[On The Record] Park Hoon-jung's Nobleman Kang Tae-joo "I Like Acting"

Actor Kang Tae-joo (28, Kim Jung-won) was a handsome youth. There was no trace of the young man roaming the underbelly in the movie Guigongja (Director Park Hoon-jung). He felt like a completely different person. The rare new face of Chungmuro was welcome. He said it was his first-ever interview. While talking about acting, he suddenly said, "Oh? I shouldn't be doing this," and showed tears. There were several moments when he choked up. His words, pure and sincere, were truly refreshing.

On the afternoon of the 23rd, at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Kang Tae-joo said, "Acting, which I challenged recklessly, was not easy. The process of waiting for someone’s choice was tough. That’s why Guigongja was even more desperate for me."

Kang Tae-joo Photo by Studio&New

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The new film Guigongja by director Park Hoon-jung, who made New World (2012) and The Witch 1 & 2 (2018~2022), was released on the 21st. Kang Tae-joo was cast as the boxer Marco, beating out a competition ratio of 1980 to 1. Park, known for discovering gem-like newcomers, directed this new work. Many rookie actors flocked to the Guigongja audition.

Kang Tae-joo recalled, "Almost all my friends who act auditioned because it was such a big audition. Everyone was desperate because they knew director Park is a director who gives opportunities to newcomers." His desperate heart was no different.

The scripts given during the 1st and 2nd auditions were quite different from those received in the 3rd and 4th rounds. Kang Tae-joo said, "There was almost no prior information about the role. I never imagined I would pass the 1st and 2nd auditions, but during the 3rd and 4th, I thought there must be a reason they kept calling me. After the last audition, as I was leaving, they asked if I could speak English well, so I immediately appealed that I could. I was desperate," he laughed.

Marco has quite a lot of English lines. He said, "I admired people who were good at English. I used to imitate lines while watching American dramas. The audience who watched the movie said, 'I thought you were a real foreigner,' so I’m grateful."

Kang Tae-joo is also proficient in Japanese. He said, "I started studying Japanese simply as a hobby in middle school. I even passed the JLPT Level 1. It became a weapon to the extent that I entered university as a language specialist. It also helped me in acting. I was able to apply as a Japanese language specialist, including for Zainichi Koreans," he shared.

'Gentleman' still image [Photo by NEW]

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Guigongja tells the story of Marco, a boxer wandering through illegal boxing rings in the Philippines, who is chased by various forces with different motives, including the mysterious man Guigongja (played by Kim Seon-ho), in a frenzy of pursuit.

To portray the boxer, Kang Tae-joo underwent intense training alongside high school boxing club students who participate in the National Sports Festival, while strictly managing his diet.

He said, "The muscles of a boxer cannot be expressed by weight training alone. I focused on building muscles by receiving actual training that athletes undergo, such as circuit training, shoulder-linked squats, and relay running. I really lived like an athlete. It was a burden because I had to complete my body in a month and a half, but fortunately, my body kept up."

The film was shot in locations including Bangkok, Thailand, and Jeju Island. Kang Tae-joo said, "Spending over a month on location together, we talked a lot and grew closer. We relied on each other and acted more comfortably. Kim Seon-ho said, 'My pride, my treasure.' That warm comment stayed with me." He added, "Director Park Hoon-jung and Kim Seon-ho are my pride."

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Originally from Mokpo, Jeollanam-do, Kang Tae-joo has also completed his military service. While engaging in various activities at university, he naturally became interested in the profession of acting.

He said, "I did a lot of external activities at university. While working as a brand ambassador and supporter, I happened to do some modeling. The modeling fees in Seoul became a modest allowance. I wanted to do this work more, to become a person of value who receives love and attention, so I started acting."

Kang Tae-joo said, "At first, I vaguely liked the image of myself acting." He added, "Acting is not something visible or scored, so it was hard, but I came to love the process itself. The sense of accomplishment I got from acting was great. I like expressing myself." He then declared, "I want to become an actor whom people trust and watch."

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