Ju Ji-hoon says he isn’t so sure actors need a sense of mission at all. “An actor doesn’t do national work or work for world peace, right?” he said with a laugh at the 31st Busan International Film Festival.
The actor appeared on October 9 at the BIFF Actor’s House talk held at the Shinsegae Department Store Centum City Culture Hall in Haeundae, Busan. He was in town because his Disney+ drama ‘The Remarried Empress’ was invited to the festival’s Screen section. Actor’s House is a talk program where acclaimed actors revisit their filmographies and share their acting philosophies.
During the conversation, Ju Ji-hoon was asked about his role as trauma surgeon Baek Kang-hyuk in Netflix’s ‘Trauma Code’ — and whether actors themselves need the same sense of mission the character had. He admitted the question made him cautious: receiving the spotlight at such events feels burdensome, and with his seniority, he worries his words could be mistaken for the correct answer.
“Honestly, I don’t really know about a sense of mission,” he said. “An actor doesn’t do national work or work for world peace, right?” Then he added what he does believe in: “I’m just a professional, so I don’t know about a sense of mission, but at least I think there should be diligence in doing one’s share. Isn’t diligence the minimum for recognizing someone as a colleague?”
The report also noted that the question landed amid an ongoing industry debate, as the film ‘The Assassin(s)’ faces historical-distortion allegations that have drawn its lead actors into controversy.
No official statement was available beyond the remarks themselves.
