(Following Interview ②) Joo Ji-hoon is currently meeting viewers through the tvN drama 'Love is a One-way Bridge' (written by Lim Ye-jin, directed by Park Jun-hwa, hereafter 'Love is a One-way Bridge'). 'Love is a One-way Bridge' tells the story of Seok Ji-won (played by Joo Ji-hoon) and Yoon Ji-won (played by Jung Yu-mi), who were born on the same day with the same name in rival families. After a painful breakup in the summer of their eighteenth year, they reunite after 18 years, depicting a war-like romance between sworn enemies.
Although 'Lighting Store' was not a work broadcast on TV, there is a certain pressure since it is released around the same time as 'Love is a One-way Bridge'. In response, Joo Ji-hoon said, "That kind of pressure is on the audience, not me," and added, "In the past, I would have thought, 'Oh? Isn't this overlapping?' but these days, I feel that the audience doesn't seem to be burdened. Investors or producers might be the most sensitive about that, but these days, it seems like they don't care about it."
Joo Ji-hoon has often expressed his desire to do a romantic comedy through various media. 'Love is a One-way Bridge' is the romantic comedy he presents after 18 years since 'Goong', which aired in 2006.
Joo Ji-hoon said, "At the time I chose this project, the global economy was not good, and there weren't many good or exciting things happening. So I thought this would be a work that viewers could comfortably watch among various genres. It's not an enormous rating, but quite a few people are watching. The ratings are not bad," and expressed his satisfaction, saying, "I'm happy with the response I wanted. As an actor, there is happiness in bringing joy to the viewers."
On the broadcast of 'Love is a One-way Bridge' on the 15th, Joo Ji-hoon was seen singing 'Is it Love?', which was loved as the OST of 'Goong'. Joo Ji-hoon humorously remarked, "(Singing the 'Goong' OST) was a perfect coincidence." He continued, "I feel like my perspective on the works and acting has changed. In the past, if the writer or director had requested something like this, I would have refused. It’s a very famous work I was in, and while it could be witty, the risk is too high. It could come off as a joke," he explained.
He added, "I'm not 100% sure yet, but I thought this much would be acceptable to the viewers. I pay attention to the audience's reactions, and rather than feeling burdened, I thought it could evoke memories, and someone might find it enjoyable, so I decided to do it."
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
