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Monday, November 07, 2005

Across the country, Koreans are glued to their TV sets on Monday and Tuesday evenings at 10 to watch the ratings-sweeping MBC program, "Dae Jang Geum." Set in the 16th century, the drama is based on the true story of Jang Geum, Korea's first female physician to the king, starring Lee Young-ae as the main character Jang Geum and Ji Jin-hee as her handsome love interest, Min Jeong-ho.

"I prefer to wear my hair short, but for the purpose of this drama, I've let it grow out a lot," said Ji as he posed with a boyish shag for the camera. In character, he wears his hair tied in a topknot, covered by a hat typical of noble men during Joseon times.

Viewers apparently cannot get enough of Jang Geum's adventures, beginning as a royal cook, then training as a royal physician. The writers have meticulously included ancient herbal remedies, acupuncture treatments and cuisine of the royal court, capturing the nostalgic attention of the Korean audiences - still boasting the highest TV ratings ever since it began late last year.

Ji is redefining sex appeal of the Joseon dynasty men with his dignified good looks. His character is an official in the royal court who falls in love with Jang Geum and remains on her side through all the crises that entangle them both.

"I feel that I know my character very well, so I am comfortable in my performances. The drama is also easy to follow. I am impressed and satisfied with the acting of Lee Young-ae and others involved in this project," Ji commented.

The drama has gained such a strong following that hat the community board for the program on www.imbc.com is flooded with words of encouragement for the actors and messages addressed to the fictional characters, themselves.

"Our writers are under much stress because there is so little time to prepare scripts. Viewers make requests to save a character's life, or to change the plot somehow, so the story is changing as we go along with production. I prefer one set storyline from start to finish, like a film," Ji said.

Production of "Dae Jang Geum" is scheduled to end by March with a tragic ending based on Jang Geum's true-life story. A DVD for the first season is already on the shelves and the English subtitled version is also on release.

Ji, 31, caught his first acting bug when he was 12, in a school play. He struggled early in his career, an experience that Ji has since embraced.

"I started working for 200,000 won per job, which makes me appreciate the work that I do now. Many new young stars shine bright, then suddenly burnout. I learned how to work hard, have hope, and stand up after each fall," Ji said.

Acting isn't the only pursuit of this Korean heartthrob - photography, graphic design and charity work are other areas where Ji would like to excel.

Ji was never attracted to the spotlight of the entertainment industry, instead working behind the scenes as a photographer and layout designer. In 1998, Ji was shooting the Maxwell House canned coffee campaign, featuring Hong Kong-based actor, Takeshi Kaneshiro (Geum Seong-mu). Curiously, Ji strongly resembled the actor, and when Kaneshiro had to leave the shoot prematurely to go to Hong Kong, Ji simply stood in for him, unexpectedly opening doors for him. Siddus, a big player of talent management, requested Ji to start an acting career because of his charismatic good looks - Ji refused their proposals until the Asian economic crisis forced him to reconsider.

"I can't say if I will act for the rest of my life, though I could easily do it with great satisfaction. I never set out to become an actor - it was my destiny. In the long term future, I wish to do more photography, charity work and designing, though I cannot predict which will become my full time occupation," said Ji.

Contrary to his cool image, Ji is a warm hearted, talkative and opinionated fellow. Marriage is a popular question for Ji, as one of Korea's most eligible bachelors. Unfortunately, for most women, Ji is in relationship - but he won't tie the knot until he feels confident about commitment.

By Krista Kim
2004.01.24
Source: http://kn.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2004/01/24/200401240033.asp

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