190530 EXO’s D.O. volunteers for enlistment; will begin military service July 1st
Lysn App update: handwritten letter
Hello, this is EXO’s D.O.
Did the sudden news catch you very off-guard, EXO-L?
I wanted to be the first to tell you but I was a little too late, and my heart is heavy.
I will come back safe: I want to leave you with these words because this was a decision I made after a lot of worrying.
Thank you sincerely, EXO-L, you who always support us.
I hope that all of you will be filled with health and what makes you smile.
I will take care and greet you again in good health.
Thank you.
The Elyxion photobook: “EXO ASKS” Kyungsoo section
Xiumin: You filmed a sageuk recently. What part of that was the hardest? You know I’m your senior when it comes to sageuks, right?
D.O.: It was really hot this summer. We filmed outside often and the heat was a struggle. It was my first time wearing my hair in a topknot, and it tugged a lot. I felt awkward filming in a hanbok, too. But can I say something, Xiumin hyung? You might have filmed a sageuk before me, but I spent more time filming a sageuk. Hahaha.
Xiumin: Have you thought about growing your hair out? Shoulder-length!
D.O.: Of course! I haven’t! Hahaha. Longer hair is more bother. I like having short hair. I’d rather have the comfort than look cool.
Suho: It was hard for you to fly around for our overseas events. Are long-distance flights really hard for you?
D.O.: Just like you said, being on a plane for long is a bit tough for me so I’m not exactly fond of long-distance flights. I think it’s because we fly too often.
Suho: When were you happiest as a part of EXO?
D.O.: EXO has made me happy through the years. I feel especially glad for us whenever we win an award because it feels like our hard work is recognized. But pride and happiness are different things. It’s when all the EXO members are healthy and close together, like we are now, that’s honestly what makes me happy. We find energy in each other and we’re growing together.
Baekhyun: What’s the hardest part of acting?
D.O.: Trying to balance my schedule between singing and acting is the hardest part.
Baekhyun: How are your shoulders doing?
D.O.: They’re weak and hurt sometimes, but it’s fine as long as I don’t overdo anything. It kind of hurts a lot if I make the wrong move, but I’m okay right now.
Chanyeol: It feels like you’re always working; how come you never take a break?
D.O.: I do want to take a break sometimes, but there’s a lot of joy and fun to find in work too. I think that’s why I’ve been working so much.
Chanyeol: I think we match the most. Do you think so too?
D.O.: I think we match a lot too. Hahaha. It’s so easy to talk with you and that has to mean something, right?
Chen: D.O., you barely talk so I have no idea what you think about on a daily basis. What do you have on mind lately?
D.O.: You’re more mysterious than I am, Chen! I think you’re the one who talks the least about himself of the EXO members, so how could you say that about me! But if I have to answer, my last concern was 100 Days My Prince. I was losing my mind trying to memorize all the lines. Now that it’s over, I kind of want to rest. I haven’t had a chance to take a proper break in the last four years. I’d like to travel with the EXO members if that’s possible.
Chen: You sang For Life in English. Your English pronunciation is so good! Are you planning on singing any other songs in English?
D.O.: Of course I’d like to try again. We have a lot of song demos that are in English. To be honest, I wanted to sing a different song than For Life for The Elyxion, but I gave up because there was no time to practice something else. I’d like to sing the English version of Light Out if there’s a chance to.
Kai: The members touched your head a lot when you shaved your hair. How’d you feel about that?
D.O.: I didn’t really feel anything. Seriously! It wasn’t bad at all. But not exactly good either! Haha.
Kai: You know about a lot of good places to eat. How did you find them?
D.O.: The Blue Ribbon in Korea and the international Michelin Guide list restaurants that I check out when there’s the chance. Googling shows you the ratings and reviews of places too. I seek out the ones that look interesting and put together my own list. Filming lets me visit many places. Even if I can only have one meal that day, I want to enjoy the food. You know how much I like exploring new places to eat.
