[Interview] Rising to the Role of a Lifetime! Im Soo-jung from 'Low Life' Says, "Jung-sook Even Appears Cute to Me"

I dare say that Yang Jung-sook is Im Soo-jung's 'role of a lifetime'. The Disney+ series 〈Low Life〉 is a picaresque tale that highlights a 'dark ensemble' formed by villains committing their own misdeeds. However, the evil acts committed by each character make them even more intriguing and attractive figures.

The Disney+ series 〈Low Life〉 is based on the next webtoon 'Pine' by writer Yoon Tae-ho, depicting the story of hardworking villagers who deceive each other to claim a treasure ship buried under the sea in 1977. 〈Low Life〉 concluded with its 11th episode on the 13th (Wednesday).

In the series, Im Soo-jung plays Yang Jung-sook, the owner of Heungbaek Industries, who knows how to handle money and harbors a cold ambition within. Yang Jung-sook is the wife of Heungbaek Industries' chairman Cheon Hwa-sik (Jang Kwang) and is a trusted aide with an exceptional sense for money. On the surface, she is devoted to her husband, but internally, she hides a stronger ambition than anyone else. She provides the necessary funds for Oh Gwan-seok (Ryu Seung-ryong) and his group to dig for treasure while developing subtle feelings for Oh Hee-dong (Yang Se-jong).

The most outstanding aspect of 〈Low Life〉 is that not a single character is overshadowed. The series is a great work that feels like it pulls up actors and characters, each like a treasure from the sea, with Im Soo-jung's Yang Jung-sook standing out the most. Yang Jung-sook is a character that requires double acting. Did she really marry just for Chairman Cheon's money? Is Jeon Chul (Kim Sung-oh) someone she keeps by her side out of love? Or was her heart for Hee-dong sincere? These questions illuminate the character of 'Yang Jung-sook' in a more three-dimensional way.

On the afternoon of the 19th, at a location in Jongno-gu, Seoul, actress Im Soo-jung met with Cineplay to discuss the series 〈Low Life〉. Below is the full transcript of the interview conducted.

Writer Yoon Tae-ho mentioned that casting Im Soo-jung was the most unexpected choice. In the original work, the lady had a sharper tone, but the Yang Jung-sook interpreted by Im Soo-jung became a bit more elegant and nuanced, and Yoon Tae-ho said that after watching the work, he found Im Soo-jung's portrayal of Yang Jung-sook convincing.

Recently, I watched the first episode of 〈Low Life〉 with the actors, and writer Yoon Tae-ho was also present. I was grateful and happy to hear him say that in person. Since this is a work based on an original, there are original fans as well. I was relieved to hear that I fit in well without any sense of incongruity when I acted. When I first received the project proposal and met with the director, he expressed that he wanted Yang Jung-sook to have 'logical and eloquent speech, and charisma that does not falter even in front of rough men.' According to the director, it was the ability to dominate 'clumsy men' with words, logic, and cleverness. That’s why I think he suggested it to me, and I also wanted to be a part of it.

Then, I think there must have been a reason why Im Soo-jung wanted to play Yang Jung-sook. What do you find attractive about Yang Jung-sook?

Her honesty. Yang Jung-sook moves only for her own desires. Until now, the characters I have played often understood situations or were considerate and accommodating towards others, but this time, she is a character who lives solely for herself. That was attractive, and I wanted to try it. In my 20s, I chose works based on characters I could empathize with or feel pity for. However, as time passed, the overall story of the work became the point that persuaded me. As a result, I became attracted to characters that are more autonomous and faithful to their desires. They could be villains or have beliefs that are not right, but they are simply autonomous characters. Yang Jung-sook also had that charm, and I wanted to take on the challenge.

On the other hand, while Yang Jung-sook is faithful to her desires, there are moments where her sincerity shines through. Especially in her relationships with the three men, Chairman Cheon (Jang Kwang), Jeon Chul (Kim Sung-oh), and Hee-dong (Yang Se-jong). Watching 〈Low Life〉, one wonders if Yang Jung-sook truly loved Chairman Cheon, or if her feelings for Hee-dong were sincere. Did she really love Jeon Chul? How do you interpret this?

