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Weak Hero Class 2 Park Ji Hoon shares his experience playing Yeon Si Eun, once again.
Weak Hero Class 2 is a tale of growth and survival of model student Yeon Si Eun (Park Ji Hoon), who transfers to a new school carrying the trauma of failing to protect a friend while standing against violence. Determined never to lose another friend again, he confronts greater violence, unfolding a desperate struggle for survival.
On April 28, the actor opened up about playing the high-school character, who has undergone a change after failing to protect his friend in Season 1.
Even in Season 1, Park Ji Hoon was praised for acting expressively with his eyes. Talking about it, he said, "I didn't consciously calculate my eye acting. I think I tend to just be aware of the scenario and go in. I only thought about the framework of the situation. I would arrive with a blank slate and then fill my mind by talking with the director before shooting. Yeon Si Eun is a character whose blood, running through his body, had turned cold from how furious he was. That's what I felt. Because he's such a cold and stoic character, there were many times while acting that I didn't even realize my facial muscles were trembling. When I was watching the monitor, I thought, 'Ah, I really was immersed.' It's not about whether I did well or not, but I think it showed that the character was well expressed within the frame, and seeing that surprised me."
As his favorite scene, he chose the moment when, after a fight with Yeon Si Eun, Na Baek Jin (Bae Na Ra) collapses and Yeon Si Eun turns to look back at him.
Park explained, "Aren't Na Baek Jin and Yeon Si Eun quite similar in many ways? Although the paths they took took them to different endings, I thought that maybe he could have walked the same path as my character. Na Baek Jin ends up alone without any friends, whereas Si Eun gains friends by the end. I felt there was a similarity between them in that regard."
Regarding the upgraded action compared to Class 1, Park Ji Hoon said, "Because Si Eun lost a friend, he carried a lot of built-up emotions, and as his ability to endure [hits] strengthened, it felt like he became better at fighting too. I tried studying Si Eun's other emotions, and compared to Class 1, I would say he's more consumed by anger now. I wanted to convey that he's not fighting to end the fight but to stop 'this meaningless nonsense.' I think what changed is that he tries to fight a little more skillfully and uses his opponent's belongings in action. In Class 2, there's a scene where he ends up fighting Choi Hyo Man (Yoo Soo Bin) — even though it might seem like he's saving Seo Jun Tae (Choi Min Yeong), it's not because he intended to. You might have wondered why he's not immediately jumping into action, but I believe it's because Si Eun is not a character who enjoys fighting. He's not someone who fights to overcome trauma; rather, he’s someone who fights only when absolutely necessary. If you watch while focusing more on the friend's story rather than the action, you'll understand why he tries not to fight."
He continued, "I didn't really feel any physical difficulty. Since I love dancing and still dance, I didn't feel any physical limits. It never occurred to me that I'm getting older. I didn't gain weight during Class 1, but doing action scenes without eating was tough — really tough. So, for this, I made sure to eat healthy meals for each shoot. Though it looks like we're hitting each other cleverly, we're actually not. We wore protective gear, so there were no major injuries. Because if you don't get it in one take, you have to do multiple takes, so we tried to be comfortable — getting hit when needed, hitting when needed... Personally, I find getting hit easier. Even in Class 1, there was a scene where I tied the other person to a curtain and hit him. Since I couldn't use a mannequin, I had to actually hit the person, and it was tough. When I think about it, I find it more comforting to get hit than to hit."
Another action K-drama that recently swept popularity charts is Study Group, starring Park Ji Hoon's former bandmate Hwang Min Hyun. Although their characters are different, in terms of nature and character background, what's common is that both are school-themed action thrillers. When asked who would win if Yeon Si Eun and Yoon Ga Min fought across different worldviews, Park Ji Hoon said, "I never thought about it," but, "Looking at their fighting styles, I'd vote Yeon Si Eun."
When asked about his real-life personality, Park Ji Hoon commented, "Out of all the characters I've played so far, I think Si Eun is the one most similar to me. When I was working as a child actor, the only people I could really rely on were my parents, and I didn't have many friends. I spent a lot of time alone when I was young. Thinking back on those times, I can really understand how Si Eun feels. I think that's why I was able to portray that sense of loneliness so well. Apart from the action scenes, the emotional moments, and the times Si Eun spent alone were what felt most similar to what I went through. I still haven't found a clear answer as to why I didn't have many friends. Maybe because I spoke with a dialect and spent more time with my parents than with other kids, working as a child actor, it naturally created some distance. It's a painful memory for me."
Park Ji Hoon also shared that there were moments when he felt comforted while playing Yeon Si Eun. "Thinking that he's smiling, at the end of it all, made me feel at ease. Just the fact that he smiled, even if only for a moment, gave me solace, and as a viewer, I found myself really immersed in that. Feeling that he was at peace became a healing and very precious moment for me."
When asked about the possibility of Season 3 happening, he responded, "I think Season 3 could be possible if you like Weak Hero Class 2 a lot. But I don't think I can talk about Season 3 just yet." He added, "This is just me thinking, but if Season 3 comes out, I think we can make a coming-of-age story after the characters become high school seniors. It can also be interesting to see high school students coming together and solving cases that involve adults."
