Interview with 49 Days' Scheduler Jung Il-woo » Dramabeans Korean drama recaps

81 April 3, 2011April 3, 2011

Interview with 49 Days’ Scheduler Jung Il-woo

by javabeans

Sigh, Jung Il-woo. Why you so pretty?

Truth be told, though, it’s not his looks that draw me to him — goodness knows that K-dramaland is chock-full to the brim with hotties. It’s in his personality and thoughtfulness that I first found him attractive, as well as his commitment to his work. Plus, having Return of Iljimae on his resumé surely doesn’t hurt. (Still a fave!)

I’ve said this before, but Jung doesn’t strike me as the most naturally gifted actor, in that he doesn’t seem like the type who can step in front of a camera and just turn it on right away. Some people can do that, but he’s got to work hard at it — and work he does. (Sometimes too much.) I know that modesty is often an affectation in the industry so I don’t assume that everyone who speaks modest words is a modest person, but based on the various interviews I’ve read over the past few years, he’s really serious about improving himself and aware of his weaknesses. That I can respect.

Now that he’s in a new drama — SBS’s 49 Days — he’s back in the interview/press circuit, which gives us the following. Woot woot.

SONG OF THE DAY

Jung Il-woo – “허수아비” from the 49 Days soundtrack. [ Download ]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

One thing I’ve also noticed about Jung is his frankness about caring about drama ratings. Some actors profess to not caring, or not even noticing (pfft), but c’mon — we know they care. A lot. He also is open about his goal for the year: To win an award at the year-end broadcast award ceremony. Not because he wants a particular trophy, but as a sort of personal milestone — “I’m not concerned about the category of the award. My goal is just to get one at the end-of-the-year ceremony.”

If he accomplishes that, it’ll be his first since 2009, when he won a Daesang in the TV portion of the Korea Junior Star Awards, for Return of Iljimae. He added, “I’m going to become an actor who works consistently.”

He’s also frank about his expectations, and describes watching 49 Days on TV: “I watched the broadcast while shaking. I don’t know if I conveyed my appeal well, but viewers and fans said, ‘It seems different and refreshing.’ Immediately after the premiere episode, I got a call from [Kim] Bum, saying he enjoyed it. [Lee] Min-ho called, too.”

I’m taking a minute to picture the three pretty boys together. Preferably all calling me noona. We know that Jung is BFFs with Lee Min-ho dating back to high school, while he co-starred with Kim Bum in the sitcom Unstoppable High Kick, which cracks me up now because his character was so disdainful of Bum.

As you know by now, the plot of 49 Days revolves around Ji-hyun (Nam Gyu-ri) needing to collect three “pure” tears of love in order to return her brain-dead physical body to the land of the living. One interviewer asked Jung about who’d qualify in his life. He answered, “With this drama, I’ve been giving that a lot of thought, and I don’t think I have as many people as I’d thought, outside of family. In the drama, Shin Ji-hyun says, ‘Why wouldn’t I be able to get just three?’ but really, I think the actual answer is, ‘I have to get that many?'”

The interviewer notes, “Jung Il-woo is quiet, lost in thought, wondering, Who would genuinely cry for me? Perhaps five minutes pass, when he slowly names them, one by one.”

Jung’s first choice: Kim Bum. “Bum is like a real younger brother to me. When I was having rough times, Bum was there for me, and when he had troubles, I was there for him. Actually, I talk more with Bum than I do with Min-ho. We’ve known each other for five years now. We sometimes go to each other’s houses and hang out, and we go to saunas together too. He’s a really dear, brotherly friend to me.”

But, of course, you can’t leave out Lee Min-ho: “Min-ho and I are really close friends who’ve known each other since we were kids. We don’t need to talk a lot [to be friends]. We were in a life-and-death situation* together, so we’re friends who’ve hovered close to the afterlife together.”

[*In high school, the two were part of a group of friends who were known for being the hotties of the neighborhood. In 2006, they were in a severe car accident together, which sent both to the hospital and which still, I believe, gives Lee Min-ho residual leg issues.]

