Post-'Parasite,' Choi Woo-shik says he is evolving
Choi returns to romantic lead role in Netflix series 'Melo Movie'
"Parasite" star Choi Woo-shik has returned to the small screen as a rare leading man in a romance series with Netflix's "Melo Movie" on Valentine's Day.
In the series, Choi embodies an actor-turned-film critic who finds himself drawn to an aspiring director, portrayed by Park Bo-young.
"Melo Movie" stands as one of the few projects in Choi's extensive filmography where he takes center stage in a purely romantic narrative. Reflecting on his career, Choi said he considers SBS' hit romance drama "Our Beloved Summer" (2021) as one of the only other major romance series in which he has starred, before his latest project.
He joined "Melo Movie" because of its screenwriter, Lee Na-eun, who also wrote "Our Beloved Summer," Choi explained.
" ... My fond memories of working with (Lee) naturally drew me to the script. The story is filled with warm emotions. It may not have the flashy, fireworks-exploding elements that are popular these days, but it's the kind of story I love most — one that's enjoyable because it portrays relationships filled with people and love," said Choi during a group interview in Samcheong-dong, Seoul.
Regarding the inevitable comparisons to his previous romantic role, Choi admitted to feeling some pressure.
"Since it's the same romance genre, there was definitely some pressure," he said.
"However, while Choi Woong from 'Our Beloved Summer' was an introvert who was often mindful of others, Go Gyeom in 'Melo Movie' is a more straightforward, confidently devoted to one person without hesitation. I wanted to create a character that would naturally spark curiosity even in real life," he added.
Delving into the well-worn trope of chance reunions, a crucial element in "Melo Movie," Choi said such cliche moments help hearts flutter.
"Meeting someone by fate might be considered a cliche, but I thought about how happy I would be if I got to see someone I have feelings for four or five times by chance. It would feel like a truly joyful fantasy," he said.
Coinciding with Choi's interview was the press screening of auteur Bong Joon-ho's highly anticipated film "Mickey 17," the director's first feature film since "Parasite."
Choi revealed his close bond with the acclaimed director.
"I get in touch with director Bong often. I'll be attending the VIP premiere of 'Mickey 17'," he shared. 'I'm really looking forward to it. I know how much effort the director has put into this project, so my expectations are high."
Reflecting on his journey post-"Parasite," Choi offered a glimpse into his evolving mindset.
"I still feel the same as I did working on 'Parasite.' There's still so much I need to improve and I have many shortcomings. But what's different now is that I've gained a bit more confidence. With each project I complete, I start to feel more assured, thinking, 'Maybe I can handle this much now.'"
However, the actor admitted he still has some self-doubts and regrets. "I remember not being able to leave my seat even after the credits rolled because I kept thinking, 'I should've done better,' or 'I could've pushed a bit more in that scene.' I think, sometimes, having too much ambition can hold you back from doing well."
Now, Choi says he finds himself trying to strike a balance between ambition and finding happiness as an actor.
"Lately, I've been feeling more ambitious and I'm trying to let go of that. Right now, I'm figuring out how to set my mind at ease. I think I'm learning more about how to enjoy and find happiness in this work."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
16 hours ago
- Korea Herald
MBC logs highest viewership on election night
Joint exit polls by broadcasters miss mark, with final tally showing tighter race South Korea's three major broadcast networks, KBS, MBC and SBS, aired marathon coverage of Tuesday's presidential election running some eight hours, with MBC emerging as the clear ratings leader. According to Nielsen Korea, MBC's 'Election 2025' drew the highest nationwide household viewership across all parts of its six-segment broadcast. Its ratings climbed steadily, with Part 1 drawing 4.3 percent, peaking at 14.5 percent in Part 3, and concluding at 5.4 percent in Part 6. MBC was the only network among the three to record double-digit ratings. KBS' election coverage, titled 'Vote That Changes My Life" (translated), saw more modest numbers, starting at 2.4 percent and reaching a high of 5.2 percent in Part 2 before tapering off to 2.0 percent. The SBS special, '2025 People's Vote" (translated), posted still lower figures, opening at 1.4 percent and peaking at 3.7 percent in Parts 3 and 4, before ending at 1.2 percent. MBC's ratings dominance follows a strong performance during April's general election, when it led all Korean broadcasters with a viewership high of 11.7 percent. With election night coverage stretching eight to nine hours, each broadcaster introduced distinct features to retain viewer interest. MBC drew attention for a cinematic countdown video that wove together major moments in Korean history. One segment linked a 1946 speech by independence leader Kim Gu with BTS frontman RM's 2018 address to the United Nations -- an editing choice that garnered considerable online engagement for blending historical gravitas with contemporary cultural relevance. SBS leaned into playful visual effects, incorporating pop culture parodies, including references to "Squid Game" and the viral Pikki Pikki cheerleading dance, both of which gained traction on social media. Meanwhile, the accuracy of exit polls conducted jointly by KBS, MBC and SBS was called