Song Joong-ki explores depth of guilt in ‘My Name is Lo Kiwan’
Since his 2008 debut, Song Joongki has consistently showcased his commitment to acting, embracing a wide range of emotions and genres.
In his latest project, the Netflix film “My Name is Loh Kiwan,” Song delves into the theme of guilt, portraying a North Korean defector’s tumultuous journey in the European country of Belgium.
The film, based on the 2011 short novel “I Met Loh Kiwan” by Cho Hae-jin, follows the journey of Loh Ki-wan (Song), a North Korean defector seeking refuge in Belgium. Left with meager funds from selling his dead mother’s corpse, Loh finds himself stranded in a foreign land where he struggles to survive.
Diverging from the novel, the film introduces Marie (Choi Sung-eun), a Belgian with Korean immigrant parents. Once an accomplished shooter, Marie grapples with personal challenges before crossing paths with Loh and falling in love.
Speaking at a cafe in Jongno District, central Seoul, Wednesday, Song revealed insights into his decision to star in the weighty film. He disclosed that seven years ago, when he was presented with the same script, he had declined it.
“Upon first reading the script and considering portraying Loh, I harbored doubts, questioning: ‘How can someone who has come this far consider falling in love as an option?’ The character’s emotions weren’t convincing enough for me.”
However, upon revisiting the script five years later, the 38-yearold found himself empathizing with Loh’s emotions.
“Although the script remained largely unchanged, my perspective had evolved. I came to believe that what drives people to endure is relying on others, which, to me, embodies the essence of love. It was this realization that persuaded me of the romance in the film and led me to accept the role.”
“I guess I’m getting older,” he chuckled.
Following his depiction of Chi-geon in “Hopeless” (2023), Song once again embodies Loh, a character entrenched in misery. This is a significant divergence from the bright and clever characters Song has mostly portrayed in the past.
Rising to stardom with his lively role in the 2010 series “Sungkyunkwan Scandal,” he recently garnered acclaim for his portrayal of the hero in Netflix’s “Reborn Rich” (2022).
Song emphasized that, in his interpretation, Loh is a character primarily driven by guilt.
“I wanted to portray someone oppressed by guilt. In the latter part of the play, while discussing the death of his mother, he questions, ‘Am I a person who deserves to be happy?’ … I deliberately asked the director to include this line. I aimed to depict someone constantly questioning their worthiness and hesitating in the face of happiness.”
When asked about the similarity between himself and Loh, Song replied, “About 51 percent.”
“I don’t bear the burden of guilt in my personal life, obviously. Instead of projecting my own emotions or empathizing with the character’s experiences, it’s more of a straightforward interpretation for me. That’s why the director and I collaborated to fine-tune Loh’s character,” he elaborated.
The reason he opted for consecutive dark characters following “Hopeless” is to maintain balance in his acting career.
“The emotions depicted in ‘Hopeless’ or ‘My Name is Loh Ki-wan’ are often challenging to explore in dramas. I aim to confront unfulfilled characters or emotions in films,” the actor said.
“In fact, the shooting for ‘Reborn Rich’ came between ‘Hopeless’ and ‘My Name is Loh Ki-wan,’ but the release order shifted. As a result, I ended up portraying consecutive dark characters … but my goal is to strike a balance between the uplifting sentiments found in TV dramas and the experimentation seen in movies.”
Looking forward, the actor pledged to continue his evolution as an actor by embracing diverse roles. He specifically expressed a keen interest in exploring genres outside his comfort zone.
“I’m really eager to delve into horror movies,” he revealed. “I’m more hungry for exploring genres than specific roles. I often mention in interviews my desire to tackle a horror movie, but the response hasn’t been significant … It appears that it is challenging for horror movies to succeed in theaters.”
That is why Song is particularly satisfied with the recent success of the film “Exhuma,” an occult genre film that has garnered over six million cumulative viewers as of Thursday.
“I haven’t watched it yet, but I’m genuinely pleased about the triumph of horror films. While I’m not acquainted with Jang Jaehyun, who directed the movie, I feel vindicated thinking that horror genres have the potential,” he concluded.