Kim Bum, Lee Min-ho, Na Mun-hee

As for Tear No. 3? Na Mun-hee, the veteran actress who played his grandmother in Unstoppable High Kick: “She looks after me like I’m her grandson, and she gives me plenty of advice and encouragement. She even marks the days my drama broadcasts on her calendar. She always calls me after the premiere and the finale. With My Fair Lady, she advised me, ‘Don’t try to look pretty, just act.’ And when it was over, she said, ‘You worked hard.’ I’m always grateful to her.”

Back to 49 Days: Jung said, “In Return of Iljimae and My Fair Lady, I didn’t play bright characters, but for a change I ended up with a comfortable character here. You say it’s similar to Yun-ho in Unstoppable High Kick? That’s not bad. Even still, I don’t act him like I acted Yun-ho. I’m just thankful that you still remember me from previous roles.”

Apparently his Scheduler character wasn’t clearly defined in the initial synopsis, so Jung put in some effort trying to conceptualize his image. After consultation with the PD and writer, the three came up with the idea of the pretty-boy Scheduler: “He’s similar to me in his frankness. We don’t dress up our words and just speak plainly. We say what we mean. I don’t feel any significant difference between the Scheduler and myself.”

With the drama’s life-and-death themes, Jung has thought a bit about death: “I’m not afraid of dying. I think what’s important is to be able to live well, so you don’t have regrets. But I do feel afraid when I think of people leaving me behind.”

Jung is enrolled as a third-year student in the theater department of Hanyang University. In the year and a half since his last drama (My Fair Lady), he’s been focusing on theater performances and school life. “Through theater, I found calm. I’d felt vanity, but I emptied my mind. As I looked back on myself, I found myself returning to my roots.”

He also feels that it improved his acting skills considerably, and admitted, “I want to hear that I’ve improved. It hasn’t been that long since the drama began airing so I feel some pressure [from hearing praise], but that makes me want to work harder.”

Now that he’s 23 (per Western counting), he’s starting to grow into older roles, though I’d say he’s not quite there yet. He said, “I want to be an actor who’s like a blank piece of paper,” and added, “Every year is different. I didn’t really know it when I was 20 through 24, but people tell me that I’ve left behind the childish image. I can really sense it when I look at Kim Bum and Lee Min-ho, because their faces constantly change.”

Told that he seems full of ambition, he said, “But you can’t force things the way you want them to go. I want to take my time and be careful. I want to show distinct ‘colors’ [characteristics] that make people think of the name Jung Il-woo. It’s time for me to find my own colors. [Laughs]”

Via Newsen, Sports Chosun

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1 vis

April 3, 2011 at 1:40 PM

Love this guy (like so many others). The whole show comes alive thanks to him <3

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2 ajewell

April 3, 2011 at 1:44 PM

Oh, how I love him. He'd doing a wonderful job with his Scheduler-character, and I like how dedicated and honest he is about his work. I'm finishing up Unstoppable High Kick right now, so it's funny/sweet hearing how close he still is to certain members of the cast. I look forward to seeing which roles he takes on in the future, and will be cheering for him to capture that end of the year award! ^_^

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Beng

April 3, 2011 at 7:16 PM

i want to watch it. where can i watch it? is it subbed?

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muzik130

April 3, 2011 at 7:36 PM

you can watch it on dramacrazy.com and it is subbed just be careful of pop ups! lol! they have up to ep 6...

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holli

April 3, 2011 at 8:01 PM

Unstoppable High Kick is also on Drama Fever (if your in the US or Canada)

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ajewell

April 3, 2011 at 8:18 PM

Yup, this is where I watch it. It's actually legal, and fully subbed.

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3 Fasiris Fay

April 3, 2011 at 1:48 PM

awww what a great interview! I haven't really seen anything of his (except my fair lady) because I'm still waiting for exams to be over to start on 49 days, but wow he seems like a really cool, modest guy. I also love how down-to-earth he seems, which can be felt in the answers he gave about the 3 people who would cry for him.

