Interview: Jin Gi-ju says corporal punishment is 'a very dangerous act.'

▶ 〈Teach You a Lesson〉 Jin Gi-ju interview continues from Part 1.

What were your real school days like?

They were just ordinary. I would cram for tests, I really wanted to hang out every day but studied because I had to, and I loved club activities.

Did a teacher ever actually hit you?

There were things like getting hit as many times as the number of wrong answers on a pop quiz. (laughs)

Based on those experiences and on this role, what do you think about corporal punishment? Do you think it's ever necessary, or do you believe it shouldn't be used?

Personally, I think corporal punishment is an act with many genuinely dangerous elements. I, too, was hit a lot on days I got many answers wrong on tests, and I was also hit for being late to evening study sessions. I think the act of corporal punishment itself is dangerous.

Is Han-rim's lovable, cute side largely your own personality, or did you prepare for it?

I think it happened naturally as I interacted with the other actors. The characters around her—Na Hwa-jin (Kim Mu-yeol), Minister Kang Seok (Lee Seong-min), and Bong Geun-dae (Pyo Ji-hoon)—all have a slightly goofy, human side. As we exchanged that chemistry, it came out that way.

I'm also curious whether your real personality is similar to Im Han-rim's.

I'm a cautious person, so I don't think we're similar. Han-rim has good physical abilities, and I'm not at all like that, so we differ there too. Also, Han-rim isn't the type to agonize over words before speaking. (laughs) I'm on the quieter side, so I think we're very different.

Which episode moved you the most?

At the end of each episode, Minister Kang Seok wraps things up. Watching those endings each time made me choke up. They show the victims getting back on their feet. I also got choked up when Han-rim's past was revealed. From the moment I got the script I thought it was a scene that had to be portrayed well. It's a brief moment, so I wanted to show as much as possible within it so viewers would feel as if they had seen the earlier story. I cried a lot in the makeup van when we shot that scene. The head makeup artist made a bruise on Han-rim's face, and there was a mirror in front of me. Looking at my face, I couldn't control my emotions and I kept crying while they did my makeup. Seeing that face, I thought, "How much did she hurt?" "How much did Han-rim really suffer?" "How long did she endure before it got to this?" Thinking about that kept making me tear up.

How did you view the relationship between Na Hwa-jin and Im Han-rim, and how did you approach acting it?

I kept that in mind. When the four gather, Minister Kang Seok's words to calm Han-rim get no reaction from her, but when Na Hwa-jin tells her to leave, no matter how upset she is, she leaves immediately. And when Han-rim puts Geun-dae in danger and is stunned, it's Na Hwa-jin who snaps her back to her senses. The relationship between the two connects to Han-rim's past scenes. For me, that was the moment everything fell into place for me, too. I thought, "Ah, Han-rim would follow Na Hwa-jin without questioning anything." Feeling that jolt, I realized Han-rim would do anything Na Hwa-jin asked of her. So she became a soldier to follow him and shaped all of her life choices around him. I think Han-rim's pure, steadfast trust in him and the closeness between them are admirable.

The romance with Bong Geun-dae also adds to the drama's appeal. What do you think about that romance?

While filming, I thought Geun-dae was really cute. (laughs) When Geun-dae genuinely sheds those big teardrops, it's so sincere and pure that it's endearing. That's the strong impression I had of Geun-dae while acting.

You also worked as a city desk reporter, so I assume you were especially interested in the social issues the drama points to. Looking at the villains in the story, which one did you find the most vicious and memorable?

I think part of it is due to the actors' abilities. The group of juvenile offenders—those kids. Even seeing them change out of costume and head home after filming, I still found them hard to like. (laughs) Those actors performed so well that I really hated them. (The four members of that group were played by Jang Yo-hun, Im Hyun-muk, Yoon Tae-sik, and Choi Hyun-jun.)

In the drama, Choi Ga-yoon (Ha-young) goes to confront students smoking in their uniforms. If it were you, how do you think you would react if you saw something like that?

Honestly, many parts of me would be in conflict. I want to be an adult like Choi Ga-yoon. But I don't think it's easy. There's an instinct to protect oneself, and I think that's a basic human instinct. There are people in the world who overcome that instinct and rescue those in danger. That's why such people are called civilian heroes. Part of me would want to run over right away, but I don't think that's an easy thing to do.

The work talks about 'true education' and 'real adults.' What, in your view, is a real adult?

I'm not a fully mature person yet, so I need to think about it, but I think it's someone who takes responsibility for their words—who can be accountable for what they say and do.

In your next project currently filming, 〈Sleeping Doctor〉, will you be showing a completely different look from Im Han-rim in 〈Teach You a Lesson〉?

Yes, that will be gone — not even a little (she pinches her fingers). (laughs) Now I'm playing a doctor who is also a clinic director.

You're also seen as an icon of taking on challenges. Whenever a work gets attention, the path you took to become an actor seems to be re-examined. How does that make you feel?

I see it a little differently depending on the context. Personally, when I look back at myself I feel pride, like "I lived well." I want to tell myself I worked hard. But as Jin Gi-ju the actor I'm a little embarrassed. Still, it's a good memory. I think it was a really good place and I met good people.

There must be moments when you feel glad you became an actor.

It's still a little amazing to me. The times I feel glad I became an actor are during filming—when I act with other actors on set. I filmed yesterday. It was an embrace scene with another actor. When we exchange each other's warmth and energy like that on set, I think this job is really great.