[Dispatch=Yuha Sky Reporter] "After doing acting for over 20 years, there are moments when I gradually become complacent." (Kim Jihoon)

Now in his 25th year since debut. Though already a veteran by career length, actor Kim Jihoon reexamined his acting. It was through meeting Kim Hae-soo and Jo Yeo-jung, and the "pathetic" Jaehong.

Years of experience alone do not make an actor complete. Rather, watching colleagues wrestle fiercely on set, he reflected on himself. He also realized there was still much to fill and grow as an actor.

Dispatch met Kim Jihoon on the 13th. He shared the process of completing Jaehong in the Coupang Play series "The Problem Now Is Not Infidelity" (hereafter "Now Infidelity").

◆ Jaehong exists everywhere

"Now Infidelity" is a black comedy drama. It depicts the story that unfolds as an influencer couple and a neighboring doctor couple become entangled in an unbearable secret. Kim Jihoon played Jaehong, an unknown actor and the husband of the successful wife Kyunghee (Kim Hae-soo).

Kim Jihoon had previously made his presence known through intense villainous roles. In "Ballerina," he played a drug criminal; in "Flower of Evil" and "Soon I Will Die, Lee Jae" he played psychopathic murderers. This time, he held back his strength and brought out a common, shabby face.

The appeal of Jaehong that Kim Jihoon pointed out was also his "triviality." On the surface bright and glib, but internally harboring inferiority from not being recognized as an actor. He appears to live a glamorous life, but in reality, he has accomplished little on his own.

"Everyone lives by pretending to be okay, by seeming cool. But I think everyone has something shabby and trivial inside. I saw Jaehong as a character representing that aspect."

Jaehong's true face becomes clearer the more cornered he becomes. He struggles to clean up his mistakes, but the more he does, the more the situation tangles. Kim Jihoon conveyed Jaehong's impatience and helplessness in a realistic way.

Kim Jihoon focused on drawing Jaehong as an ordinary human who could be anywhere. He explained that he wanted to "create a character that makes you think, 'There's someone like that around me too'—something that resonates."

◆ Learning to act

He shared his first deep collaboration with Kim Hae-soo. As an on-screen couple, they talked extensively from the early stages of filming. From personal stories to how to live as an actor, to thoughts on character, they naturally built couple chemistry by sharing.

Most of all, Kim Hae-soo's attitude toward the set was impressive. Kim Jihoon recalled, "She was more anxious about her acting than some rookie actors and wanted to do better," adding "she was always tense to not miss a single thing she had prepared."

It became a strong stimulus for him. "After doing acting for over 20 years, there are moments when I become complacent," he confessed. "Watching my senior, I thought, 'Even a great senior lives with such humility.' It became an opportunity to look back on myself."

The reunion with Jo Yeo-jung held a different kind of meaning. A relationship from their rookie days where they had already played a couple twice. After 20 years, they matched acting again. Kim Jihoon marveled at Jo Yeo-jung's deepened skill.

Having met good actors, his hunger for acting grew. He explained, "Everyone came to set having prepared fiercely. I also wanted to create one more thing," adding "when a line or two not in the script or an additional reaction was added, there were many moments where the scene came alive."

The actors themselves were satisfied with the completed scenes. Kim Jihoon recalled, "After filming, watching the monitor with the actors, we even applauded," saying "complex situations and emotions came together beautifully. It was work everyone was satisfied with."

◆ Ending satisfaction: 100%

"Now Infidelity" has just passed the midpoint, but numerous incidents have already rushed forward. True to its title, infidelity alone is not the problem. The more one tries to cover up one secret, the bigger an incident erupts, and the characters face unexpected crossroads of choice.

Kim Jihoon was confident, saying "I am 100% satisfied with the work's ending." He said, "Situations realistically continue to tangle and put characters in difficult positions," adding "I think works that maintain plausibility and persuasiveness to the very end while wrapping up cleanly are rare."

It is not a work that stakes everything on sensational subject matter alone. Extreme events such as infidelity, hit-and-run, and corpse abandonment follow one another, but the emotions the characters feel within are realistic. Guilt and desire, selfishness constantly collide.

As it moves toward the second half, that bare face becomes ever more naked. Characters are cornered, and the masks that wrapped around them are peeled off one by one. Kim Jihoon laughed, saying "It might be fun to deduce what will happen next. But I bet you'll all be wrong."

"The protagonists gradually head toward situations where they cannot help but reveal their true depths. When the desires and nature they had hidden are revealed, watch how each of them reacts. You will be able to feel various emotions—fun, empathy, compassion, and more."

◆ An actor's resources to replenish

Kim Jihoon does not often look back over the time that has passed. He neither dwells on past failures nor leans on achievements. Instead, he focuses on who he is now.

Looking at his present self, he rather saw his shortcomings. Kim Jihoon revealed, "Lately I feel like my resources as an actor are depleting," adding "an actor must build nourishment through many experiences, but you can't experience everything directly, can you?"

The answer is to watch and feel quality works. He said, "It is important to accumulate experience indirectly through quality works," adding "I want to seek out more and fill myself again."

His next project is the drama "Signoramore." He took on the role of lawyer Ki Ho-tae, who lives in a camper van and collects debts. He hinted, "He's a character different from what people commonly think of as a lawyer," saying "I'm working hard to prepare to create a character that is not typical."

Kim Jihoon continues to discover his shortcomings and seeks to fill those gaps again. Rather than relying on familiarity, he learns and moves toward yet another character. For him, 25 years is not a number of completion, but a starting point to grow again.

<Photos provided by Coupang Play>