Ji Chang-wook: “I grew up with a single mother… There were times when I was worried and tired about money”

Following the previous two parts, we asked Ji Chang-wook about his home environment as well as the way he approached and understood Lee Eul (the character he plays in “The Sound of Magic”)’s feelings.

• The scenes from Lee Eul‘s high school days were also impressive. Was there a time when it was hard for you to overcome psychologically, just like the pressure of studying and parents’ expectations tied up Lee Eul? I wonder how you approached and understood Lee Eul’s feelings.

▲ There were always moments when it was hard to overcome psychologically. What choices you make and how you live. There were times when I was worried and tired about money, and I think I was under a lot of stress about my studies during my school days. There were many difficult times due to such psychological pressure, so it was not like someone else’s story but my story. I tried to approach Lee Eul‘s feelings with a pure heart. I expressed everything honestly. When I had fun, I had fun without worrying about anything, and when I was angry, I got completely angry. To people, Lee Eul appears to be a strange person, but he also seems like both an innocent child and a murderer.

• Now that you’re a Hallyu star representing Korea, I can’t imagine your difficult home environment.

▲ What should I say? In a way, I grew up normally and in other ways, I grew up hard. Well, I grew up with my single mother. My father died a little early. I felt a lot of loss that came from it. I quickly realized at a young age that reality was not easy. So, looking back on my childhood, I think I had some depression. Fortunately, I overcame it with my mother’s love.