'Married Woman Killer' Actor Mu Jin-seong "Changed name from 'Yeo-ui-ju'... Hong Seok-cheon's 'Jewelry Box' brought in good work" [Interview ③]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Mu Jin-seong said his life changed after changing his real name 'Yeo-ui-ju' to the stage name 'Mu Jin-seong'.

On the 18th, Mu Jin-seong met with StarNews for an interview related to the MBC Friday-Saturday drama 'Married Woman Killer' (written by Kim Eun-hee, directed by Yoon Jong-ho and Kim Ji-hoon).

'Married Woman Killer' is a drama depicting the struggles of a working mom with the most ruthless profession in the world as she fights to protect her work-life balance. The series concluded on the 12th after its 14th episode recorded a viewership rating of 10.7%.

Han Chae-rin played the role of Ki-young-do, a genius hacker and deputy manager at Duremi Electronics' Sales Team 3 within the drama. Ki-young-do supported Kingfisher Yuna (played by Gong Hyo-jin) in her operations and became a key figure contributing to solving cases. Relying on her exceptional hacking skills and quick judgment, she gathered various information and acted as the team's reliable brain.

Ki-young-do contributed to the team with her outstanding hacking abilities and cool-headed judgment, while also bringing laughter with an unexpectedly clumsy side when with her colleagues. Additionally, having harbored feelings for Yuna for a long time, she revealed her awkwardness in love upon meeting Kwon Se-ah (played by Lee Eun-sam). Unable to hide her affection, she drew a love triangle with Beom Sung-hoon (played by Choi Woo-seong), showing jealousy and displaying another facet of the character as she faced her emotions honestly and gradually changed.

Debuting in the 2013 MBC drama 'Two Weeks', Mu Jin-seong showed a fresh youthful image in the film 'Genre Romance' and added a playful charm as technician Yeon Mo-yong in the Disney+ original series 'Tyrant'. In the tvN drama 'Typhoon Company', she transformed into a sharp-looking villain, Expression Jun, leaving a strong impression. Recently, through Netflix's 'Rat', she took on the role of accountant Son Soo-hyun, portraying a character with a different vibe from Ki-young-do in 'Married Woman Killer'.

-You were active under your real name 'Yeo-ui-ju' before changing your stage name to 'Mu Jin-seong'. There seems to have been quite a few reactions saying, "Since the name Yeo-ui-ju is more unique, why not just keep using it?" Do you feel there was an effect from changing your name?

▶I changed my stage name around 2017. Coincidentally, I had a break at that time, which gave me plenty of time to think and question whether I should continue as an actor. At that point, encouraged by an acquaintance, I changed my name with the mindset of making a fresh start. Since then, it seems things have been going well for me. I did not change my legal name, so at home and among close friends, people still call me by my real name. My father, who originally gave me my birth name, was not upset about the stage name change and instead encouraged me to do well with the new name.

-Did you experience the effects of changing your name? In January last year, you appeared on Hong Seok-cheon's 'Jewelry Box' and gained attention as a "star worth anticipating."

▶Seok-cheon is someone I had known for a while. At that time, the drama 'Typhoon Company' was doing well, so he invited me. Seok-cheon told me, "If you keep working quietly, someday many people will recognize you. I picked you, so it's just a matter of timing; my eye for talent has never been wrong." I wasn't particularly nervous during the YouTube appearance. Perhaps because I served as vice president in middle and elementary school, I was used to doing things in front of people.

-How did you try to overcome your slump?

▶Since it was mentally difficult, I wanted to make my body even more tired, so I went hiking and exercised every day. I hiked for a year without missing a single day. As a result, both my body and mind became healthier. It seemed like things started going well after that. Before, I only whipped myself into shape, but when I turned inward to see what kind of person I wanted to be, I could see those around me and felt gratitude. I wanted to work steadily without stopping on projects, but every day was unstable. So I became tired and anxious.

-How did you start acting?

▶When deciding on my career path in the second year of high school, I watched a play and saw the curtain call. I thought, "Actors can receive applause from an unspecified number of people and bring out tears." It seemed like a wonderful profession that receives so much applause, so I attended an acting academy. I went for one month first, but then I wanted to act even more. Many people recognize me these days, and on the other hand, I want to show more as an actor. I feel anxious because it seems this good energy won't last forever, but I also feel grateful.

-If you were to introduce actor Mu Jin-seong to the public?

▶She is an actress who is building depth in her heart every year. For those who don't know me, I want to let them know my existence through future works. To those who don't know me, buy low!

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*This content was translated by AI.