‘IT’S OKAY TO HAVE A BAD DAY’: SEO IN-GUK

THE SOUTH KOREAN SUPERSTAR OPENS UP TO US ABOUT HOW REAL ARTISTS ARE ‘TRUE IN THE DARK AND HUMBLE IN THE SPOTLIGHT’

- DEBASHREE DUTTA

You know you’re in for a treat when Seo In-guk appears on screen (literally speaking) – whether it’s a stellar performance as an actor, a song in which his musicianship stands out, or a candid conversation with him on Zoom. As a South Korean superstar, Seo is undeniably one of a kind. His acting skills? We don’t even need to go there; he’s a prodigy. His immaculate satoori dialect struck me when I first met him in Reply 1997 and began to pay attention to his work, which includes a roster of super hits like Master’s Sun (2013), High School King of Savvy (2014), Hello Monster (2015), Squad 38 (2016), Shopping King Louie (2016), The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (2018), Doom At Your Service (2021) and the ongoing Café Minamdang. I believe that Seo became a star long before the Korean wave happened.

Trust me on this: when I started watching Café Minamdang (Minamdang in Korean) a week ago, I had no idea I’d end up interviewing him in the next few days. I struck up a conversation with him at 11.30 am IST on the day of the interview. Seo In-guk, mark my words, is the sweetest, most humble, and soft-spoken person I’ve ever come across. Meeting him left me with only one question: “Like how?” Apparently, that’s what real artists are – “true in the dark and humble in the spotlight.” I initiated the discussion in Korean as an icebreaker, and there he was, with the most incredulous expression, marvelling at how an Indian journalist could be proficient in Korean.