Park Seo-Jun On His New Romantic Comedy, Career Evolution & Personal Style
As he gets set for the release of Surely Tomorrow, the actor gets candid on his character, process and more
From the sharp-suited, self-possessed boss in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim to the buzz-cut rebel in boxy jackets in Itaewon Class, Park Seo Jun moves through his roles with the same composed elegance that defines his off-screen persona—effortless, confident, and unmistakably his own. A bona fide style icon, he’s known for his easy, understated fashion and his association with both luxury and homegrown brands. After a string of intense action dramas such as Gyeongseong Creature and Concrete Utopia, he returns to screens in Prime Video’s romantic comedy Surely Tomorrow, bringing back the charm and ease that first made him a global favourite.
You return to the rom-com space after a while. What was the one thing about this story that spoke to you?
I would say it’s love. All around the world, love comes in different shapes and forms and types and I think our story Surely Tomorrow has its own take on love. I came out of a very genre-driven story and wanted to find something that was a little bit more grounded and closer to our daily lives. And in that process of looking for the next project, I came across my character Gyeong Do. I related a lot to the character and his story. I thought that these emotional aspects would be very fun for me to portray. While I loved the story itself, the bigger part of me, the bigger appeal to me was the character.
The show also navigates your character’s journey over decades — from his 20s, 30s and later. What were the subtle differences you brought to him?
When it comes to this particular character, the focus was not about how to make his different phases different but it was really more about portraying and capturing how consistent he is. Of course, depending on his life phase, the way he dresses himself or his appearance may change. However, his basic attitude, the way he deals with life, the attitude that he has as he treats other people and also this other main character–it was very important that I portrayed the consistency of it.
Lately, you’ve been experimenting with work in terms of stories and genres. Has there been a shift in your process over the last decade?
One of the reasons I love being an actor is because when you get older you can express different things, it expands your boundaries and helps you express deeper emotions. I find it (acting) liberating. I want to be known as an actor who keeps moving forward. Having said that, of course I do feel a sense of responsibility because I’ve realized that there are people who are influenced by the choices I make and what I do.
What is the one thing that makes you say yes to a project?
The first always being the script—whether I can relate to it, if it intrigues me, if it is a character I can excel in, or is different from something I have done in the past. These are the factors I take into account before a project.
How would you define your personal style?
One of the most important things is confidence. It’s also really great to understand your body type, and it helps to try on as many [pieces of] clothing as possible so that in the process, you get to learn what looks good on you.
Surely Tomorrow premiers on Dec 7 on Prime Video