【E】 Tourists - 엘르 코리아 Elle Korea 2016.11

Tourists 

Lee Yeonghee and Jung Yonghwa encounter each other as the guide and the traveller in drama ‘The Package’. 

Their rendezvous excites one’s heart like the view you see as you open the window of an exotic room.

features editor Kim Young Jae

Jung Yonghwa's Private Travel

Q. What’s the story behind San Maru that you play in The Package?

He boards the plane for Paris alone because of a conflict with his girlfriend. Though he ponders whether he will go back, he’s a lighthearted character. The present situation is more important to him than being despaired or having a heartache because he was dumped. I anticipate it all the more because he has the closest personality to mine among all the roles I’ve played so far.

Q. What if you picked an OST for him among CNBLUE’s albums?

“Love light” because it’s not doleful. I’m different from him though. When I’m sad, I listen to sad music.

Q. Do you usually have opportunities to travel?

Often, I go abroad for overseas tours but all I do is perform. It was such a shame I couldn’t really take a look around in Peru, Mexico, and Chile after 30 hours of flight. It’s also my first time going to Paris, where we’ll be filming the drama.

Q. What would be your dream trip?

There are private islands for very few travelers. I wanna travel to such a place where there’s no one.

Q. Do you cope well with lone time?

My personality changed a lot after debut. When I was little, I spent most of my time outside hanging out with friends. Now, I prefer staying at home. For hours, I’d just sit still on the sofa. I guess the sofa is my private island (laughs).

Q. When you travel, unfamiliar things around you tend to become inspirations. Is there a song you made while performing abroad?

Half of CNBLUE’s songs are written that way. Just being in the hotel room itself makes me emotional. The outside view is so different. The atmosphere feels different than the studio or my home, it makes it easier to write songs. When I go to hotel, I always sit at the desk first. Every hotel feels different, it’s like I’m starting anew each time.

Q. If you were to make a drama about traveling, how would you do it?

It’d be a documentary-like music drama. The only character is the musician, the setting is a hotel with a nice view (laughs). The story is simple. It’ll film the process of writing a song in a hotel room. Now that I think about it, it’d be too boring, haha.

Q. Do you tend to get used to the new people and the new environment each time you’re in a new drama?

I still find it difficult. But I try to enliven the atmosphere first. That way, those around me won’t feel  uncomfortable around me, which in turn makes me comfortable.

Q. How will it turn out this time?

I think we’ll become friends quickly. We’ll be filming abroad, and we only have each other to depend on. We’ll see each other’s face to boredom (laughs).

Q. For actors, playing a character is also an experience of living another life. Is there a drama that made you learn many things?

The fusion historical drama, ‘The Three Musketeers’. It was my first time trying action, and it felt like I lived in the Chosun Dynasty for a while. Before, I used to play characters with gloomy personalities, but (Dalhyang) was much lighthearted, like I am. It lessened my burden in acting. Personally, it gave me an opportunity to be comfortable and show my real self to other people.

Q. If someone else experienced Jung Yonghwa’s life, what will they enjoy?

You’ll be able to do many things. You can sing, perform, go to Paris to film a drama.

Q. What more do you wanna try?

I think I’ve done all I could. Now, I want to have depth to what I’m doing already. I wanna hear that I’m good at them.