into question due to the significant difference between the exit polls and the final vote tally. The poll surveyed 80,146 voters at 325 polling stations nationwide on the day of the election, between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. It carried a margin of error of plus or minus 0.8 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. The poll projected a decisive win for Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung with 51.7 percent of the vote, compared to 39.3 percent for Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party -- a projected gap of 12.4 percentage points. However, the final tally showed a narrower margin: Lee received 49.42 percent of the votes, while Kim garnered 41.15 percent, which amounted to an actual gap of 8.27 percentage points. The low accuracy of the exit polls is largely interpreted as stemming from high turnout during early voting, which took place May 29 and 30 and saw a participation rate of 34.74 percent. Since exit polling is conducted only on Election Day, early voters' preferences may have been harder to capture. To account for potential discrepancies stemming from the early voting turnout, an additional 11,500 people were surveyed by phone and correction factors were applied to the data. Despite these efforts, the broadcasters ultimately failed to deliver an accurate prediction. Some politicians attributed the miscalculation to the influence of so-called 'shy conservatives.' During a radio broadcast on Wednesday, Woo Sang-ho, co-chair of the Democratic Party of Korea's election campaign committee, remarked, 'It has been clearly confirmed that shy conservatives made up about 5 to 5.5 percent,' noting that 'voters in this group, who had been hesitant to cast their ballots, ultimately turned out in full force.' In the 2022 presidential election, exit poll results showed Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung with 47.8 percent and People Power Party candidate Yoon Suk-yeol with 48.4 percent. The actual vote count closely aligned, with Lee receiving 47.8 percent and Yoon 48.5 percent. The early voting turnout during the 2022 presidential election reached 36.93 percent nationwide. The additional phone surveys were conducted to improve accuracy and were credited with producing exit poll estimates that were nearly spot-on.
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
Broadcasters pull out all stops in Election Day coverage
Broadcasters vie for viewership, with high-profile panels, dynamic visuals, proprietary voting prediction South Korea's major broadcasters went all-out for their live coverage of the June 3 presidential election, delivering eight-hours of marathon programming, each with a distinct editorial style. National broadcaster KBS opted for a documentarylike, serious tone, while SBS took a more energetic approach, incorporating upbeat music such as 10cm's 'To Reach You' and prominently featuring its teddy bear mascot, Toopyoro. Meanwhile, MBC stuck to a relatively traditional, news-driven format, delivering the results with a straightforward, businesslike tone. After leading the viewership rating during April's general election, MBC returned this year with an impressive setup for "Election 2025." The network unveiled its six-panel display, the largest LED screen ever used in Korean election broadcasting for displaying election results. Ceiling-mounted wire cameras provided sweeping shots of the studio for dynamic footage. The 'Debate M' segment featured a lineup of prominent figures including author Yoo Si-min, former Korea Economic Daily editor-in-chief Chung Kyoo-jae, Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Park Joo-min and People Power Party Rep. Cho Kyung-tae. SBS has stood out in past elections with its eye-popping graphics that heavily reference popular culture. This year, it offered a 'Squid Game'-inspired segment in its election coverage program, "2025 People's Vote." SBS also debuted Korea's first extended reality live talk show as part of its election coverage. Titled 'Sseoltongryeong,' the segment turned the studio into a fully rendered 3D environment, transporting talk show guests to digitally recreated locations such as the National Assembly and the presidential office. Guests on the talk show included younger voices such as YouTuber Oh Chang-seok, host of YouTube political satire-comedy channel "President Namcheon-dong"; Park Sung-min, a former youth secretary at the Blue House; and Park Min-young, a People Power Party spokesperson. KBS turned to generative AI for its coverage titled "Vote That Changes My Life." Images depicting cities that were hotbeds of democratization movements and industrial landmarks served as a backdrop to the broadcast announcing the election results, with the network also operating from a dedicated studio for panel talks at the 'K-Cube,' located in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. KBS' analysis segment assembled a diverse panel of politicians and political pundits including Democratic Party members Lee So-young and Kim Sang-wook, the People Power Party's Kim Jae-seop, the New Reform Party's Chun Ha-ram and former JoongAng Ilbo editorial writer Kim Jin. The broadcasters also highlighted their proprietary vote prediction systems. MBC utilized its own system that integrated exit polls, historical data and live vote counts to forecast results, while SBS deployed 'Yoo-Hwak-Dang,' combining early exit polling with ongoing vote updates to calculate winning probabilities. Meanwhile, KBS used 'Decision K+,' a system that tracked candidate performance in real-time and categorized their chances of victory as 'likely,' 'certain' or 'elected.'
