On February 10, Jo Jun-young sat down for an interview at the Newsen office in Gangnam, Seoul, following the conclusion of tvN’s Monday–Tuesday drama Spring Fever. During the interview, he spoke candidly about his career journey, past experiences, and future aspirations.
Jo Jun-young made his debut in 2020 through JTBC’s Live On and has since built a solid filmography with works such as IDOL: The Coup, All That We Loved, Heesu in Class 2, Crushology 101, Dear.M, Spirit Fingers!, and Spring Fever.
Signed under SM Entertainment, Jo Jun-young revealed that he once seriously dreamed of becoming an idol. “I majored in acting at Seoul Performing Arts High School and entered the company aiming to become an actor,” he explained. “But I also trained as an idol trainee. As I practiced, I genuinely developed the dream of becoming an idol too. However, there were areas where I felt lacking, and after discussions with the company, I decided to focus on acting. From my senior year of high school, I concentrated solely on acting.”
Jo Jun-young trained alongside RIIZE members Wonbin, Sungchan, and Eunseok, and his trainee days even drew attention when photos surfaced of him attending performances while wearing a mask. When asked whether he ever felt envious seeing his former trainees debut successfully as idols, he answered honestly: “I do feel regret. I was firm about wanting to act, but during my trainee days, I was truly serious about becoming an idol. When I stopped, I felt a lot of regret and even some remorse.”
However, he emphasized that the experience became a strength rather than a loss. “What I learned back then became a weapon for me. When I play idol roles in dramas, memories from my trainee days naturally come back. When I meet or contact friends I trained with, we support each other in our respective fields. Watching them on stage sometimes makes me think, ‘I want to try that too,’ but as an actor, I believe I’ll have my own opportunities like fan meetings or other forms of expression.”
Often described as a promising visual and acting talent within SM Entertainment, Jo Jun-young expressed gratitude toward his agency’s support. “So many people cheer me on. Staff members from different departments tell me, ‘We talked about you several times today.’ Rather than pressure, I feel thankful. It makes me want to do better and show good results. Knowing I have strong support and people on my side gives me confidence.”
Looking ahead, Jo Jun-young shared his desire to challenge himself with diverse roles. “I want to try characters with completely different personalities and environments from what I’ve done before. I’d love to attempt fantasy roles or rougher characters, projects like Bloodhounds, or roles similar to Park Seo-joon’s in Fight for My Way. I also want to try action acting with senior actor Ji Chang-wook.”
As he prepares for an active 2026, Jo Jun-young concluded, “I’m usually calm and not easily shaken emotionally, so I’ve often been afraid of new challenges. This year, I want to take on more new things and discover different sides of myself not just as an actor, but as Jo Jun-young the person. Since it’s the Year of the Horse, I want to run forward like a horse, always staying healthy.”
Sources: Daum
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