietly down the path I take, or take a brief rest, but I want to keep walking. I think of it as an endless marathon. My goal is to share and feel with the viewers the various emotions I can express," and calmly added, "I've never thought that I should study English. I can't speak English. This is somewhat different from Si-eun. Studying seems to be somewhat irrelevant to me," he said with a laugh.
'Weak Hero 2' was released as an 8-part series on Netflix on the 25th.
(Continued in interview②.)
[Photo] Provided by Netflix.
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