School violence controversy → First return after discharge... Nam Joo-hyuk: "Donggung approached me like fate" [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Nam Joo-hyuk shared his thoughts on completing 'Donggung', his first project since discharge. Having returned to the camera after military service, he openly discussed his trembling excitement toward the work and the process of taking on a new genre, revealing a deepened passion for acting.

Recently, Nam Joo-hyuk shared his impressions upon finishing the Netflix series 'Donggung' (script by Jung So-ra, directed by Choi Jeong-gyu) and behind-the-scenes details from filming during an interview held at a café in Seoul's Jongno District.

'Donggung' is a fantasy mystery drama following Gucheon (played by Nam Joo-hyuk), who has the ability to travel between the world of humans and ghosts, and Saenggang (played by Noh Yun-seo), a palace maid hiding a secret. The two investigate the cursed secrets surrounding the Crown Prince's residence under the king's orders (played by Jo Seung-woo). In the drama, Nam Joo-hyuk portrayed Gucheon, a character who possesses special abilities to cross between the human and ghost worlds while living with deep wounds and loneliness.

This work marks Nam Joo-hyuk's first return after discharge. He said, "It's not just because I had discharged; I always tremble before every project. I tried to turn that trembling into something positive to create a good work. I tried to make good use of that trembling."

Regarding his reason for choosing 'Donggung' as his comeback project, he stated, "In my 20s, I did many romance genre works, so choosing this genre was a new challenge. Since I enjoy challenges, it didn't feel burdensome at all. This work felt like it approached me like fate."

He added, "I also tend to enjoy imagining things. As I imagined more while developing the character Gucheon, I saw it as a new challenge for myself, and I believed that through such challenges, I could show even more wonderful performances in terms of genre in the future."

Nam Joo-hyuk emphasized, "While in the army, I had a strong desire to go out and act. That feeling grew even stronger as my discharge approached. While filming 'Donggung', I poured 120% into it."

He also expressed satisfaction with the final product. He said, "There were too many CG parts during filming. We had to shoot in an environment that wasn't yet complete. So I imagined a lot while filming." He continued, "When I saw the completed work, there were many scenes that matched what I had imagined, and even more than I had imagined." He further added, "It was difficult during filming, but I was satisfied after seeing the results."

He also opened up about the hardships of action scenes and underwater filming. Nam Joo-hyuk said, "I really went through a lot," recalling, "There were action scenes every time. Quite a few."

He explained, "At first, when doing 2 or 3 takes on set, I could handle it, but after that, my stamina began to drop because I'm human." However, he also stated, "Even the decline in my stamina felt like Gucheon. As I entered the world of ghosts and lost my yang energy, reaching a level where flesh and bone seemed to merge, I thought it was fitting for Gucheon."

Especially regarding underwater filming, he smiled and said, "I wondered if there had ever been another work that involved so much water as Navy Headquarters. We went into the water as much as climbing Mount. It felt like becoming one with the water."

His weight also naturally decreased during the filming process. He revealed, "While in the army, I ate well and weighed 85 kg, but by the end of the project, I was down to 78 kg. Before joining the army, I was 78 kg, so I returned to that weight."

He also expressed his respect for Jo Seung-woo, who played the king. Nam Joo-hyuk said, "He made it very comfortable for me, so I was able to ride on my senior's energy." He added, "We didn't have more than 10 scenes together, which was a bit disappointing. So each scene we shared, though brief, felt precious."

Furthermore, Nam Joo-hyuk revealed that he also wrote a letter to Jo Seung-woo. He said, "In the letter, I wrote, 'I hope to see you again in a future work where we can share more time together. Although it was short, I am grateful that we could be together.' I received a long text message with warm words in return. He said, 'Thank you for portraying Gucheon's characteristics well,' and 'You've done wonderfully.'"

Regarding his chemistry with Noh Yun-seo, who played the palace maid Saenggang, he drew a line by saying, "I thought of her more as a comrade than anything else. I didn't see it as romance."

However, he explained, "After the work was released, there were parts I kept in mind to generate interest. I wanted viewers to imagine whether it was comradeship or romance. But on set, 99% of our interaction was comradeship."

Regarding 'Kkeomeok-sari', a CG character that steals the show in the work, he said, "During rehearsals, they only showed me a model, and I had to act while imagining its appearance. I didn't even know what the transformed Kkeomeok-sari looked like, so I was very surprised when I saw the final product."

The conversation continued about his military life. Nam Joo-hyuk said, "My personality is naturally positive. When any situation arises, I try to adapt quickly." He added, "If the environment cannot be changed, adapting quickly within that given situation seems to be what can help me grow."

He stated that he felt no burden about being forgotten during his service period. Nam Joo-hyuk said, "Rather than feeling pressure, I thought today's training would be too hard and tomorrow's training would also be difficult. That's how I spent each day."

He cautiously addressed the school violence allegations that surfaced before his enlistment. He had been engulfed in allegations of being a perpetrator of school violence in June 2022. He enlisted in March 2023 and was discharged in September of the following year.

Regarding the school violence allegations, he stated, "The facts are currently being clarified. I believe we are watching closely and quietly going through this process."

He continued, "I am not the type to make a fuss or draw attention, so I think I'm just spending time as things flow. A court verdict has been issued, and the facts are in the process of being set right."

Regarding any burden about returning amidst controversy, he emphasized, "Every time I film a work, it becomes burdensome. I approach each project with the thought that I must do my best every time."

Nam Joo-hyuk said, "It's always been the same. Rather than thinking I should do better with a changed mindset or try harder, I've continued to live with the same mindset, and I think I will continue to do so in the future. I believe that as I think about how to show new aspects of myself, things will work out."

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*This content was translated by AI.