Song Joong-ki: 'I Conducted Thorough Research to Play Yong Ha'

Song Joong-ki answered during interviews with the Japanese press, "When I first received the script, I felt bad because the character that I would play was of little importance. But I put even more effort in studying the character and making a push to increase his presence in the drama".

Actor Song Joong-ki, who has received a great popularity with his appearance in the popular drama "Sungkyunkwan Scandal" by playing a character named Yeo Rim Koo Yong Ha, participated in an interview with Japanese press on March 27 at the Renaissance Hotel in Yeoksam-dong, and advertised the charms of the drama. The interview was prepared for commemorating both its beginning of DVD rental service at Tsutaya in Japan from April 20 with the title of "Tokimeki ☆ 'Sungkyunkwan Scandal' (official webpage tokimeki-t.jp)" and its release of a DVD box on April 22. A total of fifteen media outlets including Terebi Tokyo, Josei Jishin, and HallyuPia attended the interview with Song and expressed their great interest in Hallyu star Song Joong-ki. Song Joong-ki said about the character Koo Young Ha, "I thought that he had to be very showy. His various charming costumes and his pretty appearance were all the means to express his internal psychology to hide his complexes.

I tried very hard to keep his splendid appearance by wearing various accessories that I usually did not wear, and by putting on many different clothes in the drama". He added, "At first when I looked at the script, I felt bad as the character had little importance in the drama. Some people even told me that I should quit. But I could not give up the character because the role that I would play looked so fresh to me. So I studied harder to play the character because I wanted to show off his important presence in the drama. I actually studied the mischievous and deceitful character Jeon Woo Chi played by actor Kang Dong-won, the character that actor Lee Yeon Keol played in the movie 'Swordsman', and the unsteady gait of actor Johnny Depp in the movie 'Pirates of the Caribbean'." He also said, "I felt bad again that his role was the sole character who did not have any romance in the drama among the four main characters, but I gave up about romance and only tried to focus on the character Yeo Rim alone. I chose a romantic comedy for my next work. If we film the second season of the drama, I think that filming it as a movie might be a better idea because a movie has less limitation in expressing the details. And I also want that Yong Ha has a romance in the second season". Asked about any type of character whom he has wanted to play in the future, he answered, "I came to have more interest in acting itself by playing the character Koo Yong Ha, and I came to make various choices in choosing the work that I want to appear in, which makes me really happy. I will try not to forget my first intention. But I do not like any typical character. I want to appear in any work in which I have to consider many things while acting. I like the movie 'A Dirty Carnival' in which actor Cho In Sung appeared, and I want to appear in a noir film that deals with agonies related to identity and introspection".

In addition, he delivered encouraging messages to the Japanese people, saying, "The natural disaster that happened in Japan is not only a problem of Japan, but a problem of everyone around the world. I feel really sad. I believe that there will be a rainbow after the rain, and I hope for its quick recovery".