[Interview] Song Seung Heon, "'Obsessed' shows the most painful romance that I've ever seen"

“I’ve shown all of myself through this film, and I am very satisfied with it.”

Song Seung Heon has earned a lot of fans with his gentle and sophisticated character through dramas like ‘Autumn Story’ and ‘Scent of Summer.’ He also showed composite opposite side of him through films like ‘Destiny’ and ‘Invincible.’ Now, he is ready to show another side of him through movie ‘Obsession.’

During an interview that was held at a café that is located in Nonhyun-dong, Seoul, Song Seung Heon showed the sincerity that he has for his career.

◇ When people get obsessed

The reason why many people showed particularly great anticipation for ‘Obsession’ is because director Kim Dae Woo, who directed ‘The Servant,’ and ‘Forbidden Quest,’ has directed the film, and also because of the very strongly appealing title, ‘Obsession.’

“The word ‘obsession’ usually gets used as a negative word. However, this film expresses how people get obsessed with people, and I understood the deep meaning of the title while shooting the film. I really love the title now,” said Song Seung Heon.

As the reporter asked Song Seung Heon what he realized about the title, he explained that Kim Jin Pyeong, who he played as, goes through this ‘obsession’ of people.

“Kim Jin Pyeong is an elite military official who has a guaranteed future waiting ahead. He has got his own wife, but he falls in an even deeper love with someone else, and that person is his own man’s wife. He gives up on his future after getting obsessed with a lady, and he chooses to take a hard way.”


Song Seung Heon has casted in a lot of romance dramas, but he has never done such a deep love.

“Director Kim Dae Woo recently told me that a true love is a love that you can die for. Kim Jin Pyeong falls in a love that he would die for in the film, and it is the most painful romance that I have ever seen.”

Song Seung Heon told that his thought about marriage went through a major change while shooting ‘Obsessed,’ and he said, “Now, it is going to take me an even longer time for me to get married. I don’t think I would be able to bear falling in love with another lady after getting married.”

◇ Shooting his first adultery romance film with director Kim Dae Woo

Song Seung Heon has casted in a great number of different dramas and films of various genres in his long career, but it was the first time for him to cast in a adultery romance film, and he got to do it with none other than director Kim Dae Woo, who is most widely recognized for adultery romance films.

“I used to have biased thoughts about him, and I was a bit worried if I would be able to work with him smoothly. However, my worries were blown away one by one as the shootings went on. Director Kim Dae is one of the most sophisticated and creative person that I have ever met.”

Song Seung Heon told that he and director Kim built a great trust for each other, and he said, “Director Kim has a very subtle, but powerful charisma. There are people who I get to listen to intently, and there are people who I do not want to listen to no matter what he says. Director Kim always makes me to focus on his words, and I have a deep respect for him. I prefer to build deep relationships with only certain people instead of having many relationships without depth, and director Kim is one of the people that I would do anything to build a deeper relationship with.”

While he met a veteran director while shooting this film, he also met a fabulous new actress. That is Lim Ji Yeon, who is making her first screen debut through ‘Obsession.’

“I do not know if she is aware of it, but she was born with a fabulous charm, and that charm gets intensified on screen. This might be because she is still very young, but she still has purity and innocence on her. I am very looking forward to her future.”


Regarding On Ju Wan and Cho Yeo Jung, who he casted in the film together, Song Seung Heon said, “Director Kim Dae Woo and I are not very expressive people, but Ju Wan is a very lively guy, and took a great care of the two actresses. Cho Yeo Jung was also a very cool person. She is also a very wise actress.”

◇ Relatively late first body exposure

Even though he is a very manly man, he only showed gentle and soft sides in his most representative hits. As getting into his 30s, he did not hesitate casting in works that would capitalize his actual personality.

“I casted in works like ‘The East of Eden,’ ‘Destiny,’ and ‘Invincible’ in order to show a much tougher side of me, but many people still recognized me for the gentleness and softness. I thought that I should keep trying different characters to get rid of the image, and ‘Obsession’ is a part of that. I realize that ‘Obsession’ is just going to completely shatter that image, but I still wanted to broaden the spectrum of my career.”

Song Seung Heon is also famous for his amazing body shape, and he made exposures of his upper body in his previous works. However, he shot his first bed-scene for ‘Obsession.’ As many actress try to avoid making body exposures, Song Seung Heon also avoided making body exposures as much as possible.”

“I never lived out of the fixed frame, and I found myself caged in the frame. I regret that I should have done it a bit earlier, but it’s great that I still got to do it. The entire movie was a huge challenge for me.”

He must have some regrets for this film as well since it was the first time for him to do an adultery genre. However, Song Seung Heon said, “I have showed all of myself, and I am very satisfied with it.”

Regarding his career, he said, “There were directors who have done a lot of work to show another side of me, and there were director who tried to make me a bit better. I feel a profound of gratitude for them.”

Regarding the difference between his earlier career and present, he said, “While I spent my 20s without knowing what I was doing, I started having a heavier sense of responsibility after getting into my 30s. I feel that I have a very blessed career. While I thought of acting just as a way of earning for my life, I think of it as something much deeper now.”

Meanwhile, ‘Obsessed’ is going to show a secret love affair that takes place in Korean army’s basecamp during the Vietnamese War. The film will be officially released on May 15th.

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