In northern India, the road to Alwar located near Rajasthan was more difficult than they had anticipated. They shouldn’t have believed so easily when they heard that it would only take 4 and a half hours from Delhi Airport.
For the people who measure time by the ticks of a clock, it wasn’t easy joining people in a city who followed the spirit of time. All too often, they complained, “Are we out here filming The Laws of the Jungle“.
For seven hours, the enormous dust cloud followed the van as if it were a genie from a magical lamp. Amongst all the dust, dawn was peeking, and out of the van window they could see the people of Ajabgarh going about their daily lives like a mirage in a desert.
Someone commented in awe, “I feel like Indiana Jones. It’s as if we are journeying through the past.”
But the villa favored by the king hundreds of years ago became nothing more than a dry village for the poor. The lake barely survived the monsoon, becoming a puddle of sticky acorn jello (t/n: Korean traditional food), but they were relieved to find the people’s hearts were still full of moisture.
“Wow, this is a tremendous country.” Jaejoong’s reflection of happiness and sadness aroused inspiration as the elegant resort opened up without a single notice. Within the sound of the faint sadness, their minds became clear.
Jaejoong, as a member of JYJ, gives more attention to the diversity of development rather than just concentrating on one field. However, he has never endured the experience of seeing various challenges and images all at once before.
Our decision to choose the location in India was based on his confidence in diversity. In all his travels to various places around the world, the one place he had not reached was India.
Luckily, they were able to find a good location to travel in. And so, the journey began.
With the title of an actor, the imaginary world he had envisioned also included the issue of diversity. In the drama, “Dr. Jin”, Jaejoong becomes an honest police official named Kim Kyungtak and experiences a platonic love. At the same time, he stars as an odd guy named Choi Hyun in “Code Name: Jackal”. Although Jaejoong suffered from a lack of sleep, his input and output became natural as if he were in a trance.
“It was difficult filming both pieces together, but I wanted to be able to show different characters, and this was my chance to show two completely different characters. Luckily, I was good at memorizing my lines. (Serious) I think it was because I took Omega 3, a nutrient that helps with blood flow.”
Since “Dr. Jin” was a historical drama, there were some difficulties. There was little change in sceneries and interests, so it was difficult for someone who wanted to experience new things. As the drama reached its peak and viewers began giving interest, Jaejoong found that he could change his attitude.
And with this peak, even viewers who preferred “A Gentleman’s Dignity” became interested in Jaejoong’s character.
“I thought, I could try harder in the next piece, and instantly I felt better. I was able to do an absolute evaluation. For myself.”
In the historical drama, Jaejoong had to research and figure out ways to express the character of Kim KyungTak, but in “Code Name: Jackal” he was able to be himself as he acted out Choi Hyun’s role.
“I showed a lot of myself being broken. There were a few scenes that made me think, ‘Really? Really like that?’ I really laughed with my whole body. My character looks like a really egocentric singer but you’ll find out that he’s actually a naïve man. He becomes a star and as he is getting popular, he gets kidnapped by a killer.”
For a day, the top star, a singer named Choi Hyuneun gets kidnapped. The fact that he is a singer helps because it develops a similar character to Jaejoong himself. It was a chance for Jaejoong to be able to show very realistic acting, a side he was not able to reveal previously.
“We are both singers. Stars are often required to show perfection, but there should be a side that shows that they are human too, that they are imperfect. I figured I could slowly show some hidden qualities of myself.”
Jaejoong was personally friends with his partner, actress Song Jihyo, but with this chance they were able to find out each other’s acting styles.
“Since the category is comedy, some takes were quite interesting. Other than what the director wanted, there were times when Song Jihyo and I took the takes from different perspectives. This was when I was getting less sleep, so while monitoring; I could tell that some scenes were not so good. But I was never worried about ruining my image. I was fine with getting soaked, getting rained on, even electrocuted.”
Jaejoong’s confrontation to exposure can be connected to his view to have an open mind while acting.
