'Sweet Home' breakout star Song Kang keeps journal to dive deep into his character

By Woo Jae-yeon

SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Yonhap) -- Song Kang has maintained a habit of keeping a journal since childhood. To immerse himself completely in his role in Netflix's "Sweet Home," the actor decided to write one more -- not from his own perspective, but from that of his character, Hyun-su.

"It was a new experience for me to keep a journal from the character's point of view," Song said during a group media interview in Seoul on Tuesday. "I wrote in the journal almost every day to fully understand Hyun-su and to constantly check up on his feelings."

The 29-year-old actor spent a big chunk of the one-hour interview talking about how hard he tried to put himself in Hyun-su's shoes and convey convincingly what the character is going through internally.

The apocalyptic horror series "Sweet Home" returned last Friday for its second season after three years, depicting the escalation of an all-out survival war between humans and monsters.

The new season features multiple new characters and subplots, adding fresh -- or needlessly complex for some viewers -- perspectives to the monster apocalypse.

Song reprises his role as the "special infectee" Hyun-su, a former recluse who becomes much more mature both internally and physically in Season 2. He heads to an experimental center inside a military base to help the authorities find a cure, only to discover that his supernatural power has become more powerful.

When Song was cast for Season 1, he was largely an unknown young actor, although a promising one. Over the past years, however, Song has grown into one of the most sought-after actors exhibiting both star power and skills for standout performances.

At a promotional event last week, "Sweet Home" producer Lee Eung-bok said the actor's growth and that of Hyun-su "went almost side by side" and talked about how impressed he was to see Song had become remarkably mature as a man as well as an actor.

"I think 'Sweet Home' really made me who I am now," Song also said. After all, the series helped pave the way for his acting career.

Since the global success of the first season, Song has starred in a slew of TV series that left his audience with a lasting impression, including "Navillera" and "Nevertheless," both of which streamed on the global streaming platform.

"I still remember what the director told me when filming Season 1, which was 'I fully trust you, so you can trust me,'" Song said. "It meant a lot to me," he said.

Gaining popularity and acknowledgement, while certainly being "grateful," is causing him to feel pressure to live up to expectations, the actor said.

"About two weeks before a script reading, I lose my appetite. As I have doubts about myself if I can deliver, I work harder and spend more time on prep-work, like reading the script more heavily," he said.

"I always ask myself questions, like 'Am I doing this right?' So I try to bring different emotions and lines to the set, just in case," he said. "I definitely feel more responsible than sure about myself."

jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
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