And awww to the brotherly love between him LMH and Bummie :D

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Fasiris Fay

April 3, 2011 at 2:00 PM

Also, what is the difference between the age system? I've read here a couple of times about how an actor may be a certain age but they are one year older by Korean standards....what does this mean?

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Javabeans

April 3, 2011 at 2:23 PM

Koreans can count themselves anywhere from 1 to 2 years older than Westerners would count themselves, mostly because they count themselves 1 when they're born.

There's another reason for the discrepancy, which is that Koreans judge age based on birth year. So they add their next year to their age on New Year's Day, and everyone ages together. That's why we ask each other, "What year were you born?" rather than "How old are you?"

Example: Say Mr. A's birthday is June 1 and he is 29 by American counting, which is 30 years old in Korea. When the new year comes, he starts calling himself 31 years old, even though his 31st birthday isn't for 5 more months. Therefore, depending on the time of year, Mr. A's age in Korea is 1 to 2 years older than in the U.S.

A baby born on December 31 and one born on January 1 are only one day apart, but technically "counted" as 1 year apart. (December 31 baby is born age 1, then one day later he jumps up to 2. January 1 baby is born age 1, but has to wait a full year to be called 2.)

Koreans compensate for this by adding a qualifier -- i.e., saying "I'm a late 1980" or "I'm an early 1981." So a late 1980-er recognizes that (s)he is actually on the same level as an early 1981-er.

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girlfriday

April 3, 2011 at 2:41 PM

The year you enter school also makes a difference. For instance, JB is a late-ish XXer and I'm an early XX+1er, which would put us in that category of being the same age, but she had to be all over-achievy and start school a year ahead of me.

So if we were in Korea and I had better manners, I'd call her unni.

But mostly I call her "Hey You, Drunk Girl!"

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Ani

April 3, 2011 at 2:55 PM

Normally I like to read jb's and fri's comments to the Beanie community and not reply to it because I know everyone else will but.... Hey You, Drunk Girl! = sidesplitting hilarious.

Fasiris Fay

April 3, 2011 at 3:29 PM

LOL to the hey you drunk girl! But okay, I sort of get it...it basically has to do with ageing on new year's. It is all very confusing but I get it more than I did before.

Thanks for the explanation!! :)

Javabeans

April 3, 2011 at 3:54 PM

Uh, hello, Just-As-Drunk Girl?

And that's Drunk UNNI to you!

jane

April 4, 2011 at 5:25 AM

Wow... very detailed explanation. Thanks!

I think it's the same way Chinese count our age too, at least the older generation. Except, I think the Lunar New Year is everybody's birthday, so anyone born before that is considered a year older.

But now, even though we're still aware of the "Chinese age" and Western age, we just go with western age. I wish we still used the actual age plus 1 system.

4 leonardswench

April 3, 2011 at 1:50 PM

Chesticles. Sigh.

I'm sorry, what was the interview about?

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tana

April 3, 2011 at 2:19 PM

Ew. What does "chesticles" mean? It sounds disgusting.

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Ani

April 3, 2011 at 3:06 PM

Chesticles is normally used on women which is a reference to their, um, breasts (like how men have, um, boys and women have, uh, girls. . . Sorry, awkward really). So, it's referring to the last picture above of Jung Il-woo showing his chest (plus nip*cough*ples). Is pecs the word for it? Well, that's just one of the meanings of Chesticles.

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5 jojo

April 3, 2011 at 2:05 PM

His body needs a little work, (ha) but he sounds like a really nice guy. Darn, he'll just hit it big and the army will send it's greetings...

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6 Hanna

April 3, 2011 at 2:31 PM

He seems like a very relaxed person, which I think is a good quality. I see a lot of variety shows with idols his age and they're so focused on always being funny and being seen, but he's seems a lot more calm.

But I thought he was 25 Korean age? No? Because didn't he have his birthday in September, which means that his actual age needs two added years. I may be wrong though, I'm not Korean, haha.

