Lee Junho. Provided by O3 Collective.

Actor and singer Lee Junho said he put a lot of effort into embodying a 1990s style.

On the 2nd, at a cafe in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Lee Junho met with Sports Kyunghyang for an interview commemorating the conclusion, on the 30th, of the tvN drama ‘Taepung Company’.

In the drama, Lee Junho played Kang Taepung, a novice salaryman who, during the 1997 IMF era, found himself president of a trading company with no employees, no money, and nothing to sell. A former member of the Apgujeong orange tribe, Kang Taepung drew viewers in by perfectly recreating 1990s details, including bridge hair, leather outfits, and even earrings.

Lee Junho. Provided by O3 Collective.

Lee Junho, who said he was an elementary school student during the IMF period, raised a wry smile as he said, “A period piece means acting a time I have not lived through, and it seems that for people these days the IMF period is considered a period piece,” adding, “I have now become like this (in age).”

Lee Junho said, “For the hairstyle, I looked to senior Lee Jae-hoon of ‘Cool’ and to senior Kim Min-jong in the drama ‘Mr. Q’,” and continued, “While watching broadcasts and photos from back then, I completed the ‘Kang Taepung’ character. I also referenced the outfits worn by actors of that time, and if a similar outfit was not available, I bought it with my own money,” sharing that he put in a lot of effort.

He went on, “Even in the same period, everyone felt and experienced different things, so I do not think there is such a thing as 100 percent historical accuracy,” and added, “Even so, I tried to reproduce as much as possible the generation of that time that the younger generation today does not know well. It was an enjoyable task.”