'True Education' School Violence Villain Lee Seung-gyu, Born in 1999... "Popularity? I'm Speechless" [Interview ①]

*This content was translated by AI.

• Interview with actor Lee Seung-gyu, who played Ryu Jun-hyung, a school violence perpetrator from a position of power, in the Netflix original series 'True Education'

Actor Lee Seung-gyu shared his thoughts on appearing in 'True Education,' which is enjoying global popularity.

Recently, StarNews conducted an interview with actor Lee Seung-gyu at its Seoul Jongno-gu headquarters, following the the 5th release of the Netflix original series 'True Education' (directed by Hong Jong-chan, written by Lee Nam-gyu, Kim Da-hee, and Moon Jong-ho).

'True Education' is a series depicting the refreshing and satisfying 'true education' carried out by the School Rights Protection Bureau, established to defend the educational rights of teachers and the educational landscape of the Republic of Korea, which had collapsed due to students, teachers, and parents overstepping their bounds. The series has topped Netflix's global non-English series chart and continues its box office success.

In the first episode of 'True Education,' Lee Seung-gyu played Ryu Jun-hyung, the son of future presidential candidate Ryu Gwang-pil (Rep.) (played by Song Young-gyu) and a school violence perpetrator, opening the drama. He has received praise for his powerful portrayal of a school violence perpetrator who dominates the school through violence, leaving a strong impression.

When asked if he feels the global popularity of 'True Education,' Lee Seung-gyu replied, "Many people have contacted me. Honestly, I'm speechless. I still can't fully grasp the fact that I'm receiving so much love. Although I took on a very small role, it is a great honor to have been part of the work 'True Education'."

Lee Seung-gyu also signaled the official start of 'True Education' by appearing in the first episode. Was there no burden in playing the villain of the first episode?

Lee Seung-gyu stated, "It was indeed burdensome because it was an episode that had to showcase the School Rights Protection Bureau, an organization that defines the identity of the work. However, meeting with senior actors and fellow actors in the practice room multiple times to coordinate our scenes was a great help. If we hadn't coordinated so much, I probably wouldn't have had confidence on set. There was mutual trust on set."

He reportedly built a particularly close bond with actor Lee Chan-yong, who played school violence victim Kim Kyung-min in the first episode. Lee Seung-gyu said, "I always coordinated scenes with my senior (Lee Chan-yong). He would say, 'Seung-gyu, your eyes are too scary. Thanks to your eyes, I can feel the emotions well,' which gave me strength. We had many conversations about the scenes we shared together," expressing his trust in Kim Kyung-min.

Born in 1999, Lee Seung-gyu is 26 years old. When asked about his feelings on acting in a school uniform in his mid-20s, he joked, "I still live thinking I'm in my early 20s. I was grateful for every day I wore a school uniform, and if possible, I want to wear one again in the future," eliciting laughter.

Ryu Jun-hyung is a school violence perpetrator who has become as evil as possible, backed by power. Regarding this character, Lee Seung-gyu said, "Many people call Ryu Jun-hyung a villain, but I tried to find the deficiency in the character, which was a lack of love."

He continued, "I thought he was stuck in elementary and middle school, having not received love from his parents. In particular, I found a major deficiency in his relationship with his father, Ryu Kwang-pil. In fact, I didn't appear in that many scenes, so I had many concerns. I wanted to portray the character three-dimensionally and show him not just as a 'character' but as a 'person'."

The scene Lee Seung-gyu coveted the most was the fire scene that appears in the latter half of the first episode. Regarding this, Lee Seung-gyu revealed, "There is a scene where I cry and run away in fear like a child as the fire spreads, and I felt a strong desire for that scene. I wanted it to be the opposite of Ryu Jun-hyung's previous appearance. The script direction itself included phrases like 'crying like a child,' so I think I put extra effort into the acting."

Not only in that scene, but Lee Seung-gyu also had a significant presence in every memorable scene of the first episode. This includes scenes where Na Hwa-jin (played by Kim Mu-yeol) carries out 'true education' on Ryu Jun-hyung. Regarding the scene where Ryu Jun-hyung has food waste dumped on him in the cafeteria, Lee Seung-gyu recalled, "At the time of filming, school friends were in my direct line of sight from where I fell. I still remember the looks in their eyes as they stared at me (covered in food waste). At that moment, shame rose up in me without my realizing it, and my face turned redder and hotter than the chili powder smeared on it."

Lee Seung-gyu, who debuted in 2021 with the web drama '@AccountDeleted,' has been expanding his acting spectrum by appearing in dramas such as 'Our Love Simulation,' 'Walking to the Wilderness 2023,' and 'So I Live Today.' What does 'True Education' mean to him, who was previously known mainly for youth and romance dramas?

Lee Seung-gyu stated, "It was a role I had never tried before, so I am very grateful for this opportunity and thank the director and writer for giving it to me. The more deficient a character is, the more attractive they become to me. The conversation I had with the director was that I hoped it would feel like a 'documentary.' Since the first episode of 'True Education' felt somewhat heavy, I had worries and ambitions, but I acted hard with the hope that it would look like a real person."

He added, "I went through the audition for 'True Education' about two or three times. During the audition, the director asked me, 'Why do you act?' and I answered, 'I want to become a good actor.' Then the director said, 'You have become a person.' It was the most sincere audition I have had based on my experiences. Fortunately, I feel like I was able to discover the human Lee Seung-gyu, and in that sense, 'True Education' is a grateful gift-like work for me," revealing his affection for 'True Education.'

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*This content was translated by AI.