"The toughest part is Sungjun explaining everything"- Kim Soo-hyun gets candid about his experience in Knock Off, his future plans and more

On January 16, Esquire Korea released an interview featuring Kim Soo-hyun on YouTube. In the video, he discussed various topics, including his upcoming drama, Knock Off. Kim Soo-hyun reflected on the challenges of portraying his latest character, Sung-jun, while sharing details about his personal life, travel habits, and aspirations.

"The hardest part of portraying Sung-jun is that he has to explain everything,whether to allies or enemies. I’ve put a lot of effort into making those explanations clear and effective," he said.

The upcoming K-drama Knock-Off was unveiled at the Disney Content Showcase APAC 2024 and is set to be released in two parts, with the first nine episodes of season 1 premiering in early 2025. The drama is directed by Park Hyun-suk, known for Forest of Secrets 2 and Uncontrollably Fond, and written by Han Jung-hoon.

The series explores the turbulent journey of Kim Sung-joon (played by Kim Soo-hyun), an ordinary office worker whose life is upended by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Forced to adapt, he becomes the king of the global counterfeit market. Jo Bo-ah stars alongside him as Song Hye-jung, a determined special judicial police officer.

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Kim Soo-hyun opens up about the challenges of playing Kim Sung-jun in Knock Off

When asked about the most difficult aspect of his role in Knock Off, Kim Soo-hyun mentioned that Sung-jun is an "explanation machine." As a character, he constantly has to clarify details to both allies and enemies, a demanding task that requires careful effort to make every explanation clear and impactful.

Kim Soo-hyun also spoke about his evolving approach to script analysis. Early in his career, he used rulers to underline key scenes and made notes on physical scripts. However, for Knock Off, he embraced digital tools. He explained how he now uses his phone to annotate and review scripts, signaling a shift in his work habits as he continues to grow as an actor.

“For the next 10 years, I’ll always stay healthy. Please continue to support me.” he said, speaking about his plan for the next ten years.

Looking ahead, Kim Soo-hyun expressed his desire to take on more mature roles, emphasizing that his focus is less on whether a project is a movie or drama and more on the depth of the character. As a 17-year veteran in the industry, he reflected on his early-career promise for audiences to watch him for 10 years.

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Kim Soo-hyun on travel, fashion, karaoke and more

The interview also shed light on the actor's personal life. He confessed his love for black clothing, which still makes up 90% of his wardrobe, though he has recently added a few colorful pieces. Travel is another passion of his, with an eye mask as his must-have item. His foodie adventures during his Asia tour were also memorable, with dishes like unagi don, hot pot, and late-night cup noodles topping his list.

When it comes to music, the actor revealed his go-to karaoke tracks, including LOVE by Jo Jang-hyuk and Fool of Love by The Nuts. Although he hasn’t visited a karaoke room in a while, he cherishes the songs he performed during fan meetings.

"My approach to cleaning has changed a bit since last year. I haven’t been able to clean as thoroughly… Last year, I was filming, and this year, it’s because of (Knock Off). So, I haven’t been tidying up as much." he said, acknowledging his reputation as an obsessively clean person.

Kim Soo-hyun described his Asia tour after a 10-year hiatus and the final fan meeting in Seoul as the highlights of his year. Wrapping up filming for Queen of Tears was another milestone, marking a fulfilling end to a busy year.