I thought it’d be interesting to read this brief interview that columnist Jung Suk Hee had with Hoya, whose role was Jun-hui in the drama. It’s always good to be informed about what the writers and the people behind the scenes desire with the roles of such characters, particularly Jun-hui. Two things can be revealed through this interview.
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The company’s trepidation over the role – Hoya’s company director and those close to Hoya were worried that this role would reflect badly upon him (and perhaps by extension the idol group that he belonged to at the time, Infinite). This reveals societal pressures and on a lesser note, an implication that K-pop is of course, most profitable when the public and the fans think positively of you, translating into profit.
- The creators’ intentions behind such a character – As the second question points out, homosexuality is still not accepted within Korean society(1). However, I find it interesting that the director wanted the character Jun-hui to stay within the boundaries. While his answer was formed in response to the specific question as to why “many people had no feelings of rejection toward” Jun-hui, I interpreted it at the same time as fear that going too far would alienate the character with the viewership.
What do you think? With such a platform, do you think the writers should have gone further? Would it have backfired? Questions to consider!
Source interview: Jnkm. “Hoya Speaks About Role in “Answer Me 1997” in Interview.” Soompi. September 19, 2012. https://www.soompi.com/2012/09/19/hoya-speaks-about-role-in-answer-me-1997-in-interview/.
(1) Hu, Elise. “For South Korea’s LGBT Community, An Uphill Battle For Rights.” NPR. July 25, 2017. http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/07/25/538464851/for-south-koreas-lgbt-community-an-uphill-battle-for-rights.