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Javabeans

April 3, 2011 at 2:38 PM

You know, I've noticed that Korean media isn't that consistent about how they count actors' ages. I've read current articles calling him 24, although strictly speaking I think he'd be 25, Korean style. And based on his listed birthday, he's actually 23 by Western count.

It's very confusing.

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-_-

April 3, 2011 at 2:59 PM

That's what I was thinking to while reading because I know I'm born in September to, which means I'll would've been 2 by Jan 1st. so my KA is my western age plus 2

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7 Thatgirl

April 3, 2011 at 2:46 PM

ooooo! Damn! Deep interview!

I would totally be in heaven if he and Minho were in a drama together. Lol. x)

Anywho.... Can someone explain to mean how the Korean counting of birthdays and stuff works?

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Thatgirl

April 3, 2011 at 2:49 PM

Nvm Read the comments above, I get it now.

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8 Leona

April 3, 2011 at 2:53 PM

I don't find him pretty so I avoided his dramas until now when I discovered him in 49d... I love a lil overacting and often I love to see a newbie struggling his way through kdramas - errm he ain't a newbie anymore
so on my kdrama list I'll add soon his drama resume ;)

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9 -_-

April 3, 2011 at 2:55 PM

I love hearing about celebrity friendships..Kim Bum, Lee Min-ho, and Jung Il-woo...what I wouldn't do to be apart of that friendship lol

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10 sora

April 3, 2011 at 3:21 PM

awww how sweet

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11 x0mi07

April 3, 2011 at 3:37 PM

Wow. I read all the links posted here. That's some kind of awesome; his meticulousness and excellent work ethic. Song Joong Ki's like that too. Because of the similarity, I just had to check if they were both virgo (they are).^^ He stands out more though (maybe cuz he's type B?).

Anyway, I'm really really proud of him and how he got to where he is now. I'm surprised he's only 23. He looks older (though not by much).

On the other hand, he really makes me feel like a totally slacker. *wince* He's 352 days older than me.^^;;

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12 Cynthia

April 3, 2011 at 4:24 PM

Seriously. Is there something in Korean water that produces these pretty, pretty males?!
I would have been comment #1, 'cept I kept scrolling back up to stare at the hotness....
Thanks for the age explanation, JB & GF, So, if I understand it (kinda) does that mean when it comes time to enlist that the boys can have a few years to work around it? Like they can be 30 but also claim to be 27?
Never mind - I'm confusing myself..... I'll just go look at the hotness again. :)

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13 jyyjc

April 3, 2011 at 4:49 PM

Wow.. I love him more than I already do now. And and, I've been looking at his face thoroughly throughout 49 days because I just knew something was different about it. He got double eyelid surgery!! I mean, he was pretty before but now he's even prettier.

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14 no name

April 3, 2011 at 4:58 PM

I like how koreans count their age that way. Makes me feel less of a cradle snatcher. So yeah, keep counting their ages the korean way, will count mine western style. :D

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15 theasianstalker

April 3, 2011 at 5:16 PM

I hope he doesn't overwork himself with this drama. I really like his character as scheduler so far. At times it feels a bit forced, but his acting is still quite enjoyable. It's completely different from the lawyer character I saw him as in My Fair Lady. Idk why, but somehow I'm cheering for him to be with Ji Hyun instead of Ji Hyun with Han Kang.

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16 Min Jae

April 3, 2011 at 5:45 PM

How is age determined in Korea? Is it like you're1 when your borne?

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Min Jae

April 3, 2011 at 5:49 PM

nevermind! but why is this done? it doesnt make sense. why dont they count by how many years youve lived? btw i really like mr. jung. he seems honest and real. Alot of actors can seem fake. its refreshing.

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Ani

April 3, 2011 at 6:40 PM

I think it has to do with the fact that they take the days a baby was in their mom's womb into consideration too. Or something like that. There was an article I read about it somewhere online. Anyways. . .

