Four years ago, actor and singer Lee Min Ho was looking for a career change. It was around this time that he received the script for Season 1 of Pachinko, a drama about four generations of a Korean immigrant family based on a novel by Min Jin Lee.
“I thought it was fate in a way,” Lee said. “When I first read the script, I felt that this was a timeless story that would resonate with people now and in the future.”
Lee, 37, is one of South Korea’s most popular actors after his breakout role in the Korean TV series “Boys Over Flowers.” In “Pachinko,” created by Sue Hew and currently airing its second season on Apple TV+, Lee plays Ko Han-soo, an ethically ambiguous middleman at a local fish market, and the show’s central character, Soon-ja ( Min Ha) and becomes embroiled in a troublesome love affair. Kim) and his son Noah (Park Jaejoong).
Lee was drawn to the sadness of his characters. “My heart was breaking for him and I felt sorry for him because of the way he lived his life and the choices he had to make to survive,” he said.
In a video call from Seoul, Lee talked about the music he listened to on set, his favorite video games, and how he prepares for his role by writing scripts. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
my mother, father, and sister
Playing the role of Hans gave me an opportunity to think deeply about the meaning of family. From Hans’ point of view, it is Sunja and Noah who remind him of his existence. In the same way, it’s the people close to me who make me realize who I am.
That feeling you get when you finish something
The projects I’m working on are the ones I’m immersed in and focused on. I put a lot of energy and passion into it. Therefore, I feel great joy and satisfaction when a new project is released.
relax at home
Due to my work, I lead a glamorous life and can meet many people. So when you spend a lot of time outside with people, you need to maintain calmness at home as well. I live in Seoul and to relax I like to find different stories on YouTube and play games like League of Legends.
humanity
Now you can be in a virtual world. We are spending less and less time in person with each other. In an age where this is increasingly enhanced by AI, we must think about what it means to be human and what kind of stories we should tell.
memo app
When I get inspired or feel something, I go to my Notes app and write it down. When preparing for a role, I write short poems or sentences from the perspective of the character I’m preparing for.
charge outdoors
When we face Mother Nature, we realize how weak and vulnerable we are as humans. When I was in my 20s, I often went to New Zealand. And “Pachinko” was filmed in Canada. On days when I wasn’t filming, I went to Niagara Falls to recharge my batteries.
cycling
When I was young, I liked riding cars and motorcycles. But what’s interesting to me now is that I am the driving force behind the bike. I’m a bicycle engine. The biggest attraction is that you can adjust the speed according to your will.
new experience
I’m the type of person who always seeks new things rather than relying on what I’ve already experienced. Riding a bike is a new experience for me, and so is writing.
Connect with the past while traveling
Visiting historic sites, even though they no longer exist, gives you an idea of the lives of the people who once lived there. Immerse yourself in that era while imagining what those people thought, how they laughed, cried, and were moved in their daily lives. This experience has been a powerful source of inspiration for me, stimulating new ideas and creativity in ways I never expected. So, whenever I have a chance to travel, I try to visit places that have a history, even if they are not famous.
music during filming
Lately, I like listening to Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes. And when I was playing “pachinko,” I would listen to music without lyrics: Beethoven and Mozart.