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
"The Summer Hikaru Died" Anime Reveals 2nd Main Trailer and New Casts
Unveils the Opening Theme Song "saikai" performed by Vaundy ~Streaming Worldwide Only on Netflix from July 5th~ TOKYO, June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CyberAgent, Inc. today has revealed the second main trailer and additional cast announcements of the television anime of up-and-coming award winning author Mokumokuren's "The Summer Hikaru Died" (original published by KADOKAWA, co-produced by CyberAgent and KADOKAWA, animation produced by CygamesPictures). "The Summer Hikaru Died" is a hit horror manga series about an ordinary high school boy, Yoshiki, who experiences various mysterious incidents in his life with Hikaru, a mysterious being who imitates his best friend Hikaru Indo. The story of "whatever it is" and the boy's madness has garnered significant attention, making it a must-see anime film. The newly revealed second main trailer features the opening theme song "saikai" performed by Vaundy which is also unveiled for the first time. Additionally, comments from the new cast members, Yoshiki Nakajima as Yuta Maki and Shion Wakayama as Yuki Tadokoro have also arrived. The Anime "The Summer Hikaru Died" will be available on Netflix worldwide from July 5th, 2025. We will continue to provide additional details. Second Main Trailer: The opening theme song will be performed by Vaundy, a notable artist leading Japan's latest music scene! "saikai" filled with inspiration from reading the original manga, can be heard in the 2nd main trailer. The opening footage of the main story will start broadcasting and distributing from episode 2, so don't miss it! "saikai" by Vaundy Music, lyrics and arranged by Vaundy (SDR / Sony Music Labels） This time, I wrote down the opening theme song " saikai " for "The Summer Hikaru Died". I made it into a song with the same uneasy feeling I got when reading the original manga, not knowing what would happen every time I turned the page. I hope it has become a song that challenges the music of anime in the future. Who would you want to meet again if you had the chance? A multi-talented 24 years old artist who handles all of his own lyrics, composition, and arrangement, as well as design, video direction, and self-production. He started posting songs on YouTube in the spring of 2019. With catchy melodies like "Tokyo Flash" and "Fukakouryoku" and a wide range of genre songs, he quickly became a hot topic on SNS. He has been attracting attention as a symbolic figure of the "Reiwa" era in streaming music, with 17 songs exceeding 100 million plays, setting a record for the most by a Japanese male solo artist. From February 2026, he will also be the youngest male solo artist in history to hold a tour in four major city domes (with an expected audience of about 300,000 in 6 live concerts). With his natural voice that catches the ear and becomes addictive at first listen, and his wide-ranging song sense that suggests extraordinary talent, he is leading the Japan's latest music scene. Yuta Maki (CV: Yoshiki Nakajima) Classmate of Yoshiki. A funster with a shaved head. I'm Yoshiki Nakajima, and I'll be voicing Yuta Maki. Maki shakes up the mood of the story—in a good way! He uses all kinds of tricks (laughs). In this "abnormal" world that clings to you like sweaty summer heat, doesn't the "normal" daily life of Maki and Yuki offer a refreshing contrast? Since the shocking first chapter of the manga, I've been drawn into this world. I hope I can share that feeling with you soon. Please look forward to the anime! Yuki Tadokoro (CV: Shion Wakayama) Classmate of Yoshiki. Childhood friend of Asako Yamagishi. When I first read the manga, I was completely drawn into its unique atmosphere—how it captures the abnormal side of everyday summer life, quietly existing right next to the normal. Even though the characters live like they're walking a tightrope and have long left "normal" behind, that same unchanged normal life is still waiting for them at school. I truly, truly love this world and its atmosphere. I'll do my very best to help bring that feeling to the anime. A hit horror manga series about an ordinary high school boy, Yoshiki, who experiences various mysterious incidents in his life with Hikaru, a mysterious being who imitates his best friend Hikaru Indo. The story of "whatever it is" and the boy's madness has garnered significant attention, making it a must-see anime film. In a certain village Since their childhood, they have grown up together. Yoshiki and Hikaru, childhood friends. the sun shining down on them the chirping sound of a crypto tympana facialis Ice cream on the way home Laughing over trivial things One day in summer, no different from any other day ...... You're not Hikaru after all, are you? Half a year ago, Hikaru went missing in the mountains. A week later, he came back on a whim. The voice, the figure, the thing that looked like Hikaru What was stirring inside... "Hikaru is no longer with us. ...... if that's the case." Starting the days with "something" in the form of a friend, The "same as usual" everyday life. But at the same time... Strange incidents begin to plague the village. Falling into the unknown "something" The curtain rises on a coming-of-age horror story. Original story: Based on the comic "The Summer Hikaru Died" by Mokumokuren, originally serialized in the YOUNG ACE UP published by KADOKAWA Director/Series Composition: Ryohei Takeshita Character Design/Chief Animation Director: Yuichi Takahashi DORODORO Animator: Masanobu Hiraoka Animation Production: CygamesPictures Copyrights must be indicated when posting or using the image materials. Original work information Title: "The Summer Hikaru Died Author: Mokumokuren Previously published: Volumes 1-5 (Kadokawa Comics A)
