[Spotlight] Jo In Sung Makes the Singaporean Media Laugh With His Bubbly Personality

For the first time ever, members of the media were greeted with claps and welcome cheers as we entered the function room to meet Jo In Sung, who was in Singapore on May 22 to promote “That Winter, the Wind Blows.” The gesture certainly made us feel like we were the guests of honor! At the front of the room was Jo In Sung, dressed smartly in a blue shirt and pants, paired with red sneakers, and smiling as the media staff took their seats. The session started with a photo call and a group photo with the media.

Even after two hours into the press conference, Jo In Sung showed no sign of weariness, and instead looked very relaxed, playful, and amicable as he slouched comfortably in his armchair.

Jo In Sung, who was in Malaysia the day before, said he was expecting only 13 fans to show up at the Malaysian fan meeting and was very surprised when 5,000 showed up to support him. He said it was a great gift from the fans, citing it as the biggest fan-meeting turnout in his whole career.

What made Jo In Sung choose this drama after coming back from military service?

The actor said, “There was no reason not to select this piece. I was working with a good writer and director, a beautiful actress, good looking co-stars, and senior actors and actresses.”

Was Jo In Sung satisfied with his performance in it?

He replied, “Looking back now, I could have done better.”

The actor was also asked to rate himself and he took a long time to consider before humbly giving himself a 7 and hesitantly added a 0.5 to it, drawing laughter from the media. By this time, I couldn’t help gushing about this long-legged actor to my photographer-partner @aprilliax.

When asked about the most painful feeling or moment of Oh Soo that was unforgettable for him (a question from Soompier @park_shindae), Jo In Sung said “The life of Oh Soo was very sorrowful and tough from the beginning, born with a lot of sadness. At birth, he was separated from his mother, and the love of his life died from a car accident. Most people grew up being loved by their parents and people around us but Oh Soo was not loved from the beginning. Getting into character every time was very difficult for me, but through Oh Young, Oh Soo started learning what love is.”

Jo In Sung was then asked to describe himself in three words. I was looking forward to hearing him say something about his personality but the cheeky actor answered with a straight face “Jo, In, Sung,” again making all of us laugh!

Does he prefer kissing a comedian like Park Kyung Lim (in “Nonstop 2″) or beautiful actress Song Hye Kyo?

Jo In Sung replied, “Kissing a comedian or beautiful actress doesn’t matter because it is a character that is kissing – there is no emphasis on the kiss. The public was able to enjoy the kiss scene in ‘Nonstop’ and it was quite popular. Also, working with Kyung Lim noona was the least stressful work experience. If there is a really good opportunity to do a sitcom, I could do a really good job! Sitcoms are dying out in Korea these days. I wish more sitcoms would come out and give laughter to people who are having a hard time.”

What are the similarities between Jo In Sung and Oh Soo?

Jo In Sung said, “Oh Soo’s character in a way came out of my own character so we share a common bond. Sometimes Oh Soo brings out more laughter and fun and that is how I am. The difference is that I don’t con people.”

Fans of the drama “That Winter, the Wind Blows” must be curious if Oh Soo really died in the end.

Jo In Sung replied, “I received this question quite often from the Korean press. Oh Soo is alive and next to Oh Young and they live happily ever after.”

Many actors are participating in original soundtracks these days, but Jo In Sung has no plans to do so even though he loves music. He joked, “My fans would probably leave me if I start singing.” Awww, I’m sure some vocal training wouldn’t hurt, right?

If Jo In Sung could change one thing about the Korean entertainment industry, what would it be?

He replied, “I hadn’t thought about anything specifically that I would like to change but I wish co-workers could respect each other more and take care of each other more.”

Jo In Sung is great at doing sad emotional scenes – what does it take to portray them?

He responded, “It is very difficult and we get very exhausted after crying. Given that I have to cry 5 or 6 times, it is very difficult but when I’m focused on Song Hye Kyo, it’s very easy to bring out the emotions. Song Hye Kyo is able to bring out the tears. She is one of the best emotional actresses in Korea, so we are drawn up by the emotions of the person opposite us. Thanks to Song Hye Kyo.”

Jo In Sung explained that the kissing while crying scene in episode 16 was also the most challenging, saying, “For both of us, it was very difficult to prepare the emotions and make the scene look good.”

When exactly did Oh Soo fall in love with Oh Young? Many friends of the media were surprised by the revelation as it happened early in episode two (three to be more precise). “There was a narration by Oh Soo when the hug took place at the train platform. Through Oh Young, Oh Soo was able to see himself. That’s when the love started.”

Female fans, know what to wear if you get to meet Jo In Sung in person — his favorite style is “a girl that looks good in jeans.”

Thanks to Channel ONE for inviting Soompi to the media conference.

Photo credit: Channel ONE (without watermark)