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'Lost' Star Still Looking for Love

"We immigrated to the U.S. when I was 10, and my parents sold things from a trailer. We lived in it, too. These days stars ride and move in trailers. They rest, do their makeup and change their clothes in them. So when I got my first trailer, even though I was supposed to be happy, it reminded me of my past".

Kim Yunjin, the star of the smash U.S. hit TV show "Lost", was in Korea in time for the release of her book, "The World is Your Drama", and to work on the upcoming movie "Seven Days". When the Chosun Ilbo met her for an interview at KOFIC Namyangju Studios in Gyeonggi Province, she kicked off the talk by asking, "What's it like to see me in person?"

Do you have any complexes about your appearance?

"I seem to have found a few after I arrived in Korea. The standards of beauty are a little different. My nose should be a little smaller and sharper, but it's round. Some people have suggested plastic surgery, but I'm already known as how I look and it'd be weird if I changed my appearance now. I may not be perfect but I have my own charms, too".

And what are your charms?

"I have no prejudices. Whoever I meet, whether he's old or young, whether he's of high status or low, I can communicate with him for a few hours. I'm open. I consider myself attractive on these points".

Some of the characters on "Lost" have been dying off and disappearing, haven't they?

"I'm still alive. But I'm not sure how long I'll survive. I go back to America in August to film season four. Because my character is so kind, suffering and feminine, American viewers have a lot of compassion for me".

In the first "Lost" advertising poster, the white actors were placed in the front and the actors of other races in the back row, right?

"I was so shocked, I couldn't speak. I worked in Korea for about six years without being aware of the color of my skin, but I was stunned when it suddenly happened. After that, I object to whatever I feel is discrimination. If I accept it, there will be no change. When I speak out, the other side might think, 'I never thought about it that way', and be more careful".

When you film movies or TV in Korea, are you that outspoken with your directors?

"In Korea I want to say that I'm done for the day after shooting for 12 hours, but it's not easy. It's strange that I act more Korean when I'm in Korea. My actions and feelings seem to change according to the language I speak".

Which situation is more comfortable?

"In America it's less tiring and there are fewer problems, because they work within personal boundaries. In Korea you have to cross those boundaries and become friends to work together. When I show them my weak points, drink and show them I can look bad, they say I'm friendly. That's how relationships become deeper. In America there are boundaries for your job and my job, and they respect each other. They don't cross those lines".

What is attractive about acting?

"It's that it gets harder as time goes on. It's like a question you can never solve. It's very hard and yet appealing. It's because you have to express other people. I have to read a lot of books and experience a lot indirectly. I think good acting comes from a good head. I can act various roles and express various emotions only when I'm ready and willing to change".

Money and fame follow from Hollywood. Do you earn a lot now?

"I earn a lot. I get US$100,000 per episode, and we shoot 24 episodes a year. 'Lost' is televised to 210 countries around the world".

They say you can't make yourself fall in love. How many times have you been in love?

"When I fall in love, I love him for a long time. So I haven't met a lot of people. But of course I've been in love".

If you were to love an actor you worked with in Korea, who would you choose?

"Choi Min-sik is kind and very friendly. He drinks a lot, too. Sol Kyung-gu is manly and strong. And he is warm. Han Suk-kyu is warm and also reasonable. If there is a man who is a combination of those three, I might give him a try, but not one of them individually (laughs)".

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