'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Actor Seo Kang-joon spoke about his experience portraying the lead role in his upcoming drama, Undercover High School, in a January 22 interview with the fashion and lifestyle magazine Cosmopolitan, where he also featured in a pictorial. Undercover High School, which releases on February 21 at 9:50 pm KST, marks his first major project since completing his military service in May 2023.
“I really missed being on set. The joy of working with the director and creating each scene is huge, and I’m so happy to be doing it again," he said in the interview.
Seo Kang-joon shared his excitement about returning to acting after a long time. While he acknowledged that each scene presented its challenges, he said that his life felt "full" once again, as if he were returning to where he truly belonged.
Trending
Seo Kang-joon talks about preparing for his role
Seo Kang-joon reflected on the past year that he spent preparing for his return. He admitted to feeling a sense of anxiety after nearly three years away from acting but expressed immense joy upon beginning filming in July last year.
"I think I felt anxious without realizing it. Then I started filming the drama in July, and I was so happy. I even sent a message to the CEO of my company on the first day of filming. I told him that it was so hot that I thought I would die, but I was so happy," he shared.
As an actor with 13 years of experience, Seo Kang-joon spoke about a topic that has been on his mind lately—the contrast between himself and the characters he portrays. Through his role as Hae-sung in Undercover High School, he found himself reflecting on his own personality.
"While Haesung is a playful and energetic friend, I thought I was more of a quiet and gloomy person, but I've come to realize that all the characters that have passed me by are a part of me. I also took the bright side of Seo Kang-joon and created Haesung," the actor said.
Discussing his character, he noted a key similarity between themselves—the way they perceive the world. While both appreciate its beauty, they are also deeply aware of its hidden dark aspects.
Talking about his character, he added:
"He knows very well that there are still absurd realities in the world even though he fiercely fights against evil as an agent of the National Intelligence Service."
However, as Seo Kang-joon pointed out, Hae-sung gradually gains a new perspective through his friendships with his classmates, which becomes a turning point for him.
More about Undercover High School
Seo Kang-joon, portraying Jung Hae-sung, stars alongside Jin Ki-joo who plays the character of Oh Soo-ah in the MBC drama. The plot follows Jung Hae-sung, a top field agent for the National Intelligence Service (NIS) who faces demotion following a major incident during an operation.
Assigned to track down King Gojong’s missing gold bars, he goes undercover as a student at the elite Byeongmun High School, concealing his true identity.
At the school, he meets Oh Soo-ah, a dedicated Korean history teacher known for her strong principles and deep care for her students. As his homeroom teacher, Soo-ah starts noticing a resemblance between Hae-sung and her childhood first love—someone who left her with deep emotional scars.
Undercover High School is set to premiere on February 21 at 9:50 pm KST.
