PUBLISHED ONAugust 25, 2022 10:45 AMByDrima ChakrabortyKim Min-jae is 'time travelling' to the Joseon Dynasty once again since his role as matchmaker Ma Hoon in 2019's Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency.
This time, he plays the titular Yoo Se-poong in the K-drama Poong, The Joseon Psychiatrist.
In an email interview with AsiaOne recently, Min-jae, 25, admitted that his character is "not a perfect medical practitioner".
Poong, once a royal physician, gets involved in a conspiracy that sees him ousted from the royal court, leaving him unable to practise acupuncture due to trauma. He moves to the idyllic Gyesu village to heal people's hearts and mental suffering instead.
Min-jae said of his role: "He is someone who treats and brings comfort to many others while overcoming his trauma. While playing him, I would wonder if I had the ability in real life to heal the suffering of others too."
Part of his preparation included studying how people in the Joseon dynasty acted and spoke, and how to put on the traditional Korean hanbok.
When it came to his approach to Poong, who is a genius physician, Min-jae opted for empathy instead of treating other characters with arrogance.
He explained: "I envisioned my character as the medical practitioner I would like to have if I were a patient myself."
Despite Min-jae acting as a psychiatrist, he shared that he doesn't know how to manage negativity and his own mental health. He reckons that is why he was drawn to the character.
However, he does consider listening to what his "heart has to say" as an important step of managing negativity.
"Sometimes it is important to build up one's ability to ignore all things negative," he said. "I think it is crucial for me to show myself love in order to not be too harsh on myself, while also taking the time to listen to what my heart has to say."
That would be the same advice that he has for his audience as well and suggested that they do something they like or enjoy.
He added that doing something simple like working out, or just partaking in one's hobbies might help: "I believe that people can get healed while doing things that they like."
Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist, has been a great hit with Korean audiences as it tackles mental health issues in a lighthearted and comedic way.
The show recorded an average rating of 5.127 per cent on Aug 15 according to Nielsen Korea. The rating refers to the percentage of households who tuned into the show during its airing slot.
In Singapore, you can watch Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist, also featuring Kim Hyang-gi and Kim Sang-hyun, on the Viu streaming platform.
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drimac@asiaone.com