Jaejoong entered acting through the Japanese drama, “Sunao Ni Narenakute” but his official entrance to acting was through “Protect the Boss” with Choi Kang Hee.
With an eccentric female secretary, he acted as a rich kid, but the character he played was a bit less lively than he had hoped for. When confronted with a new challenge, his true feelings could be seen even through his attempts at a poker face.
“There were some difficulties. As a singer who sings and dances, I do not have the same skills when it comes to acting as an actor. So I plan on learning step by step slowly. But this does not mean I will lose interest in music. It may seem that I am acting more and singing less than before, but I will not use ‘I was busy acting’ or ‘I have lost inspiration’ as excuses and I have been using my spare time to write songs and listen to music.”
“It is good to broaden my skills but I do not want to abandon a set of skills I have obtained in order to find a new one. So I felt that I shouldn’t get lost in my identity and instead just give myself time for the extra things I want to do.”
“At first I wasn’t skilled at music either. Dancing and singing were not my thing. Training helped out a lot, but in the end, personal experience was what helped me the most. So I hope acting will work in a similar way by adding experience one by one.”
In the past, because of his image, people took his attitude as cynical and sarcastic so many people had said, “I thought his personality would not be that good”. But through his hard work, he has resolved [those preconceptions].
His path as an actor has helped him become more flexible. Of course there were still a few difficulties.
“As Kim Jaejoong began acting more in dramas there have been more people recognizing him. But I feel sad that overseas fans overlook the band JYJ and still think of me as previous YongWoong Jaejoong. It’s a problem of time and all I can do is try harder.”
The three members of JYJ, who are organically working towards the relative opportunities that can help in building each members’ careers, find themselves on a secondary path in their careers where they can concentrate in various potential areas.
“Right now, we are in a process of developing skills and increasing knowledge so I wonder how large our synergy will be once we meet up together.”
One thing Jaejoong is sad about is that there has been less opportunities to interact with his fans than before.
“It was like a festival. Festival!” The opportunities for concerts in South America and Spain have slowly been increasing.
“When I was young, I thought popularity would follow if I did well. Now, I know that even if I do well, this is not the case. Because it is up to other people too.”
In addition, nine years in the entertainment business can naturally lead to changes and they end up redeveloping their relationship with their fans.
“Actually thinking of losing fans can make things very difficult. People who say that they are content with only producing music have most likely not felt the love of fans. Making music and being loved for it is a happiness that most do not know of. Doing it because you like it is one thing, but doing it for others is another. There is a whole different level of satisfaction. Same with cooking. You cook thinking; ‘I hope the person finds the food delicious’. If there were no one there to listen to our songs, that would be the worst feeling possible.”
When we look back at our trip to India, we remember having fans call the resort that we were staying in every day, emailing us, and even following us out to the resort.
“What’s left of the last eight, nine years seems to be the ‘spirit’. We had too many things to do. If you think about it, we’re in a similar spot right now. As much as we have improved and developed, it took that much time. And popularity cannot always be infinite. People say to live as if you were 20 even in your 30s. If there is one thing different from the past, I think it’s that the fear of challenge has left. But our inspiration has not changed.”
For a mature person like him, traveling to a new location is a chance for him to experience a more slow-paced lifestyle. But the activities in his life are on a constant increase and traveling can be seen as a brief break from his busy life.
In the end, life is an adventure and adventures are difficult. In the past, the heritage flourished in the small town of India and their ‘spirit’ seems to last with them forever.
To Jaejoong, this journey brought forth the reality of the coming tomorrow and the unforeseeable future. This has definitely left a fine impression on him.
*click to enlarge
View transcription of the interview (Cr: @126×204)
Source: ELLE Korea November 2012
Translated by: Yule @ PrinceJJ
Cover photo scanned by: Frapbois
Interview text scanned by: Ces @ PrinceJJ
Shared by: PrinceJJ
“As Kim Jaejoong began acting more in dramas there have been more people recognizing him. But I feel sad that overseas fans overlook the band JYJ and still think of me as previous YongWoong Jaejoong. It’s a problem of time and all I can do is try harder.”