Sehun: When were you happy during The Elyxion?
D.O.: When we were standing on stage. The first concert is important too, but there’s nothing like the feeling of returning to Seoul after touring for the encore show. The relief and pride I felt from closing our fourth tour made me happy.
Sehun: I feel this fourth tour was your favorite. Do you think so?
D.O.: Our concerts upgrade every year, so I can’t help that the latest tour ends up as my favorite. I think The Elyxion suited EXO a lot. The bar section was especially fun. None of it was scripted, and that’s what made it even more exciting.
First Look, Feb ‘19 issue: Kyungsoo interview excerpt
[this is a partial translation]
Next to Do Kyungsoo’s kind face and subtle shifts in expression as he spoke were a pair of sparkling eyes nestled in black fur - the two year old child, Meokmul. It has been two years since they became family. After making his decision after a long period of consideration, he had traveled to where they would have a memorable first meeting.
“I made eye contact with all the dogs there. When made aware of a human, most dogs either become playful or lie down and ignore the human - but Meokmul was different. She sat back quietly and stared back at me. I was thinking ‘what is she seeing in me?’ even as we kept staring at each other. I think something passed between us during that. Maybe it was fate that brought Meokmul to us.”
After Meokmul, Do Kyungsoo met Huchu, and now he has two beloved little sisters. He spoke fondly of their dynamic together, between Meokmul’s gentle, calm nature and Huchu’s livelier, playful one. Because of his incredibly packed schedule as actor and singer, the two of them live with his parents. They’re wonderful daughters and have taught his family how to love and share that love: siblings to be proud of.
“Meokmul and Huchu are family. From the start it didn’t feel like I was keeping pets, but that they were my newborn little sisters. I treasure them both as you would [human] family. It isn’t because they look pretty or act cute; their lives, in and of themselves, are something precious and dear. To be honest, I don’t get to see them often because I live apart from my parents, but I’m trying to be loving to them as a big brother should be.”
Q. Let’s start from Swing Kids (2018), your latest. Ro Kisoo goes about ruffling feathers, and his flashiness stands out from the rest of your filmography.
I had a lot of discussions with the director on what was best for Kisoo. There was [a boy in] an old reference picture almost exactly like Kisoo’s character. He was in an old school uniform and wore his army cap tilted; even his pants were wide and baggy. He seemed trendy for the time and I drew a lot of direction from the picture.
Q. Ro Kisoo expresses himself through dance. What sort of experience was it for you, as his actor?
When I stand on stage as an EXO member, our choreography and formations are already determined. It was harder as Kisoo because there needed to be emotion in every one of his movements and expressions. I was especially worried about conveying the scene where he dances to David Bowie’s Modern Love in a way that the viewers would find refreshing and freeing. It reminded me of my first time trying to dance - frustration because my body wouldn’t listen to me, how good it felt to get each move down. Also, I could dance as I pleased because the director would capture the whole routine and the big emotions. Big movements for happiness, fast ones for frustration. To be honest, I was surprised by the final cut of that sequence. I didn’t realize how brightly I had been smiling. That dancing is something happy and to be enjoyed is what I’d felt as a musician too, but I had felt this so strongly that the smile came naturally.
Q. It wasn’t something you planned to act out, but constant dancing is of course tiring, and that starts to show on your face. I’ve seen other actors say that actors who also know how to dance are better at filming action scenes, so it seems that your music career helps your acting one.
All that happens when you try to put emotion into motions you aren’t comfortable making is that you ruin the movements and expressions. So for scenes where they’re both important, like the Modern Love one, I made myself familiar. When my body can move without my input, it’s possible to be expressive. All I could do was practice. Action scenes and dancing do have a lot in common, so I did have a little know-how from applying what I had already learned.
Q. The first and second halves of Swing Kids have totally different tones. As its leading actor, you must have put a lot of thought into handling the clash well.
