[TF Interview] Justin Min's 'Flowing Journey' That Moved Him
German-born conductor Min-jun living in Korea"I hope you watch 'The Moving Journey' while breathing comfortably."Actor Justin H. Min met with
for an interview commemorating the release of the movie 'The Moving Journey'. / Film Company Jinjin[THE FACT | Reporter Chae-young Moon] Korean-American actor Justin H. Min will meet with the domestic audience through 'The Moving Journey'. His reason for choosing the work is clear: he was moved as soon as he read the script. Justin H. Min overcomes even the language barrier for his work.Justin H. Min recently met with at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul, for an interview commemorating the release of the movie 'The Moving Journey' (directed by Jin-yu Kim). He plays Min-jun, a conductor who was adopted to Germany as a child and comes to Korea to find the mother who gave birth to him. He shared various stories related to the work.'The Moving Journey', released on the 28th of last month, is a story about Chun-hee (played by Hye-ok Kim), who, after her husband passed away, was preparing for her own trip, meets unexpected people at her new apartment, and her quiet daily life undergoes new changes.For Justin H. Min, 'The Moving Journey' is his first leading role in a Korean feature film. He said, "They say you never forget your firsts, and 'The Moving Journey' is that kind of movie for me. Not only did I face beautiful scenery every day while filming in Gangneung, but I also had many fun and new experiences, such as stage greetings meeting the audience."Actor Justin H. Min plays Min-jun, a conductor who comes to Korea to find the mother who gave birth to him after being adopted to Germany as a child in the movie 'The Moving Journey'. / Film Company JinjinWhat was Justin H. Min's reason for choosing 'The Moving Journey'? He said, "For a long time, I looked for works in Korea that I could appear in, but there were no stories that resonated with me. The script for 'The Moving Journey' that I encountered then felt deeply moving as soon as I read it. The story and characters were excellent.""The criteria for choosing a project in Korea are not particularly different from when I'm in the US. I choose based on my thoughts and circumstances at the time, rather than focusing on just one thing. But above all, the most important thing is my heart. There must be something in the work that makes me cry. Whether it's the story or the character, it must be able to move my soul."However, there were difficulties. Trying to act in Korean, which he was not familiar with, required several times more effort than acting in English. Justin H. Min confessed, "When I act in English, I can fully focus on the emotions. But when I act in Korean, I have to understand the words first."But because of that, there are also advantages. Justin H. Min said, "The good thing about acting in Korean is that a different side of me is expressed. Language is like magic. When I look at Min-jun, I think he's a completely different person. Acting in Korean feels warmer and has a childlike innocence.""My Korean skills are improving very slowly, little by little. I think I'm improving a lot by hearing various words and conversations while filming in Korea. It's still difficult to act as a character in Korean, but I like that I can show another side of myself."Actor Justin H. Min felt a deep sense of kinship with Min-jun in the movie 'The Moving Journey'. As a Korean-American himself, he has experienced the same emotions as the outsider Min-jun. / Film Company JinjinMin-jun in 'The Moving Journey' is an outsider visiting Korea. Although there are no significant external differences, as soon as he speaks, everyone recognizes that he is from abroad. Although he lives in Korea with a goal, he has a great distance from others culturally and linguistically.Korean-American Justin H. Min deeply understood Min-jun. Justin H. Min said, "Like Min-jun, who is from Germany, I am also a foreigner from the US. I felt that Min-jun would feel the same way I felt when I first came to Korea as a child.""When I first came to Korea, I felt like I couldn't fully assimilate. I feel comfort and stability seeing people who look like me walking on the streets when I return to my motherland, but because I don't know the language or culture well, I didn't know how to act. I was very surprised to see them following seniority by age, unlike in the US."Therefore, Justin H. Min spared no effort in portraying the character of Min-jun. He came up with various ideas related to clothing, hairstyles, and accessories. He also personally devised the detail of using a straw to drink makgeolli from a wine glass."All aspects of Min-jun are parts of myself that exist somewhere within me. Like the saying, 'I have many faces within me.' I also like classical music, which is similar. Although it was unintentional, my taste for makgeolli is also similar. However, I think Min-jun lives life more optimistically and brightly than I do. (laughs)"Actor Justin H. Min has announced his return to a new Korean film in 2027. He expressed his desire to meet the audience in a role that experiences extreme suffering someday. / Film Company JinjinJustin H. Min also talked about his chemistry with Hye-ok Kim, another lead actor in the film. He said, "While filming with Teacher Hye-ok Kim, a deep connection was formed. She took good care of me. Thanks to her, I felt the Korean sentiment of 'jeong' more deeply. It's a feeling I can't get anywhere else."He felt even greater sadness in the final scene of the movie because of this. Justin H. Min explained, "Min-jun spends a lot of time with Chun-hee in the play. But in the end, he loses Chun-hee. While acting as Min-jun in the scene where he conducts a performance remembering Chun-hee, I felt deep sadness and pain."He praised Dae-ho Park, who played Sung-chan, who learns piano from Min-jun. He said, "Park Dae-ho is the sweetest young man I know. He was very easy to work with and had a strong will to learn. Thanks to his best efforts, we were able to create great chemistry."Justin H. Min hopes to continue meeting audiences through Korean projects. He is currently diligently reviewing scripts and is scheduled to release his next project next year. He stated, "I want to play a genius role experiencing extreme suffering in a Korean film."Finally, Justin H. Min explained the meaning of 'The Moving Journey' to himself. He said, "While filming the movie, I felt like I was living slowly. I hope the audience can also take a break. I hope they can slow down and watch it while breathing comfortably.""The world moves too fast these days, so we miss out on the small happiness and simple joys in everyday life. Moments like watching a beautiful sunset or sharing a delicious dinner with a friend. I hope that for the moment you watch this movie, you feel like you are taking a slow break in your short life."[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]mcy21@tf.co.kr
