From his on-screen friendship with Jung Hae In to the fun moments behind the scenes, Jeong Soon-won has plenty to share about his time filming Our Sticky Love. In an exclusive interview the actor talks about bringing Kim Gang-rok to life and his favourite filming memories. Read on more and he reveals the kind of role he would love to take on next!
| Q: What was your first impression of Kim Gang-rok when you read the script? |
| Jeong Soon-won: I was drawn to the contrast between Gang-rok’s rough past and his humorous present-day self. That unexpected charm pulled me in. As a dependable ally to Jang Tae-ha and a reliable helper to Go Eun-sae, I found all kinds of ideas for how to play him in a fun, engaging way. |
| Q: What did you focus on most when portraying Gang-rok? |
| Jeong Soon-won: Even in complicated circumstances, I tried to keep Gang-rok’s emotions straightforward and sincere. When he first arrives in the village, viewers see him through Tae-ha’s eyes, so he can come across as suspicious, but that wasn’t something I played up on purpose. What mattered more was genuinely showing how happy he was to see Tae-ha, how glad to be back in the village with him. To people already suspicious of him, I think that kind of unguarded sincerity could actually feel more unsettling. |
| Q: How did you build the sense of trust and loyalty between Gang-rok and Jang Tae-ha? |
| Jeong Soon-won: I tried to keep the dialogue between Tae-ha and Gang-rok to a minimum. Gang-rok needed to instinctively understand what Tae-ha wanted and how he felt about Eun-sae, the kind of guy who moves before Tae-ha even has to ask. And Tae-ha was the same for Gang-rok, always the first to step in, whatever Gang-rok needed or whatever danger he was in. |
| Q: How was it working with Jung Hae-in, and how did you develop your on-screen chemistry? |
| Jeong Soon-won: Hae-in is polite, humble, principled, genuine. Once I understood that about him, we connected easily, and he made me so comfortable that working together on set felt effortless. We both love watching films and dramas, so we got closer trading recommendations, and I think that naturally fed into our chemistry as actors too. Rather than pushing his own approach, he’d watch how I wanted to play a scene first and adjust to match. So even though he’s actually younger than me, there were moments he felt like an older brother, just like Jang Tae-ha does. |
| Q: Was there a scene or moment from filming that was especially memorable for you? |
| Jeong Soon-won: The final wedding scene comes to mind, the one where we perform the wedding song. The Taffy Village S.E.S. actors practiced a lot for it, and I worked hard on my rap part too. I was really nervous, but once we finished filming it, my first thought was, We finally did it! Then we all got soaked in the rain together. As adults, you don’t often get the chance to have that much fun in the rain, so I think it became an unforgettable memory for everyone. |
| Q: Our Sticky Love has received a lot of attention internationally. What has the global response meant to you personally? |
| Jeong Soon-won: I’m really happy to see K-dramas getting so much love around the world, and grateful that international viewers connect with Korean emotions, culture, and stories. The love Our Sticky Love is getting globally is also part of a path paved by the great K-dramas before us that found such a strong response overseas. I hope even more international fans will continue to enjoy and support Korean dramas going forward. |
| Q: Looking back at your career so far, how do you feel you’ve changed or grown as an actor? |
| Jeong Soon-won: I’m really grateful more people are watching my work than ever before. Along with the joy of that comes a bigger sense of responsibility. I’ve still got a lot to learn, so I wouldn’t say I’ve grown dramatically as an actor. I think I’ve just gotten more comfortable on set, and I try to let go of the awkwardness I used to feel and approach each performance a little more relaxed. Going forward, I hope to keep growing steadily as an actor, without ever losing my curiosity or willingness to keep learning. |
| Q: What has playing Gang-rok taught you about yourself, and what would you like to explore in your next role? |
| Jeong Soon-won: Playing Gang-rok, I discovered how rewarding it is to work with a great crew. Everyone on Our Sticky Love, across every department, was incredibly talented, and seeing the results on the monitor during filming genuinely thrilled me. It made me want to work even harder, just to live up to that kind of crew. As for a role I’d like to try in the future… I think it would be fun to play a superhero with special powers. |
We would like to thank L’July Entertainment for the opportunity for this interview!
Photo courtesy: L’July Entertainment