There was a part that I worried over for a while, without straying too far from how Kisoo would feel. The film’s tone shifts after the arrival of a supposed friend, Kwang-guk, to the prison camp. Kisoo’s mood worsens, but a sour face would have thrown off the intended tone. Kisoo wasn’t supposed to get too caught up in the atmosphere of that scene, and I kept his expression flat.
Q. It also seems like acting dryly ties in with your own disposition.
I wonder all the time why, in acting, anger has to be obvious, why there needs to be yelling. Because I’ve never expressed my anger that way. I usually try not to let my emotions complicate issues. Of course, I have to adjust because characters have their own personalities, but I went with what felt natural to me for Kisoo.
Q. Swing Kids features both snappy cuts and long takes. Did you worry about how the editing room would preserve the rhythm of the scenes?
I found it interesting rather than worrying. I liked the long takes because those let me get immersed in a location. I had so much fun with the scenes like the one where Kisoo keeps thinking about tap-dancing even in his sleep, and it would cut away each time with a tak-tak-tak! I really wondered how the end result would turn out. The Modern Love scene in particular, because (Park) Hyesoo and I had practiced and filmed for it separately. I was curious about what kind of picture that would make after editing, and I’m very happy with how it turned out. (laughs)
Q. There were a lot of iconic lines from the tvN drama 100 Days My Prince (2018). Bad delivery for the funny ones like “am I the only one uncomfortable?” and “the feeling you feel” would have weakened a sageuk, but you did really well with them.
I don’t really dwell over how my lines should be said. The lines with the potential to become popular might have been funnier if their deliveries were lighter. But that wouldn’t make sense for a crown prince who had just lost his memory. To be honest, I did have some concern over making them more palatable. In the end, the answer was that I should just speak as the character would speak. That’s how I decided on the delivery.
Q. Conventional wisdom says that, for TV dramas, one must act in a way that the viewer will know what your character is feeling even if they’re not paying full attention. It seems your acting in 100 Days My Prince ran contrary to that. In the first half, you didn’t look at Hong Shim like you were in love.
I think I just did what felt right. It would have been more romantic to look at each other like honey could fall from our eyes, as the saying goes, but that was unrealistic and wouldn’t have felt natural.
Q. Actor Sung Dongil said in an interview once that when he acts, he thinks of meeting the number 100 when acting with another. If the other is acting at a 70, he acts at 30. I think you make a good case for this with My Annoying Brother (2016) and Room No. 7 (2017) - in Room No. 7, actor Shin Hakyun made much larger actions than you, and in Brother, actor Jo Jungseok put much more flare into his character.
I totally get what you’re saying. If there’s a character who brings the energy up, it’s good for watchability and tone and manner to have another who brings the energy down. I also learned how to lend realism to characters from Hakyun sunbae and about Jungseok hyung’s acting style.
Q. You’re the type of person who works diligently outside of the spotlight. I found that, in Room No. 7, you were constantly moving about in the background of some scenes, without distracting the viewer.
Some of those parts came from talking with the director, but I wanted to fill up the space too. I found it fun to find things to do as my character that wouldn’t get in the way of the other actors. Even if the camera angle would barely catch a finger and I could honestly relax, I’d rather be doing something.
Q. The two most disparate pieces in your filmography are director Lee Byunghun’s Be Positive (2017) and the movie series Along with the Gods. Your acting as the problem soldier Private Won was especially convincing in Along with the Gods: Two Worlds (2017).
I thought there was nothing smooth about acting as Won Dongyeon, and that was reflected in-universe with the film. I have yet to serve in the military, and I’d never put a noose around my neck over the guilt of causing another’s death. The director helped me a lot. We talked about his personal experiences, as well as the characters. Much of my base [for Private Won] were films and other indirect experiences.
Q. In a previous interview, you said that Private Won was the most saddening of your characters and that you probably wouldn’t act as someone that pitiable again. I found it amusing how he was introduced as a problem soldier who kills an innocent and thus might get hate.
