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Kim Yunjin Makes Her Presence Felt in Hollywood

Actress Kim Yunjin of the ABC's hit drama, "Lost", had an interview with Korean reportes on November 22 following the recent premiere of her hot new movie in Seoul. Kim stars as a mother of a son who is a victim of school violence in a thriller entitled, "Diary of June".

It has been over a year since the ABC's hit drama "Lost" was launched to rave reviews, and its popularity continues to grow. As a result, one of Korea's own has become a rising star both in Hollywood and in Seoul. "Lost" airs in over 187 countries making her an international figure.

The Korean public first encountered then unknown actress in her infamous role as the North Korean spy in the famed, blockbuster film, "Shiri". She stood beside some of the top leading male actors of the ROK, Han Suk-kyu, Choi Min-sik and Song Kang-ho.


Interview:

Q: How do you feel about working in Hollywood? Is there a big difference compared with working in Korea?

A: There is not that much difference between Korea and Hollywood in the work itself. But it is the scale of the work environment that is quite mind-boggling: $4 million in production fee per episode is pretty much equivalent to a single movie production in Korea.

Q: You have become an international star. How are you aware of your popularity?

A: At first, many Korean-Americans recognized me, which I thought was understandable. They know me from the works I have previously done in Korea. But it is the fans from abroad that surprise me the most; I receive a parcel of letters every day from all over the world and I have even run into couple of fans who were waiting for me at a hotel one time. I still remember a Japanese fan that sent me a letter in Korean. I am very grateful for all of the support and interest.

Q: It was reported that your character ""Sun" in the drama "Lost" was not included in the script initially.

A: When I first came to Hollywood after 2002, I was fortunate enough to sign a contract with William Morris Agency. I started auditioning for various movie roles that were not necessarily for Asian actors. Even in the case of "Lost", I auditioned for the role of "Kate" when the director J.J. Abrams had suggested in making a new character that was not part of the script, which was "Sun".

Q: I wish there were more scenes for "Sun". Do you agree?

A: I must say playing this character was a bit frustrating as the show went on because "Sun" is a character who does not English that well, so it was not easy to spend much time with other actors during the shoot. I had a long conversation with Director Abrams about "Sun" and I came to an understanding that the show is scripted with a timeframe of at least 3 to 5 years in the storyline and within that time, most characters would go through some sort of changes. "Sun" will evolve as well; she will speak more English as time goes on. (Laugh)

Q: You are probably the most widely-known Korean in the U.S., are you not?

A: There is Michelle Wie! (Laugh) I had a chance to meet her in Hawaii. She is beautiful and very mature for her age.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A: I am in the middle of shooting season 2 of "Lost". The shooting will continue on until next May. After that, I will be co-starring in the upcoming film, "Georgia Heat" alongside Billy Bob Thornton. I would like to continue working in Korea as well because I know how important it is not to disregard my work there. After all, without my experiences from Korea, I would not have been as successful as right now.

By Kayon Park

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