For Seo In Guk, entering his 40s has been less about adding more and more about learning to let go.
In his 20s, he played energetic young characters in Reply 1997 and High School King of Savvy. In his 30s, he expanded his range through darker, more restrained roles in The Smile Has Left Your Eyes and Doom at Your Service.
Now, in the office romance See You at Work Tomorrow!, Seo brings greater maturity and ease to Kang Si Woo.
“I don’t really feel like I’m in my 40s yet,” he said. “While filming my next project, ‘The Employee Who Sees Fate’ (literal title), Krystal asked whether I feel my age, and I told her I still feel like I’m in my early 30s. I’m simply grateful to begin my 40s with Kang Si Woo.”
Seo said he once pushed himself too hard in pursuit of perfection: “Even when I could act naturally, I kept trying to show more. Once I removed that ceiling, I felt freer. I’m not saying I’m perfect now, but I can approach the set more comfortably and with a broader perspective.”
See You at Work Tomorrow!, which ended July 28, follows Cha Ji Yoon (played by Park Ji Hyun), a seven-year office worker stuck in a rut who rediscovers excitement in work and love after meeting her rule-bound boss, Kang Si Woo. The finale earned a nationwide household rating of 4.6%, peaking at 5.5%, and ranked No. 1 in its time slot.
The actor chose not to recreate the original webtoon character exactly.
“I’d tell fans of the webtoon that the drama exists in a parallel universe,” he explained his choice. “There is one world with Kang Si Woo and Cha Ji Yoon from the webtoon, and another with the versions we created for the drama. I hope people don’t see one as replacing the other.”
Seo also opened up about working with his two most recent costars, Park Ji Hyun and BLACKPINK’s Jisoo.
Park, his costar in See You at Work Tomorrow!, surprised him with her playful personality.
“I expected her to be very serious, but she’s genuinely hilarious and really wants to make people laugh,” he said. “Whenever people laugh, she gets excited and even starts dancing. We had a great time filming together like friends.”
Seo had a similar experience with Jisoo while filming Netflix’s Boyfriend on Demand. Although she appears commanding onstage, he said she was affectionate, warm and naturally made everyone around her feel at ease.
“I had no idea Jisoo was such a lovable person,” he said. “She’s very affectionate and has this ease that makes everyone feel included. They were both completely different from the images I had seen onscreen.”
For Seo, the most important factor when choosing a project remains a character’s growth: “When I read a script, I focus on how the character grows. Looking back, people first loved watching me grow on ‘Superstar K,’ and through Yoon Yoon Jae in ‘Reply 1997,’ I grew from a boy into a man.”
He added, “Early in my career, I pushed myself so hard to be perfect that my performances sometimes became excessive. But with experience, I removed the limits I had placed on myself. Now, I approach acting with more freedom and a wider perspective.”
>> ‘See You at Work Tomorrow!’ Episode 9 Recap: Seo In Guk and Park Ji Hyun Share Tearful Make-Up Kiss
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