Right, that’s not wrong... (with a seeking gaze) but doesn’t he make you feel sorry for him? He made a mistake that killed someone, wasn’t able to defend himself to anyone - I felt so bad for how much he suffered from circumstance. I understand why some would hate him, but I still think of him as the most saddening of my roles.
Q. To be honest, while your acting as Private Won can be commended, the character himself is not admirable at all. People might misunderstand the actor because of the character. Many of your previous roles were of troubled, depressed youths let down by society. Did you not worry as an actor?
Not at all. It’s not like all my roles have been dark, and I try to express a part of myself with each character anyway. I think, as long as I keep trying new things, the people who think that way will stop misunderstanding me.
Q. Then in that regard, Swing Kids’ Ro Kisoo is an important point for you.
Very. He’s a very dear figure to me. I wonder what will come next? What do I have left to show? It’s exciting to think about.
Q. I can’t help but wish to see you a character with a lot of aegyo, maybe because you dislike it so much that even variety programs comment on it. (laughs)
I think it’d be a fun role. I don’t hate the thought. (laughs)
Q. When you appeared on Naver’s Actor Chatter, you mentioned that if you could film a drama with actress Kim Hyesoo, you’d like it to be an introspective office drama where you’re a new recruit to her team. Then Park Kyunglim said, “And not a rom com? Kim Hyesoo might have a word with you!” To which you said, “With me? How could I (dare)...” Why do you think it’s so impossible?
How would that even happen! I’d be incredibly honored, but there’s no chance of it happening.
Q. Maybe if your character was like Jung Haein’s in JTBC’s Something in the Rain (2018), where noonas dote on his cuteness...
That’d be really nice. I’d like to try being in a drama like Secret Affair (2014) too. I look forward to melodramas in the future, and trying out thrillers...
Q. Yeah, you were good in I Remember You (2015).
Really? (laughs) Someone like him is good too, but I’d like to try acting as a completely average person. I’d rather embrace a variety of characters, not just one type.
Q. It’s Okay, It’s Love (2014) and Cart (2014) were your first and second released projects, respectively. You had to act as a victim of ALS; I wonder how you prepared for it when you’d never even gotten acting lessons before that point.
For that, I had watched documentaries for indirect experience that I could use with my imagination to make [it seem believable].
Q. I heard that writer No Heekyung helped you a lot as you were starting out?
It’s a given that she taught me skills, like how recounting things in staccato will help me with my pronunciation, but she talked with me about the characters too. I absolutely want to work with her again. I really enjoyed Live (2018) and its focus on daily life; my favorite of her projects is the film The Most Beautiful Goodbye (2011). I related to it a lot.
Q. I’m curious about how you figure out characters when aspects of them don’t overlap with you. Right now, are you more the type to conduct deep research, or the type to think it out?
I look inside a lot. Of course I do my research too, but I leave the next step to my imagination. Sometimes seeing the actual props on set help, but the more I think through my character’s personality and mentality and how he would act or speak, the more the set seems to build itself. That’s what I’ve been doing so far.
Q. There are actors who write diaries in-character, or go through the day performing their character’s routines, or make exhaustive notes on their role.
Mm, I don’t write anything down. My favorite scripts are clean and light, and I just keep it all in my head. My memory isn’t great, so I think trying to be exact would make acting too complicated for me. It’s easier for me to play things out mentally and then concentrate hard on set.
Q. Didn’t you say that yelling at your mom in Cart was very hard for you, because it’s something you’d never done? How did you resolve it back then, and what do you do with similar impasses now?
I played everything out in my head then, too. I just did it on set. How would I get angry when I’m by myself? I’m too shy to practice being angry in my room all alone or with the EXO members helping. (laughs)
Q. So you’re the type who just needs to be on set.
I’m still not good at yelling. During Cart, I just said to myself (makes a sad face) “I’ll just do it when I get there,” but acting it out was actually thrilling. It was a huge thrill to feel what I’d never felt and to do what I hadn’t done.