Why doesn't Western Style count a person's age from the day they were born? Your question is like one of those questions where people go "Why do you do it that way?" and some people answer back 'Well, why not?"

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JinP

April 3, 2011 at 7:09 PM

i guess it doesn't make sense in the same manner that the western style of counting a person's age does not make sense to a native korean :)

i'm not korean but i have a guess as to why the korean system of counting age is like that. it makes sense in a society where your language and general manner is influenced by one's age. it makes it easier for everyone born on the same year to "age" together by adding 1 on new year. so everyone born on the same year are "equals".

i'm from an asian country where age also determines to some degree one's hierarchy in the family, and we use the western way of counting age. i once had a friend complain that his parents expects him to be more responsible and "take care" of his younger cousin. he's just 4 months older, and by virtue of being conceived 4 months earlier, there's higher expectations of him. it was actually quite funny when he was ranting about it but now that i think about it, if society is gonna rely that much on one person's age, the korean system makes more sense. (of course, there are those born in december and january but jb/gf has explained that above)

as for counting 1 year on the day a person is born, i think it's just that koreans "round up" their ages while westerners "round down". two people who are 20 yrs and 1 month old, and 20 yrs and 10 months old will both say they are 20 years old, even if the 2nd person is closer to being 21 and it might be more accurate to say they are 21. so the western system also isn't all that accurate unless we always express our age with the exact years, months and days

again, i am not korean so my understanding of the whole system is probably way off. my explanation is largely based on the few hundred hours i have spent watching korean dramas in the last few years :)

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Hanna

April 4, 2011 at 5:51 AM

As far as I understand it, it has to do with how many years you've seen. Like, if you're born in say May 2008 you would be 2 (almost 3) years old Western counting, but in Korea you've seen 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and would thus be 4 years old.

I once saw a video explanation of this from someone who works as a Korean teacher.

And I found it ^^

http://www.youtube.com/user/ever4one#p/c/C49938BC6FCEC288/4/0hkG4113QYM

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17 Birdie

April 3, 2011 at 6:54 PM

He seems a nice guy-someone you could have a nice conversation with. In term of looks, he is pretty although I prefer a more manly look like his pal LMH.

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18 Severine

April 3, 2011 at 7:05 PM

Thank you for the lovely article peppered with the pretty! It's the perfect way to end a long, dreary Sunday (I actually had to go into the office today and didn't even get a chance to catch up on episodes of 49 days) :( but this'll do until next weekend :D. I'm so glad our little scheduler is only pretending to not care, and in real life he's a modest guy too. This Noona is very proud.

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19 malta

April 3, 2011 at 8:06 PM

He sounds like such a sweet down-to-earth guy. =)

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20 come2noona

April 3, 2011 at 8:16 PM

He is such a cutie. I love his smile... it makes me want to pinch his cheeks and cook for him.

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21 kit

April 3, 2011 at 8:33 PM

*giggles* na mun hee gave me a bit of a shock after the beautiful faces. not that she isn't amazing.

but genuine friendships are gorgeous to see, and the fact that he picked out a much older person tells me a lot about his nature.

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22 Hot Reaper Boy

April 3, 2011 at 8:37 PM

Geez I'm in the news every other day. Does this mean I'm hot?

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D

April 3, 2011 at 11:45 PM

depending. how old are you really?

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Hot Reaper Boy

April 4, 2011 at 1:44 AM

I'm ageless. I think. Dang. Can't remember stuff like I used to. I don't even know if I'm Korean. Hot. Reaper. Boy. Does that sound Korean to you? Someone help me out here. I'm all HOT and bothered now. HAHAHAHA *reaper chortle*

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23 ilwoo_aein

April 3, 2011 at 8:54 PM

I always love Ilwoo! I can see that he's a down-to-earth person..Never give up and always try his best to be a great actor..So i'll never get bored of him..Keep your friendship with Kim Bum and Minho..I really adore your friendship!

