'True Education' Juvenile Offender Jang Yo-hun: "Why Was I Cast at 33? The Director Said My Eyes Were 'Rolling'" [Interview ①]

*This content was translated by AI.

• Interview with actor Jang Yo-hun, who plays Min Ji-woong in Netflix's 'True Education'

Actor Jang Yo-hun of 'True Education' shared his thoughts on portraying a juvenile offender in his 30s.

On the 24th, StarNews conducted an interview with Jang Yo-hun at its Seoul Jongno-gu headquarters regarding the Netflix original series 'True Education' (script by Lee Nam-gyu, directed by Hong Jong-chan).

Released on the 5th, 'True Education' is a series depicting the refreshing and satisfying true education of the Education Rights Protection Bureau, established to defend the educational rights and reality of South Korea, which collapsed due to students crossing the line, teachers, and parents. In episode 6, the story unfolds of juvenile offenders involved in youth crime and drug trafficking. Min Ji-woong, considered the main villain of this episode, was portrayed by Jang Yo-hun.

'True Education,' starring Jang Yo-hun, reached number one globally within three days of its release and has remained at the top for two consecutive weeks. It ranked first in 46 countries, including South Korea, Japan, and Brazil, and has continued its box office success by appearing in the top 10 in 91 countries worldwide.

With the success of the work, Jang Yo-hun has received significant attention. He said, "Recently, I've been going to many auditions, and people told me they enjoyed 'True Education.' Others who met me said, 'You don't look bad in real life.' However, he added, "I'm not sure about changes in myself. I was excited, but now I've calmed down a bit. Still, if there's a positive change, it's that industry professionals are noticing me. I'm receiving calls asking about my schedule and having strange experiences."

He also recalled the process of joining 'True Education.' Having secured the role of Min Ji-woong through an audition, he said, "The director saw many actors but seemed to think it would be difficult to cast a minor. He was probably looking for an adult actor who appeared young." Jang Yo-hun added, "The director kept saying my eyes stayed in his mind. He even said, 'Your eyes are rolling.' I thought that was a good thing for an actor."

Jang Yo-hun, born in 1993 and now 33 years old, drew significant attention for portraying a 14-year-old juvenile offender. He explained that to express Min Ji-woong, he focused most on the flow of energy. Jang Yo-hun said, "Age is something I can't control, so I tried to focus on energy. Due to the characteristics of a boy, I aimed to appear small. I paid attention to energy, body shape, and energy flow." He further emphasized, "Min Ji-woong is an offender with no room for excuses. The director also stated he would not defend this offender. I thought about what emotional state Min Ji-woong had and why he would go to such lengths, focusing on the flow of energy."

He said, "Energy comes from the body's form. I think I was scattered and restless when I was young. That's the only intersection I share with this character." He continued, "As I've gotten older, I've lived restlessly and cleverly, but haven't I calmed down? I tried to bring that back. I tried to walk like a bouncing ball, making funny jokes and playing around."

Jang Yo-hun also mentioned that the character of Min Ji-woong in 'True Education' was quite different from the roles he had previously taken on. He said, "In independent films, theater, and music videos, I often played minorities and victims. Roles where I was bullied, beaten by offenders, or played queer characters." He added, "Back then, I focused a lot on emotions and tried to empathize. But with Min Ji-woong, I approached it from a physical perspective." He further noted, "With Min Ji-woong, instead of empathizing and understanding, I thought more about the tension and position this character needed to show in this work."

Jang Yo-hun shared that he tried to find common ground in his personal experiences to portray Min Ji-woong. He said, "I tried to find common ground with myself. I tried to recall memories of being scattered when I was young and getting angry while playing games." However, he also pointed out the difference between himself and Min Ji-woong, saying, "Still, I had good adults around me during those moments."

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*This content was translated by AI.