'Main Code 2' Jung Sung-il: "You think the dialect sounds awkward? I'm a Daegu native." [Interview 1]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Jung Sung-il revealed that he personally proposed performing in dialect to add his own unique touch to his role as Cheong Seok-joong in 'Made in Korea'.

On the 28th, we met with actor Jung Sung-il of the Disney+ series 'Made in Korea' at a café on Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and discussed the work.

In both Season 1 and Season 2 of 'Made in Korea', Jung Sung-il portrayed Cheong Seok-joong, Chief Secretary to the President of the Blue House, vividly depicting his ambition for power and his tenacious survival instinct that persists even at the brink of collapse.

Having worked on the project for a long time, he expressed significant regret after completing all filming. Jung Sung-il said, "Filming took such a long time that I felt sad. Since there wasn't much gap between Season 1 and Season 2, we kept repeating the cycle of finishing, filming again, and waiting. The set itself was a joyful experience, so it was quite disappointing. Still, I'm glad we wrapped up well."

He emphasized that his biggest regret was parting with the people involved: "The actors and staff I worked with were wonderful. I felt like I wanted to work with them for even longer. The director, the actors, and the staff all grew closer together. Meeting various actors made me think, 'I want to act with these people for a longer time.'"

One indispensable element when discussing Cheong Seok-joong is his dialect. Jung Sung-il admitted that he initially hesitated to accept the role when first offered.

He said, "When I received the offer for 'Made in Korea,' I personally considered not taking it. Like my previous roles, this character required wearing a suit and projecting gravitas, which felt burdensome. At that time, I was also in a period where I wanted to show a different side of myself."

However, what changed his mind were the people he would be working with. Jung Sung-il stated, "The director was excellent, and the actors were great too, so it felt like a loss to pass up this opportunity. After meeting with the director, I proposed, 'I really want to play this character, but I will use dialect.'"

Explaining his decision regarding Cheong Seok-joong's dialect setting, he said, "At that time, there were many people from Gyeongsang-do in positions of power. More importantly, I wanted to portray this character differently." He added, "The director readily agreed, which allowed me to proceed with the dialect."

Although dialect was a familiar language for Jung Sung-il, who hails from Daegu, it wasn't easy given his long history of performing in standard Korean. He laughed and said, "I am originally from Daegu and lived there until my third year of high school. I still use dialect with my family, but I had forgotten much of it along the way."

He continued, "After going to Daegu, I stayed there for a while and checked constantly, day and night, 'Is this correct? Is that correct?' From the script stage onward, I made many adjustments to match the dialect. My speech ended up mixing various tones. Some people found it awkward, but I am a native."

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*This content was translated by AI.