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24 lyra

April 3, 2011 at 10:00 PM

a certified noona killer. LOL

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25 jubilantia

April 3, 2011 at 10:40 PM

Well, I didn't know much about the kid before, but count me as squarely on the Jung Il-woo Express. I've been going back to watch Return of Iljimae, and it's only making it worse!

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26 Em

April 3, 2011 at 10:46 PM

I'm definitely no authority on good acting skill, I can only go by how I respond and how believable I find something in the moment.

Saying that, what I am enjoying most about 49 Days is Jung Il-Woo's Scheduler character. Most of the (over)reaction from him has me in stitches, and the amount of 'humans are so weird' faces he pulls are also wonderful.

But I've also noticed how evocative he has become with his facial expressions. There are a few scenes I have noted where for just a few seconds his expression will change in line with what's being said, long enough for the audience to see that he has been moved, jarred, thrown-off - by Ji-Hyun usually - and then quickly covers it over again in line with his character.

For example, in the first episode when the Scheduler smugly points out that all things are connected and that's why Ji-Hyun has to use Yi-Kyung's body, Ji-Hyun asks how they could possibly be connected, and there's a flicker of reluctance in his face to explain that part (that Yi-Kyung caused the traffic accident before Ji-Hyun's death - although we know now other factors were involved) before he successfully distracts her with a question of his own.

That kind of thing pops up for me again and again watching this show, and I'm really enjoying seeing it!

I actually started watching The Return of Iljimae alongside this, so I'd have something to distract myself with while waiting for 49 Days subs to come out and to compare his acting between the two is interesting!

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27 ar

April 3, 2011 at 10:53 PM

I love this guy off-screen! I haven't watched much of his stuff, so I'm not too aware of his range (watched a smattering of Unstoppable High Kick and My Fair Lady and am totally enjoying his Scheduler role in 49 days), but I love this dude when off-role/interviews/behind-the-scenes. He has a killer smile. I don't think the power of his smiles come through enough when he's acting in dramas. You really feel the full blast of it when he's not in his role and speaking and smiling/laughing. He gives Kim Jae Won a run for the money in terms of killer smiles.

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28 Almontel

April 3, 2011 at 11:40 PM

I just love him as the Scheduler...although i did kind of root for him in MyFairLady since he's so good looking...ha ha ha...
and 49 days seem to come alive when he appears, i just love his reactions and how he says things when he's on!

I knew he was BFF with KimBum and LeeMinHo but didn't know about the accident they had back then...that must have been quite an experience for both of them, you get to think about what life is all about and move on to be a much better person.
I wish the 3 of them can all appear together in one series, somehow i have Park Shin Hye in my head as the other gal in this series since she's close to KimBum and have worked with MinHo...

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29 Christine

April 4, 2011 at 12:00 AM

I'll definitely go for a Park Shin Hye leading actress role with the 3 of them in a drama.

Yes, JIW's acting as the scheduler is great in 49 days. He is enjoyable to watch and acting comes very natural.

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sohnyejin

April 4, 2011 at 10:49 PM

she's overrated.

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30 red

April 4, 2011 at 12:29 AM

im seriously considering watching return of illjimae now

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vicka

April 4, 2011 at 4:28 AM

I have just finished it... and I LOVE IT!!!!... It's really beautiful and JIW is superb, well all actors in this drama are really great. You forget completely that they are just actors who play a role. You really think that their characters are multidimensional human beings ... I'm a fan now... RoI is a gem!!!!! A must-see!!!

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come2noona

April 4, 2011 at 6:03 AM

ditto...
Watch it, you will be happy you did!

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31 Soo Ae

April 4, 2011 at 1:37 AM

Although it is too late to say this now but considering that he is besties with those 2 pretty boys, Jung Il Woo would have made a great F4, very kkotminam don't you think?

Perhaps the 4th member, no offense to the current one...

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32 Julie

April 4, 2011 at 2:12 AM

Holy crap! Loving this article. I even went back to the article about Kim Bum, Jung Il Woo, & Lee Minho.. I love all three.

It's pretty awesome to hear that they're all close friends. Sweeeeeeeet.

