Kim Woo Seok Opens Up About How He Views Himself, His Role In "Bulgasal," And More

Apr 24, 2022

UP10TION’s Kim Woo Seok recently participated in a pictorial and interview for Allure!

The interview began with an interesting question regarding how often he looks in a mirror. Kim Woo Seok explained, “When you look in the mirror, it’s like you’re fretting about something or checking something. Since I spend a lot of time in a made-up state, I end up not looking in a mirror when I’m at home. When I’m at home, my appearance is one that only I know. I like that. Everyone is probably the same way. My face is one that I know the best, so I have no reason to look in the mirror.”

He went on, “The first thing I have to do when I get my makeup and hair done is sit in front of a mirror, so I have no choice but to begin my work by looking at my face. When I’m working, I look at a monitor screen much more often than a mirror. Whenever I film a drama, appear on a music show, or do a photo shoot like this, it’s a cycle of checking myself on the screen and reworking things to get a better result. The final product that people see is the result of the screen, not the mirror.”

Kim Woo Seok then made a poignant comparison as he said that the person he sees in the mirror is him looking at himself, while the person on the screen is the person he wants to show to everyone else.

He mentioned that he likes his eyes in particular, saying, “There’s so many feelings expressed by eyes. The director of ‘Bulgasal’ once told me that he liked my eyes because they expressed quite a lot of emotions. I think my eyes are my strong point.”

At the interviewer’s request, Kim Woo Seok went into more detail about the comment the director had made. He elaborated, “He said that my eyes conveyed a lot of sadness, and that it seemed like a lot of things could be expressed through them.”

Kim Woo Seok also shared what he found difficult about his role in “Bulgasal.” “My character has quite a bright personality, but I’m not really like that,” he admitted. “Although, as the drama continues he becomes more of a pained character. I worried a lot about how to win over the viewers, and it was tough. Now that I think of it, I feel quite a bit of sadness. At first, I couldn’t completely understand who Do Yoon was. It was only during the final stage of filming that I was able to truly understand his feelings. However, I don’t have any regrets. We finished filming safely, and I grew and learned a lot thanks to such a precious experience.”

He also shared how he felt changing up his usual appearance for the drama. “My ‘image’ is what people want to see when they look at me. It’s a supposition, an expectation, and a wish. If I break out of that appearance, I’ll hear that I’m escaping my ‘image.’ I’m not someone who’s afraid of that,” he said. “I know that I’m escaping that image when my face is bloody or a little ugly, but I’m fine with it. It’s nice to be safely inside my soft and pretty image, but I’m also not afraid of breaking out of it.”

When asked how he finds a balance between his different images, Kim Woo Seok responded, “It’s important to find the happy medium between the ‘Kim Woo Seok’ that I want and the ‘Kim Woo Seok’ that the public wants. If I’m living out the image that the public wants and the opportunity comes along to break that image through a production or a photo shoot, I’ll happily do so. I’m open to everything.”

Kim Woo Seok emphasized the importance of choice in his life. He commented, “When I participated in an audition program, I chose to because I really wanted to. It’s remained as a great memory for me. After starting my solo activities, I’m also taking the lead in making musical choices. It’s tough sometimes. But if I stop there, I’ll just become someone who sits there slumped over, and I don’t want that. After putting more of myself into my third album compared to my previous two, I heard that I was improving, so now I’m feeling more sure of myself.”

The interview wrapped up as Kim Woo Seok considered his future. “I’ve reached the undeniable latter half of my 20s,” he laughed. “I’m not the type to want to hurry and get older, but I do imagine myself in my 30s and 40s. We have no idea what could happen in life, but I’m thinking positively. I think I’ll be an even better person living an even better life than I am now.”

He concluded with a laugh, “Although, that might not be the case.”