"Writer Kang Full is a genius. He accomplished what 20 people do in American dramas all by himself. I send my praise."
Recently, I interviewed Ju Ji-hoon (42), the lead actor of Disney+ original 'Lighting Store' (written by Kang Full, directed by Kim Hee-won) at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. 'Lighting Store' tells the story of mysterious guests who visit the only place that brightens the dark alley, the 'Lighting Store,' which holds some kind of secret. Writer Kang Full wrote the script based on his own webtoon.
Ju Ji-hoon plays the role of Jung Won-young, the owner of the lighting store. Won-young is a character who welcomes souls that gather at the boundary between life and death.
Ju Ji-hoon said, "This is the plot I prefer," adding, "I like works that move through flashbacks or timelines, and I'm a fan of writer Kang Full." He continued, "This work has no supporting roles; they move in their own timelines and overlap at necessary moments. I understand that American dramas have this structure, where 10 to 20 writers come together to work. Both 'Moving' and this work show that writer Kang Full has accomplished this all by himself. I think he is a genius and I send my praise."
He also expressed satisfaction with the filming process, saying, "It was produced in a way that after acting sequentially, it was cross-edited through direction. From an acting perspective, it was easy to immerse myself without interruptions or rushed filming (due to time shifts)."
Jung Won-young is set as a middle-aged man. In the middle of the episode, he appears in old-age makeup. Ju Ji-hoon interpreted, "I don't think writer Kang Full had anyone specific in mind when writing. As seen in the line 'I can't gauge his age,' I think he left that part open. It wouldn't have mattered if there were older actors than me. I think this is the limit."
He added, "I did special makeup for the elderly appearance, and he looked just like my dad. I knew we resembled each other, but I was surprised." When asked about his father's reaction, he jokingly said, "People born in 1980 usually don't call their dads," eliciting laughter.
Ju Ji-hoon revealed that he chose this role himself. He said, "I have a personal friendship with director Kim Hee-won. He told me to do what I wanted after reading the script. So when I said I would do this, he said, 'I knew you would say that.' I didn't ask why he thought that."
The detective played by Bae Seung-jae in the drama appears multiple times in the Kang Full universe. If he were considering roles in other series, he might have chosen that role. So why did he choose Jung Won-young? Ju Ji-hoon candidly shared, "I extremely dislike causing trouble for others. But how many franchises are tied to me? If they overlap later, it would be a headache for both sides. I didn't completely disregard that realistic issue." He added lightly, "I understand that the director of 'Along with the Gods' is writing the script. I know that 'Kingdom' is still not ready with the script. I don't know much about the production of the sequel since I'm not the producer."
Ju Ji-hoon also mentioned, "When watching the work, I found Won-young strangely interesting. He seemed to be observing everyone. I felt that this work is not about the actors telling the story, but rather the message is more important. I was intrigued by the role of an observer, which seems to be the director's perspective."
What did Ju Ji-hoon focus on while playing Jung Won-young? He said, "It has to be mysterious." He continued, "It had to remain mysterious for at least four episodes, and even beyond that. Until Won-young's narrative appears in episode seven, I had to maintain the mystique of being a boundary keeper."
To create that 'mystique,' Ju Ji-hoon ultimately decided to exclude 'breathing.' He explained, "People are very sensitive because they are always looking at others. Since I'm alive, I naturally breathe, but if I breathe like usual, they will notice." He shared his delicate efforts, saying, "I acted while monitoring to ensure that the naturalness didn't disappear too much."
Ju Ji-hoon picked the line "Isn't this a world where people live everywhere?" as the most memorable line from this work.
"I think this line is a good saying. It's quite comforting. I have actually been scammed before, and it feels like a bland comfort, saying 'You live through experiences like this.' I think saying 'cheer up' might feel burdensome."
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