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33 diana

April 4, 2011 at 3:28 AM

Jung Il Woo's lucky that at least he can validly think of 3 people who would cry for him. The drama made me think of this too..and I can think of only 1 so far! and i tried few times... *sigh*

by the way.. Jung Il Woo is SOOOOOOO HOTTT!!!!! kyaaaa!!!*noona squeak!*

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MAVY

April 4, 2011 at 6:36 PM

In the same position, I don't know if its paranoia, because ultimately our fears and insecurities make us doubt how true the affection we receive fro others is. But then I wonder if the fact that we can doubt is proof it self that it might be true.... crap better not continue in that train of thought

but okay when JIW smiles its impossible not to smile back..

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34 Lisa Purba

April 4, 2011 at 6:22 AM

I love this boy! He's got an A-ttitude yo!

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35 Bloop

April 4, 2011 at 11:40 AM

Seriously...favorite Korean actor. Not the best, but has amazing potential to be one of the greatest...

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36 Lenita

April 4, 2011 at 12:22 PM

"I’m taking a minute to picture the three pretty boys together. Preferably all calling me noona."

LOL! that'd be the day, huh?!

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Lenita

April 4, 2011 at 12:25 PM

oh ya, that soundtract is georgeous! must look into downloading the whole soundtrack when it comes out...

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37 Fatemeh

April 4, 2011 at 12:56 PM

Love the drama and Love Il Woos character in it. Go, go, Jung Il Woo!

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38 naquia

April 4, 2011 at 7:46 PM

Jung IlWoo+ Kim Bum+ Lee MinHo = RIOT..n tons of fainting girls..

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39 Cam

April 4, 2011 at 9:59 PM

Aww! That's VERRRRY interesting about Jung Il-Woo's interview, ofc!

It seem very different from American, why? It's because Jung Il Woo seem very comfortable and honestly when he talks like that. (I'm really fascinating about Korean culture, yups.)
Wow, I am still adoring my special actor KIM BUM!!!! I am glad that Jung Il Woo is lucky to have his 2 trustworthy friends, Lee Min Ho and Kim Bum -- Keep it up!!! ^___^

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Lucy

April 4, 2011 at 10:03 PM

Of course! I am speechless about this. Well, I don't understand why famous American people aren't very honestly how to depend that way when they have interview, mm. Korea is really, really, REALLY different to America. I would like to travel there in South Korea what it look like there - SOMEDAY, I HOPE SO!!!!! =)

Jung Il Woo, I love hearing what you talk so comfortly and you are doing so great job! FIGHTING! ^___^

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40 Leina

April 7, 2011 at 2:56 AM

This is my first time to comment on your v. addicting website, and I think it apt to do so under your JIW story. My first kdrama was You're Beautiful, and since then, I took your drama ratings advice and watched a host of other dramas (and willingly suffered sleepless nights and totally useless days at work :)) Which led me to Return of Iljimae and JIW. Is he eyecandy? Hell to the yes. But so are a lot of other kdrama actors. That's why I agree with you that JIW's appeal is not so much his physical appearance (though this ate - as noonas are called in the Philippines ain't complaining). Heh.

He has this undefinable quality that makes his acting such a joy to watch -- his eyes move me, his walk (and strut in 49 days) to me is like a beautiful dance -- I imagine it to be similar to the dog whisperer that Malcolm Gladwell described in his book What the Dog Saw. It may be that, as you said, it does not come naturally to him and that he had to work his lovely behind off to become, say, Iljimae, but that to me makes him all the more impressive.

Thank you so much, javabeans. For everything you do to make my kdrama viewing experience so much more rewarding. :)

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41 tik

April 7, 2011 at 4:39 PM

I've become a fan of JIW when I watched him in UHK. Since then I've search the net for articles and pictures of him. That is when I discover Drama Bean. And what a beautiful find I made. Since then I become a frequent visitor to your website. Thank you for your support to JIW. I agree to those who see him as not just a pretty face but a person with substance.