In the original work, Yang Jung-sook was skilled in relationships and took love lightly. However, in 〈Low Life〉, director Kang Yoon-sung wanted to portray Yang Jung-sook as someone who is a bit clumsy in love, retaining a pure heart. So, while discussing with the director, I asked a lot about why she keeps Jeon Chul by her side, whether she had feelings for Hee-dong in the secret room, and what her feelings for Chairman Cheon were. I think it was possible because the director made Yang Jung-sook's love life three-dimensional. Especially regarding Hee-dong, the director mentioned that Jung-sook must have had feelings for him. The secret room scene passes by like a happening, but as it goes on, there were feelings. When Hee-dong came back after searching for Seon-ja (Kim Min), asking to borrow 1 million won, Yang Jung-sook, who would normally calculate every penny, just gives it to him. At that time, 1 million won would be worth several tens of millions now. That was an action filled with sincerity.

While watching the work, I felt that 'Im Soo-jung is enjoying acting.' What was the atmosphere like on set?

Since Yang Jung-sook was not the central narrative character, I had to pour everything into each scene. So I thought a lot and prepared a lot. But when I got to the set, it was so much fun. Really, I had a lot of fun. There were things I had calculated about my darkened self, but I became so immersed that expressions I didn't even know came out. I used all my facial muscles to express anger. Lines like “I’m the one who will kill you” were in the original, but while Yang Jung-sook is supposed to act to deceive everyone, I thought I had to act 'for real.' I didn’t want to act technically. I cried real tears, strained my neck, and sobbed. The director was surprised at first, but in the end, he said, “When you cry sincerely, the later scenes are more convincing.” So in every scene, I thought I had to convey real emotions while acting. I didn’t want to act falsely. It felt really good to hear people say that Im Soo-jung is playing this role and that it’s unexpected, that it feels like Yang Jung-sook.

The scene where Jung-sook finds the stamp in the safe and dances also became a hot topic. How was that scene described in the script? Was the dancing written in the script?

No, it wasn’t. The director was thinking about how to show Jung-sook's joy and added it. It was shot in one continuous shot. He even sent me a video of him dancing the mambo himself. (laughs) When I asked on set, he kindly practiced with me in front. If it had been planned from the beginning, I would have practiced more, but it seems that Jung-sook's joy was expressed more naturally.

We cannot overlook the secret room scene with Hee-dong. What tone and emotion did you and the director aim to convey in this scene?

The director's reference kept leaning towards that direction, mentioning classic films like 〈In the Mood for Love〉 (2000, directed by Wong Kar-wai). It was filled with a deadly, suffocating atmosphere and a red aura. The secret room set, lighting, everything was adjusted to match that mood. At that time, neither of them would have clearly been in a loving relationship, but Jung-sook would have secretly nurtured feelings for Hee-dong afterward, and Hee-dong would have seen Jung-sook as a person, feeling pity for her.

The chemistry with actor Jang Kwang, who played Chairman Cheon, was also impressive. Especially the scene where Jung-sook gives him a foot massage at home was striking.

The foot massage scene was a symbolic moment in the original work. It shows that while Yang Jung-sook appears to be a 'strong character,' independent and smart, there is an unavoidable hierarchical relationship with Chairman Cheon. In the original, Yang Jung-sook is described as kneeling to give a foot massage. In 〈Low Life〉, Yang Jung-sook sits on the bed to give the foot massage. When I filmed that scene with Jang Kwang, he was very considerate. After that, when Chairman Cheon collapsed and then got back up, telling Yang Jung-sook, “Put the stamp there,” she hesitates and then says, 'Okay.' At that moment, I put more emotion into it while matching my breath with Jang Kwang on set. I intended to show a clear hierarchical relationship when with Chairman Cheon. In the other scenes, I acted as if Jung-sook was at the very top.

Im Soo-jung seems to fit particularly well in dramas set in the 1970s. The immigrant character from the movie 〈COBWEB〉 comes to mind. What are your thoughts on having done two dramas set in the 1970s?

Fortunately, in the previous work 〈COBWEB〉, I also appeared as a movie star from the 1970s. At that time, I had to show the speech of that era more. So, director Kim Ji-woon recorded it and gave it to me, and both Crystal and I practiced a lot. It seems that some of that remained unconsciously. Ryu Seung-ryong said on set that it seemed like my speech still had that tone. So I naturally adjusted Yang Jung-sook's speech, and I received a lot of help from the makeup and costume teams regarding appearance. We matched the position of the eyebrows, size, hairstyle, and costumes well during the pre-production stage.

The subtle details of Jung-sook's gestures and facial muscles really made her seem like a 1970s lady. How did you design Jung-sook's details?

