February 25, 2023
Korean actor Lee Jong Suk discusses his past mindset and how that’s changed with time in an interview with Esquire Korea magazine.
He had spoken about looking for “essence” in a previous interview, about which he was asked to speak in more detail. He explained: “Now that I think about it, I think the reason I said, ‘I’m looking for the essence,’ was because I was a little shaken around that time. Everyone goes through that period as they enter their 30s. When I was in my 20s, I thought that no matter what I did, people would understand me, but now that I am in my 30s, I think I should treat anyone I meet and talk with more maturely. It’s a time when self-censorship, which requires you to become more mature in everything, occurs. Besides, I think I was contemplating these things because it was the time I was returning after going through a turbulent period of military service.”
The interviewer then asked whether IU, who he was confirmed to be in a relationship with recently, was the person who gave him strength to which he replied: “It might sound like a cliché if I say that her existence itself gives me [a place to] rely on and strength. But so many other people besides myself are comforted by her music, her lyrics, and her comforting words. It’s the same for me, too."