"Feeling like trash": Real-life "U-jin mom" to all U-jin moms in the world... Park Ji-yeon delivers a bone-chilling 'true education' [Interview ②]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actress Park Ji-yeon (42) delivered a sharp, bone-chilling message of "true education" to the problematic parent and the world's "U-jin mom."

Park Ji-yeon held an interview with StarNews at a cafe in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 17th. She had previously garnered attention for her role as U-jin's mother, a problematic parent, in the fifth episode of the Netflix original series "True Education," which was released on the 5th.

Park Ji-yeon, who elevated the immersion of "True Education" with her vivid performance as a villain, is no exaggeration to say she made a significant contribution to reaching the number one spot in global rankings. She has truly targeted the tastes of global viewers and continues to ride a wave of popularity day after day.

On this day, Park Ji-yeon stated, "This is already our fourth collaboration with Director Hong Jong-chan, and he trusted and entrusted me. He didn't give me any specific direction, but he did once send me captured screenshots from mom cafes before filming. The fact that he trusted me to act freely on set was the biggest source of strength."

Continuing, she spoke about the U-jin mom character: "When I read the script, I thought a lot about how to ground my performance in reality. I wanted to appear as someone who could exist in everyday life. Although I am not a parent myself, I have a nephew in first grade. So, I followed him on his way to and from elementary school to observe how mothers behave. I also watched many documentaries and looked up related books mentioned in them. I studied extensively to get closer to the U-jin mom character."

Park Ji-yeon also said, "Since I am not a parent, I wasn't particularly interested in educational issues. However, after watching the documentaries, I learned that there are actually teachers who have suffered from Bell's palsy and panic disorder, and even teachers who have passed away. It was so heartbreaking and painful. I was surprised myself when I realized too late that stories more dramatic than the drama are actually happening in reality."

She then mentioned U-jin mom's iconic line, "My child's father is very angry." She said, "I knew I would actually use that line. In the work, it appears three times. Rather than focusing on how to express it differently, I think I was more concerned with how to hurt the other person within the context of the situation."

Deeply immersed in the work, she shared her unique impressions. Park Ji-yeon revealed, "I thought I would feel a sense of catharsis since it was my first villain role, but I actually felt terrible. After finishing filming, I felt as if I had become trash. I realized how difficult it is to emit negative energy toward others."

Park Ji-yeon then left a message for the world's "U-jin moms." She raised her voice, saying, "As mentioned in 'True Education,' the line 'We are all someone's precious child' seems to be the most accurate. I believe that kindness is what survives. I am someone who thinks that the ability to consider others is most important, so I hope everyone views the world that way. Isn't this a society where we all live together?"

Finally, Park Ji-yeon said confidently, "I believe that being a good person makes you a good actor. You must live well in your daily life to deliver good performances. I want to become a good adult, and in the future, I will continue to work hard and do my best in the tasks given to me, just as I always have."

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*This content was translated by AI.