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3,2,1
butthurt yj shippers and ot5 will be denying it lol
even if Jaejoong tell them it & they see the scans.
p.s. where said he said hate green ??? LOL
poor fake shippers
soooo this is it…everyones talking about this that got me confused with sooo many trans.posting on twitter…finally here…..
whatever it is ..my king i love you as JAEJOONG of JYJ..past is past…yes past is important we have to live in present to have a promising great future…damn all those delusional fans..
JAEJOONG and JYJ solid…
beeeer strong <3
past is important BUTBUTBUT we have to live in present
Reblogged this on Fazzienaz's Journal.
Jaejoong, as a member of JYJ, gives more attention to the diversity of development rather than just concentrating on one field.
And I’m loving it now, though I miss KJJ the singer, but as I journey with him, I realized that he’s such a wise man and I’m so thankful and proud for the diverse path he has chosen.
But I feel sad that overseas fans overlook the band JYJ and still think of me as previous YongWoong Jaejoong.
THIS. I think those kind of people are so engulfed with their own personal desires, not taking into into consideration that Jaejoong is a human being with a life to live , not their toy or property.
A very nice article, you can really tell the level of maturity and wisdom he has acquired all these years. I feel like a PROUD mom.
anyone who doubts the translation should bring the scans to someone reputable and get it translated again. please stop listening to and spreading the grossly inaccurate “translations” by certain persons on twitter/tumblr/everywhere else just because it fits your purpose better. it is highly disrespectful to Jaejoong when you support those who intentionally violate his wishes.
I actually spent quite a long time to carefully read through this interview word by word. It’s well-written. Jaejoong is profound and insightful as always. He’s open and honest about his thoughts and feelings. I like he doesn’t limit himself in anything. He as well as Yoochun and Junsu are no longer afraid of taking on challenges in different fields to broaden their scopes. They have become all-roun artists. Yet, Jae never forgets where his greatest passion lies and doesn’t ever want to give up doing what he loves most. I support all his journeys, and he should live his life to the fullest. This paragraph “Actually thinking of losing fans….. would be the worst feeling possible.” is my favorite. It shows how much he cherishes his fans and doesn’t take anything for granted.
Jaejoong has already stated his stance, so some malicious people should stop twisting his words, or putting words in his mouth. If you truly love him, respect his past and let it rest, love him in the present and look forward to the future. Don’t cling to something that was over then force your obsession or selfish desires on him. He deserves better than that.
Jaejoong has matured so much over the years, fans should be very proud of him in many different ways
Reblogged this on dreamalexia.
Indiana Jones vs Dr. Jaejoong
This adventurous shooting portrayed oriental Zen & discovery of ancient wisdom ,
wish Jaejoong as successful as Harrison Ford.
oh wow, this is a really inspirational interview that’s also well written (props to the journalist and translator)
i’ve read it by now already two times and each time i was impressed by Jaejoong’s words
they are really food for thought
If I can borrow @katy’s ‘food for thought’; I hope some of those delusional ones will take the time to read this article, digest the thoughts within very s-l-o-w-l-y and try to understand that Kim Jaejoong is looking forward, not back. The past is past! All of that is over and done with; end of chapter.
of course you can borrow it
that’s one of the most inspiring things about Jaejoong’s (or JYJ’s ) interviews: they really want to look forward and learn from the past
the delusional ones should stop whining that JYJ can’t do that, because every interview shows otherwise
we can’t live in the past. it’s a fact. so we must move on. keep strong. as fans we must support them.. JYJ fighting!!! ^^
Reblogged this on murasaki 紫 and commented:
Only Jaeharem and JYJ Fans will be with them for now and future.
Jaejoong,your past was great,nothing to feel bad about it,I got to know you through variety of concerts and shows in the past.And your present is much better.You are getting hotter and maturer.With both acting and singing,your future is unlimited.
Loving every bit of this interview. Nice.