'Minister Kim' Yoon Kyung-ho, Tears as He Recalls 'Financial Hardship + 30 Part-time Jobs'... "I Was Sorry to My Daughter in the Womb" [Interview ③]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Yoon Kyung-ho (46) spoke directly about the 'Minister Kim' story.

On the 27th, Yoon Kyung-ho met with StarNews at a café on Hak-dong-ro in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, for an interview regarding SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'Minister Kim' (written by Nam Dae-jung, directed by Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun).

'Minister Kim' is a father-universe revenge action drama about an ordinary dad who becomes the world's most dangerous man to reclaim his only daughter. The series debuted with a 9.5% viewership rating in its first episode, then reached 21.6% within four episodes, marking a new milestone as the first SBS drama in two years to surpass the 20th% threshold. In its final episode (episode 10) aired on the 25th, it achieved a peak viewership of 23.1%, proving its phenomenon status (Nielsen Korea nationwide). 'Minister Kim' successively surpassed records set by past SBS Friday-Saturday dramas such as 'Stove League', 'Taxi Driver Season 2', and 'Priest', securing the second-highest viewership rating among all SBS Friday-Saturday dramas in history.

Its global box office performance was equally dazzling. 'Minister Kim' held the number one spot globally in Netflix's non-English TV show category for three consecutive weeks, demonstrating worldwide popularity. Additionally, it topped the TV-OTT drama buzz chart for three straight weeks and dominated the top tier of actor-related buzz, achieving dominance across viewership ratings, global popularity, and public discussion.

In the drama, Yoon Kyung-ho portrayed Park Jin-cheol, a former 'God of War' who was once beyond state control but now lives as a doting father to his daughter. Park Jin-cheol displayed chemistry with Minister Kim (played by So Ji-sub) and Sung Han-soo (played by Choi Dae-hoon) within the 'father universe', delivering fearless power action and embodying the lively, humanistic 'Rock & Roll Park Jin-cheol'. Yoon Kyung-ho appeared as a boastful former Marine Corps member whose mere presence sparked laughter, injecting vitality through grounded, relatable acting.

-You came wearing luxury shoes today; is this proof of your popularity?

▶These shoes were a gift. I bought my clothes at Top Ten. I felt my outfit was too plain, so I wore nice shoes to balance it out. My fortune reading says 'wealth leaks out', so I'm trying hard with financial management; recently, I've invested in Samsung and SK Hynix. I'm also cutting back on spending. They say I'm the type who first takes on debt, pays it off, and then accumulates wealth. A close priest in Rome told me, 'Please stop talking about fortune readings.' (laughs) I once heard that a 23-year luck cycle has begun for me. However, I try not to be overly elated or depressed. I aim to live within the average, and my wife tries to calm my excited mind. She tells me, 'Don't check your phone too much; focus on being a good actor and a good father.'

-You've mentioned there were difficult times in the past.

▶I once worked 30 part-time jobs. While doing theater, it was hard to maintain steady employment, so I took many short-term and daily-wage gigs. Most of them were manual labor; I even worked as a clown handing out balloons at store openings. The biggest crisis came when I got married and my first child became pregnant. Until then, I thought that if credit cards ran out or went into the negative, I could just endure the hardship alone. But once my child was born, I started thinking, 'I don't want to pass this on,' and considered quitting acting. 'What should I do without other qualifications? Should I learn a skill?' I had many such worries. At that time, the movie 'Ganghwa Island' came to me, and it held great meaning for me; I even lost 34 kilograms during that period. When I talk about those days, tears come to my eyes. I told my daughter in the womb, 'Daddy is sorry. I've never taken on a role like this before, but I want to do well this time. Please wait for me even if you're a little hungry.' Afterward, I got roles in 'Okja' and 'Goblin'. It felt like paths were opening up for me. Before, I only wanted to be the 'best actor', but after my child was born, I worked without hesitation, and another world seemed to open up.

-As a father yourself, you took on the role of a doting dad in 'Minister Kim'.

▶After having my daughter, my perspective on the world changed. Women I used to see as juniors or colleagues now appeared to me as 'someone's daughters'. I learned about the challenges women face, such as their resident registration numbers starting with '2'. That's why I think I was able to connect more deeply emotionally during 'Minister Kim'. My daughter is now in fourth grade and keeps searching for her own name online, asking, 'Daddy, please talk about my name more.' (laughs)

-What kind of actor do you want to become now?

▶Now I just hope that work never stops and that I can save enough money until my children become independent. I want to live steadily, like noodles in a bowl—consistent and enduring. I envy senior actors who have been acting steadily for a long time without ups and downs. I see today's popularity as mere luck, like a passing lottery win.

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*This content was translated by AI.