Actors Jung Il-woo and Jung In-sun are preparing to meet viewers through "Our Golden Days."
On the broadcast of KBS1's "Morning Yard" on the 5th, the "Tuesday Spotlight" segment featured main cast members Jung Il-woo and Jung In-sun from KBS2's new weekend drama "Our Golden Days," where they shared various stories.
Jung Il-woo, appearing for the first time on "Morning Yard," said, "It's thrilling and I'm nervous to be on a national program I've watched since childhood. My hands are sweating." Especially, Jung Il-woo remarked, "Since 'My Sweet Lady' was a 2009 production, I've returned to KBS after 16 years. Even though it's been a long time, it feels the same. It feels like coming home again," while Jung In-sun said, "I mostly did KBS dramas when I was younger. I did morning dramas and children's dramas, and 8 years ago, I did a work called 'Barefoot Firefighter.' So it feels like coming back home."
"Our Golden Days," in which Jung Il-woo and Jung In-sun harmonize, is described as "a generational family melodrama resonating with the idea that everyone has 'our golden days.' Whether in the present, past, or future, it's about the glamorous days one meets, each with different meanings." Jung Il-woo plays Lee Ji-hyuk, a proactive and cool-headed character recognized for his abilities in work and love, while Jung In-sun portrays Ji Eun-oh, a cheerful embodiment of loveliness without shadows.
After explaining their characters, when asked what it would be like if the characters they play were to meet as lovers, Jung Il-woo said, "It would be great. He's a proactive character and someone who lives fiercely. I think he's attractive because he focuses on one person." Jung In-sun replied, "It can't help but be very attractive. He has many hobbies and is good at everything. He's a jack of all trades, so I think he'd be attractive yet busy," and laughed.
Jung Il-woo stated, "Jung In-sun is younger than me, but she has been acting since she was a child. Her perspective on set is different. She is considerate and gives many acting tips, so there's a lot to learn from her. Sometimes I call her 'teacher.'" Jung In-sun added, "She continually teases me. It's been exactly 30 years," while laughing, and continued, "When Jung Il-woo and Yoon Hyun-min are together, I struggle with being called the teacher. It was tough initially, but now I can joke about it. Both of them have good personalities, and when discussing scenes, they ask me first and consider my input, making communication easy."
Jung Il-woo revealed that he dreamed of becoming an actor during high school. He said, "I never originally had a dream of being an actor. When I was in high school, I accidentally joined the drama club and acted in 'Our Heroes in Distortion.' I practiced during the summer vacation and performed at the festival, where I felt emotions I had never experienced before. Being cheered on and acting as a character was a way to express myself, which was a new experience for someone who lived timidly and introvertedly. Before that, I didn't have a specific dream, but my parents encouraged me actively. My older sister did well in school, so expectations were placed there, and my parents told me to do what I wanted."
Jung Il-woo became a star right after his debut. He starred as Lee Yoon-ho in 'High Kick Through the Roof' and shared, "I went through four auditions to get cast. The competition was about 400 to 1. Fortunately, right after my debut, the work was successful, and I received much love. I realized that when the work is filmed, actors become famous and loved. After a while, I realized it was not that simple, and 'High Kick' became the defining piece of my life," he explained. "After that, there was a lot of pressure with the next project, and in my 20s, I tried to prove myself. By doing various works and experiencing success and failure, I became stronger myself."
Jung Il-woo chose alternative service instead of military exemption, which made him reconsider acting. He shared, "At 27, I was diagnosed with an aneurysm, which was an excuse for military exemption. While pushing myself hard in my 20s, it was a time when I hit the brakes. I realized I didn't know how life would turn out and began to reflect on myself. I needed time to reflect on myself, having gone on the Camino de Santiago several times. This experience allowed me to see my life from a different perspective. While providing care for elderly patients with dementia during alternative service in a nursing home, I realized the importance of life again. Watching the beginnings and ends of those who have struggled made me change my mindset to let go of impatience and anxiety and enjoy reality and my work leisurely," he stated.
Especially, Jung Il-woo said, "When I called my mother after being diagnosed with an aneurysm, she said, 'You still have to go to the military.' I thought it was natural to take on military service since as an actor, I have to be active in public, and I felt like I wouldn't be able to do anything if I hid because of illness. Currently, I am under surveillance management, and aside from occasional headaches, I am fine. I continue to manage my health and lead a healthy life."
Jung In-sun began her path as an actor at the age of 6. She said, "I have an older brother who is four years my senior, and he said he wanted to attend an acting academy featured in the school newspaper. At that time, I was at the stage where I would follow my brother in everything, so wanting to outperform him, I attended, and have continued ever since. It wasn't hard, but it was fun. I had a little bit of an attention-seeking trait, so I also liked being class president," and she mentioned, "I also debuted around that time. There weren't many protections for child actors back then, which made it tough, but since it was my first acting experience, I had no one to compare myself to, so I naturally accepted it as something normal."
However, Jung In-sun took a break from acting as she entered her teenage years. She stated, "I started taking a break around middle school and resumed in high school. As I approached the upper grades of elementary school, I realized I could not easily answer the question, 'What do I like?' and felt something was off. Moving house and changing my environment magnified that realization. New school friends viewed me as a 'celebrity,' and that attention felt overwhelming. At that time, the concepts of acting and being a celebrity came into play, causing confusion and making me feel my identity was shaken, leading to a break," she recounted. "My mother asked me to find another dream if I would rather quit. She said that leaving is up to you, but it would be hard to come back, and that sight would be tough to handle. So, I focused on school life and tried to find a hobby, which helped me learn about who I am."
Now, Jung In-sun is expanding her spectrum by playing various characters. She explained, "I tend to look at whether the character is one of growth and prefer those with some depth or complexity," and regarding her 'Our Golden Days,' she mentioned, "I hope this weekend will become my golden days."
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