Q. When I view your filmography, I get the sense that directors love your eyes. You get unique close-ups that show off the fleeting emotions in your gaze. Is there anything in particular you do to act with your eyes?
Uh... (thinks for a long time) I don’t do anything except stay in-character. My eyes are a bit weak. Whenever my immune system drops or I get too much sun, they dry out quickly and turn bloodshot. It would bother the viewer if I blink too much during a touching moment, so I put a lot of focus on my health. My eyesight is honestly really bad. I can’t monitor well on set, so watching the fully produced release, when I can have glasses on, will be my first time properly viewing myself. I can’t wear contact lenses either. I’m told it’s because the surface of my corneas aren’t curved like normal. When I put in lenses, my eyelids will push them down. So I wear glasses.
Q. There must be a certain comfort to live with the other EXO members, who also have their own acting projects.
It’s closer to gratitude from their support than comfort. We don’t talk about our acting. Like I mentioned earlier, I get too embarrassed to practice acting with them.
Q. Have you ever given advice they took?
I don’t. They’ve pointed out to me when I was slouching or hanging my head before, but we’ve never given each other acting advice. It’s not like I have any seniority. So how could I, when we’re all in the same boat? (laughs)
Q. There are people who police what it means to be a man - including in terms of physical build - and like to suggest actors who fit their mold for certain genres [over other actors who don’t]. It was very gratifying for me to watch you find success in 100 Days My Prince, maybe because you defy those definitions.
I don’t think much of their advice either. The admiration you feel from someone’s abilities, personality, or mentality is what matters. And I act for myself - I just want to figure out my own path, and to give my best in order to show my best.
Q. Every time, without fail, you seem unsure whenever someone compliments on your ability or charm. Yet, no matter how I look at it, you have high self-esteem. How would you reconcile this?
When someone keeps complimenting me, I feel embarrassed. Like I’m seriously going crazy (laughs). Even by my own judgment, I think I have a pretty high self-esteem; it’s important to have self-esteem. Except it might not be connected to my abilities, but with my well-being instead. I have to stay firm so that I’m not ruined by stress, so that I can keep going.
Q. During last year’s appearance on Knowing Brothers, I saw you say you hoped to be a farmer one day. You like cooking too, so I was wondering if you wanted a life like you’d see in Little Forest (2018)? (laughs)
The Little Forest series (2014) from Japan is a big influence for me. I’d like to cook with what I grow, and to live in good health in a small, quiet home. I don’t know when it’ll happen, but I hope it’s possible by my late thirties or early forties.
[...] Kim Seonho, who played the Joseon intellect Jung Jaeyoon in the tvN drama 100 Days My Prince, said of his fellow actor Do Kyungsoo that “I worried a lot because I heard he was quiet, but I worried for nothing.”
“I was sitting by myself when Kyungsoo approached and started talking to me. Then I mentioned the projects he’d featured in, and we got close from there. I even ended up confiding my troubles to him later on. Kyungsoo didn’t dismiss a single one; he would inquire after this or that so that we could figure them out. I was really grateful.
We were utterly comfortable in terms of acting too, because we had become friends before we started having scenes together. Kyungsoo could be so curious, asking questions like ‘hyung, there aren’t any good places to eat around here - where’d you go?’ He’s really interesting. He was always appearing quietly to quip about something before leaving again, and I got a kick out of that.”
Kim Seonho also attributed Do Kyungsoo’s draw as a major reason for 100 Days My Prince breaking 14% in viewership. He drew laughter from the room as he said, “I saw the countless people at the EXO concert [the cast was invited to] and thought that the drama would probably do fine.”
Q: I heard you were invited to an EXO concert. How was it?
For most of the [100DMP] cast, it was our first time attending whole concert. Seeing EXO’s D.O. after knowing Do Kyungsoo as just Wondeuk was like seeing another person. I even thought to myself, ‘this is someone I know?’