In the early filming, the director told me, 'Yang Jung-sook's gaze is too kind.' But at some point, after that period passed, I came to the set doing this (mimicking Yang Jung-sook's pose). He said that even from a distance, the way I walked was like Yang Jung-sook, which made me very happy. I had some calculated aspects, but more than that, when I immersed myself in acting, expressions, vocalizations, and gazes that I didn’t even know came out, which felt good. The director was very pleased the darker I became.

Taking on a villain role, I imagine there were expressions or acting you didn’t know you had within you. Were there any scenes where you were surprised by your own performance while monitoring?

In the latter part, the scene where I yell at Gwan-seok while giving him money and eventually bleed was surprising. In fact, Jung-sook was cornered. Her anger exploded in that situation, and the expression that came out was new even to me. Ryu Seung-ryong said, “It was really scary,” and hearing that made me feel accomplished.

※ The following three questions contain spoilers for the latter part of 〈Low Life〉.

Yang Jung-sook is certainly a villain, but there are aspects that evoke sympathy. Jeon Chul betrays Jung-sook, Chairman Cheon wants to kill her, and she cannot be loved by Hee-dong. How do you view Jung-sook?

The director created a three-dimensionality well. That’s the character's vulnerability. In the original, Yang Jung-sook is so malicious that it’s hard to feel sympathy. However, the director wanted to give her a human side. She was under the illusion that she was the smartest in the world, but everyone around her betrays her. Even the costume shop owner Jin (Park Bo-kyung), who was close to her, stabs her in the back. I feel a bit sorry for Jung-sook's vulnerabilities.

As you mentioned, ultimately, the characters in 〈Low Life〉 are all faithful to their desires, but at the same time, they have pitiful aspects. Which character did you feel the most sympathy for?

It’s hard to distinguish who is more pitiful; they all are. The director explained a lot about the social atmosphere of the 1970s, where individuals sacrificed a lot for economic revival. The title 'Low Life' reflects that. In fact, Gwan-seok and his group commit evil acts, deceiving and even killing for their desires, but their desires are not that grand. And Chairman Cheon eventually comes out of prison. So, the lives of the privileged are unaffected, but ordinary people fight, betray, and kill each other, and in the end, it’s all in vain as no one has anything. I think the director wanted to express those things intentionally. They are all villains, but if you look closely, they are pitiful and sad. He often mentioned that.

I also want to ask about the ending. Did Kim-gun really kill Jung-sook? Director Kang Yoon-sung joked that a romance between Jung-sook and Kim-gun might unfold in season 2.

I understand that the director discussed the ending of episode 11 a lot with Disney+ and writer Yoon Tae-ho. I suspect that the director intended an open ending. If season 2 comes out, from an actor's perspective, that means the work has done well, so I’m fine regardless of whether Yang Jung-sook survives. I’m not sure if Yang Jung-sook will appear again.

You have long been referred to as an 'actress optimized for romance.' However, this time you played a significant villain. What does this choice mean for you as an actress?

I think I was waiting for an opportunity to expand my acting and character. Still, how nice it is to have beloved characters. I still want to be loved. If another opportunity arises to play such a character, I would like to take on the challenge. I did my best in the role of Yang Jung-sook. I think Yang Jung-sook has vulnerabilities, making her even cute. I want to challenge myself with even colder roles, ones where no vulnerabilities are allowed.

You mentioned that if you were to do your representative work 〈I'm Sorry, I Love You〉 again, you could do it better. What is the reason for that?

Some actors can watch their past works well, but when I watch mine, I only see the parts where I was lacking in acting. If I could time travel and bring my current acting experience back then, I think I could do even better, even though I received a lot of love back then.

What does acting mean to you now, Im Soo-jung?

I find acting really, really fun. In my 20s, I was completely absorbed in acting. I learned a lot while working with truly great directors like Kim Ji-woon, Park Chan-wook, Hur Jin-ho, Choi Dong-hoon, and Min Kyu-dong. I received the Best New Actress award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for 〈The Red Shoes〉, and about ten years later, I received the Best Actress award for 〈All About My Wife〉. After that, I wanted to balance my personal life, so I spent time for myself. However, while doing the tvN drama 〈Search WWW〉 in 2019, I found acting to be so much fun again. So, while doing 〈COBWEB〉, I felt like I returned home, realizing that I originally enjoyed making such good works. I had a lot of fun acting in 〈Low Life〉, and I’m also having a great time filming the current drama 〈How to Become a Building Owner in Korea〉. I think I can continue to enjoy acting for a while. Even if the pace is slow, I will show it step by step, so I hope you will wait and take an interest in me.