(continued from interview ②) "2AM hyungs? They don't help much." As expected, are idols still 'maknae on top'? Singer and actor Jung Jin-woon joked familiarly with his older members, making fans look forward to a solo concert by the group 2AM following the film Shinui Akdan.
Jung Jin-woon conducted an interview for the film Shinui Akdan (director Kim Hyung-hyeop, distributor CJ CGV, production Studio Target) on the 24th at a location on Seosomun-ro in Jung-gu, Seoul. At the event he spoke with domestic reporters about the film and his recent activities.
Shinui Akdan starts from the outrageous premise that an officer of the North Korean security agency organizes a fake praise troupe to earn foreign currency, and portrays how 12 people with different motives become 'real' from being 'fake.' It is scheduled to open on the 31st and meet audiences. In the film, Jung Jin-woon gives a passionate performance as North Korean security lieutenant Kim Tae-seong.
In particular, in the film Jung Jin-woon clearly shows he is a 2AM member by singing the CCM song "Gwangyareul Jinamyeo." His soft, steadily reaching high notes overlap with Kim Tae-seong wandering the wilderness and deliver resonance. Reflecting on the shoot, Jung Jin-woon said, 'Singing the song "Gwangyareul Jinamyeo" plays the biggest role in the film. It's not about getting a Christian point; it's just "sincerity." Finding that was difficult. The director and I actually just went to the wilderness. We returned our days off and just went. We walked in the snow for about 30 minutes and later the snow felt like minus 30-something degrees. That snowy field. Later my coat was hot and stifling so I took it off,' he recalled.
He continued, "The wilderness out there had nothing but the helicam; it was really just white snow. Only horses running in the distance. I wondered if this was what it felt like to throw off life's frustrations. I felt that strongly while filming that scene, not just in a religious sense. I even cried alone. Standing there felt surreal. It was some snowy plain in Mongolia. It was about an hour by car. I heard it could take six to seven hours to reach the mountain in the film. There was nothing in between. It was so amazing. Since I do film photography as a hobby, I took photos and it felt like a lie. It looked like it was drawn by AI. It felt like someone asked, "Take film photos of the snow-covered Mongolian plain."" He added, "Then I slowly experienced and built Captain Kim Tae-seong's emotional line."
He said, "Our actual practice space was a freezer. One room was the warmest, so we all gathered in that small room. The given spaces were so cold we took turns gathering in the room. On days off we all went to museums, saw the statue of Genghis Khan, went stargazing, bonding with pure camaraderie. The camera crew were all Mongolian friends. On days off they suggested going to see the stars. I smoke cigars as a hobby and brought whiskey. I really lay down in the snow at minus 35 degrees and watched the stars. I couldn't forget that romance. My English improved a lot then. I had to sit in the front to communicate. I was the front seat assistant. My English improved a lot," he laughed.
He also joked, "This role was very unfamiliar so it was very difficult. I like Pyongyang naengmyeon, but eating it I wondered, 'Would Captain Kim have tried this?' I heard Pyongyang naengmyeon is not something easily eaten in North Korea. I was curious what Captain Kim liked, so on a whim I tried adding red pepper powder, thinking he might be picky and have done that."
What kind of support did 2AM members give for this work he worked so hard on? Jung Jin-woon said, "Hyungs don't show it much. They just say they saw it and that I worked hard. Then they leave. Seulong hyung barely comes. 'If I have time I'll come, I'll see how things go' is basically his catchphrase. So among us, 'Hyung, how's your situation these days? How's today?' is our way of saying hello. Jo Kwon really took a lot of interest, and Changmin always posts a lot on Instagram. Of course, that kind of help doesn't really help much," he said, drawing laughter.
But contrary to his jokes, during the actual interview Jung Jin-woon's phone rang and the name Im Seulong appeared, adding warmth. Jung Jin-woon, avoiding calls because it was an interview, sheepishly smiled and said, "It seems like a call about a 2AM concert." He added, "We are preparing our concert and I think we might be able to share news in the first half of next year," raising expectations for a solo 2AM concert.
[Photo] Provided by Mystic Story, Studio Target.
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