Before the concert, I’d only really known about Growl from EXO. After it, I became a fan. It’s my first time liking an idol group since g.o.d. in elementary school (laughs). My hobby recently is watching EXO videos, and I’m planning to buy their new album.
Q: What charmed you about Do Kyungsoo?
He’s a friend who is always easygoing and mellow. Acting with him was comfortable because of that. Also, he’s easy to embarrass, so his face turns red if you compliment him (laughs).
181106 Jung Soogyo (Ma-chil):
[On the 100DMP cast dancing to Growl] “I’m confident with dancing wildly, but I can’t follow choreography. I can’t time the movements with the beat. I finally realized how important a good teacher was. D.O. taught us everything step-by-step, like an elementary school teacher. ‘Just your feet~ just your hands~ now all together~ should we try it faster now?’ [...] I came to trust him a great deal. He is very mature in voice, gaze, action, mind, and personality. I’m six years older than him, but I wouldn’t have guessed it. While we were acting together, I felt like I was being supported and considered by him.”
181108 @moodblueindigo:
Park Jisun guested on my friend’s radio show and talked about EXO’s showcase. She studies really, really hard for her events as the MC ㅠㅠ When the showcase ended, D.O. stayed back to tell her she went through a lot of trouble for them and gave her a big hug ㅜㅡㅜ She must have been so touched, seeing how she was praising all the members for their kindness (tears)
@QueenLOEY17: [...] I asked someone I know who is acting with Kyungsoo [for For a Hundred Days] to take good care of Kyungsoo, and they said they would get me an autograph from him. I said it was okay and to just tell Kyungsoo not to get hurt while filming.
When they relayed my message. Kyungsoo replied that it wasn’t any trouble to give an autograph, so my friend asked if he could sign on a piece of paper. But Kyungsoo said that wouldn’t be polite and that he would he would ask for an album from the company to sign.
A few days later, my friend messaged me to say that the company didn’t have any CDs left to give, so Kyungsoo ended up signing paper.
And a few days after that while they were filming, Kyungsoo asked my friend if by any chance they were able to deliver the autograph to the fan, and that he apologized for it being on paper rather than the album he had promised😊
Just another everyday story with sweetheart Kyungsoo
INFO | Underdog selected to participate in film exchange with North Korea
As a part of North-South Korean film exchange, the push for director Oh Sangyoon’s animation Underdog to be screened in North Korea has been decided.
According to officials on the 11th, there is a careful push to premiere Underdog in North Korea in the second half of this year as well. Its production studio is currently in the midst of working closely with the Ministry of Culture for this end, and if possible, to have it open in theaters in both Koreas simultaneously.
The atmosphere of peace on the Korean peninsula following the 2018 North Korea-United States summit has led to an unprecedented rate of film exchange in the spirit of cooperativity and connection. Although only in the stages of planning and discussion with interested government bodies, there is a chance that things are ripe for achievement. The special committee for North-South film exchange was launched by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) [this July 5th] under the hopes that fostering inter-Korean business and progress through this exchange might become reality. The selection of Underdog as the first film for this end has brought it more attention from both inside and out of the film industry. [...]
In a call with Sports Donga, Underdog’s director Oh Sungyoon recognizes the situation but shared that he was “cautious.” He also added, “North Korea is the only place where South Korean animations are shown without English subtitles. I do hope it kickstarts inter-Korean cultural exchange.”
Director Oh Sangyoon’s Leafie: A Hen Into the Wild set the highest domestic box office record for a South Korean animation (2.2 million viewers) in 2011. Underdog, which was 6 years in the making, follows the story of stray dog Moongchi and his friends in their journey to find genuine freedom. It features EXO’s D.O. and actress Park Sodam as voice actors.
Underdog will be screened this July 12th at the 22nd Bucheon Film Festival (BIFAN), which will also screen 9 North Korean films for the first time.
