Actor Kim Min-ho (35) has once again achieved a life-changing role with the 'New Recruit' series.
The Genie TV original 'New Recruit 3' (written by Yoon Gi-young and Kang Go-eun, directed by Min Jin-ki and Jo Je-wook), which ended on the 29th, depicts the chaotic military life of Park Min-seok (played by Kim Min-ho), who is facing promotion to Corporal, amidst the unpredictable transfer of two new recruits and the return of an unprecedented villain.
Kim Min-ho, who plays the 'gold spoon' Park Min-seok, met with Maeil Business Star Today on the 30th at the Different Company headquarters located in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, to discuss the work.
Kim Min-ho said, "When we were filming Season 1, I thought it was just a common saying that we would go to Season 3. I never thought we would actually make it to Season 3." He added, "When we were filming Season 1, I was really hoping, 'Please let it be good.' From an actor's perspective, doing a series was something that only accomplished people did, so I am grateful to have encountered such a work. I am also thankful that it ended successfully."
As the seasons progressed, Park Min-seok, who enlisted as a private, has now reached the point of being on the verge of becoming a corporal. Is there anything different in how he portrays Park Min-seok each season?
Kim Min-ho said, "In Season 1, Min-seok was 20 years old. Now he is 21. It might just be me, but I feel like I look older on screen. That made me feel guilty." He jokingly added, "I also went to a dermatologist and worked with the makeup team to apply thicker makeup."
He explained, "In Season 1, Min-seok was like an elementary school student under his mother's skirt. The characters in 'New Recruit' are exaggerated like cartoons, so I had to set them up extremely. In Season 2, I had to show growth, but if he grew too much, it wouldn't be like Min-seok, so I tried to maintain that lovable yet frustrating aspect."
He mentioned that Season 3 has a slight variation. Kim Min-ho said, "Until the middle of Season 3, I maintained the Min-seok from Seasons 1 and 2, but as it progressed, he becomes a corporal, hinting at Season 4. I also changed my voice tone to be more relaxed," but added, "I still tried to keep Min-seok's unique cuteness. I will continue to show that."
He continued, "Looking at Seong Yoon-mo's attitude, I thought while watching the broadcast, 'I didn't intend to go that far...' I talked a lot with the director, and it was important to show the characters like Moon Bit-na and Seong Yoon-mo struggling. I thought it would be better for Min-seok to speak sharply rather than being a whiner. I was worried that viewers might take it negatively, but after that scene, I think Min-seok made up for it."
Season 1 was released in July 2022. Given the three-year gap in physical time, it is natural to feel a distance in acting. Kim Min-ho said he constantly watched Seasons 1 and 2 to bridge that gap.
“I always had the last season playing at home. Just like playing music, I kept listening to Min-seok's voice and watching the acting. I made a lot of effort to maintain that emotion. I still have it playing at home. If we go into Season 4, I will probably keep replaying the previous seasons.”
How was the training for combat readiness, extreme cold, and mobilization? While the previous season focused on guerrilla training, this time, they filmed under conditions reminiscent of actual training at minus 10 degrees.
Kim Min-ho joked, "Season 1 was filmed in winter, and Season 2 in summer. I thought it would be fine since I had experienced winter once, but the cast has aged, making it harder." He added, "I used to prefer winter filming because I get hot easily, but now I think summer is better. It was too cold. The background is set in April and May, so I couldn't let my breath show, but it was so cold that steam came out of my nose." He shared, "I was even holding ice in my mouth before filming, but it didn't work."
Kim Min-ho also added, "I ad-libbed, 'It snows in April because it's the military,' and I saw in the news recently that it actually snowed in April, so I told the other actors, 'We weren't wrong.'"
The hard work of filming paid off in viewership ratings. According to Nielsen Korea, 'New Recruit 3' started with a viewership rating of 1.7% (based on paid households nationwide) for its first episode, rising to 2.1% for the second episode, 2.3% for the third, and 2.5% for the fourth, showing an upward trend. The final episode on the 29th recorded a rating of 3.3%, achieving a successful conclusion.
Typically, if a season drama has explosive popularity in Season 1, subsequent seasons are made. However, follow-up seasons often see a drop in attention or popularity compared to the previous work. The saying 'there's no younger brother as good as the older brother' usually holds true. However, 'New Recruit' is an exception. Its popularity has increased with each passing season.
Kim Min-ho expressed his joy, saying, "The strength of the character was significant." He continued, "I thought it was a drama for men, but as female viewers increased in Season 2 and continued to enjoy it in Season 3, I am grateful. I think the content and the strength of the characters played a big role. It feels like we are expanding on characters that could be found anywhere. Thanks to that, I think we gained a lot of empathy from women, office workers, and students."
He also mentioned, "Many parents of soldiers watch it too. When negative stories come out, they often inquire with the Ministry of National Defense, asking, 'They say the military isn't like that these days, is it really like that?' I feel sorry for causing concern, but I am also grateful for the interest. If there are bad things, shouldn't we show them to fix them?"
He emphasized, "Women who haven't been to the military might find it hard to understand, but in the military, you have to end sentences with 'da' or 'kka.' So when you ask back, you should say, 'I didn't hear you?' instead of 'What?' For some reason, you can't say 'yes?' to a senior." He continued, "If this is a bad habit, then it is a bad habit. This should be eliminated now."
The popularity of the drama has translated into popularity for actor Kim Min-ho. He said, "It's no joke right now," and added, "People definitely recognize me. Even without glasses and wearing a mask, they recognize me." He shared his experience, "I've been living in the same neighborhood for five years, and the convenience store owner didn't know me, but he started recognizing me from Season 3. Recently, when I had air conditioning repaired, the technicians came and recognized me immediately without any process of 'Oh? Is that you?'" He joked, "So even when I'm at home, I always wash up and wear nice clothes, and even when I go to the convenience store, I wash my face before going." (Continued in Interview ②)
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
