tvN “You Quiz on the Block” broadcast capture
Actor Eum Moon-seok, who left a strong impression by playing ‘Yang-bae’ in the film “Hope,” appeared on “You Quiz on the Block” and opened up about his multifaceted life story.
On the 5th, tvN’s variety show “You Quiz on the Block” featured Eum Moon-seok, a trending actor who has recently captivated both Chungmuro and the small screen. Recently, director Bong Joon-ho lavished praise on him, saying, “How did you cast that person? The movement of his mouth and lower jaw itself is so uncanny and astonishing,” and director Hwang Dong-hyuk likewise said, “When Mr. Eum Moon-seok appears, you sense a strange aura and it creates tension,” holding back no praise.
tvN “You Quiz on the Block” broadcast capture
On how it feels to be shouted out by such master directors, Eum Moon-seok said, “Honestly, it’s scary. I’m way overrated. I’m not that good,” yet added with a bashful smile, “When I said I was coming on ‘You Quiz’ today, my family said, ‘It’s the honor of the family; now it’s Jensen Eum,’ and were delighted.”
Though he now stands in a bright spotlight, Eum Moon-seok’s path to today was a relentless fight for survival. Originally dreaming of becoming a dancer, he moved alone to Seoul at 16 and couch-surfed at friends’ places. Living on 5,000 won a day and surviving on convenience-store food, he recalled, “Out of 365 days, I ate only ramen and kimchi sent from the countryside for 320330 of them. I got scaly patches around my mouth and my hands and feet trembled.”
tvN “You Quiz on the Block” broadcast capture
When MC Yoo Jae-suk asked, “Did you ever think about going back to your hometown?”, Eum shared a heart-tugging story. One day he got word that his father was coming to Seoul, and when they met at the terminal, his father took crumpled bills from his pocket and pressed them into his hand.
The mix of ten-thousand and one-thousand-won notes was practically all his father had. Eum said, “Seeing his back, I resolved to get tougher to make it so others couldn’t help but acknowledge me,” moving viewers to tears.
tvN “You Quiz on the Block” broadcast capture
He later debuted as a singer at 24 under the stage name ‘SIC,’ but financial hardship continued, and at 30 he appeared on Mnet’s “Dancing 9,” finishing runner-up with krump dance; due to sprains in both shoulders, he needed three years of treatment after the show ended. Even on the day’s taping, he showcased undimmed, passionate dance skills and earned big applause.
The reason he, who had devoted his youth to dance, began acting was unexpected. Disliking the expression on his face while dancing on stage, he started studying acting, found it fun, and began going to film auditions. He eventually made a belated acting debut at 36 as Squad Member 4 in the film “Confidential Assignment.” However, as roles still didn’t come easily, he produced a short film at his own expense, and that work even achieved the miracle of being invited to a non-competitive section of the Cannes Film Festival.
The decisive turning point was the “The Fiery Priest” character ‘Jang-ryong.’ To secure the role, he bought a bob wig himself and even filmed an acting reel to appeal to the director, and at last he etched his name into the public consciousness.
tvN “You Quiz on the Block” broadcast capture
In particular, Eum shared a deeply moving story about how, when he received a Best New Actor honor at an acting awards ceremony, his fatherthen battling lung cancercame to see him. His father looked fondly at his son’s back, and later told his older sister, “I can die without regret now,” adding to the poignancy. He wrapped up warmly by saying that with the money he earned from “The Fiery Priest,” he took his father on their first-ever overseas tripSaipana lifelong wish.
Having overcome hardship and poverty to establish himself as a signature purveyor of individuality and an irreplaceable actor of substance representing Korea, Eum Moon-seok’s candid confession left a lingering resonance and deep emotion in living rooms nationwide.
