Peninsula: From a supporting actor to the best actor in Chungmuro

Chapter 243 of "Descendants of the Sun" premieres.

The early spring evening in Seoul was still chilly, but inside a popular, affordable barbecue restaurant in the suburbs of Incheon, steam was rising.

The pork belly and beef tail fat sizzled and popped on the hot iron plate, creating a unique atmosphere amidst the boisterous laughter and chatter of students at their pre-school gathering.

A small table for four people by the window.

Wearing a simple hooded sweatshirt, Kim Da-mi was carefully using tongs to flip the pork belly that was gradually curling up at the edge of the baking pan.

Ah—that feels so good!

Sitting opposite Kim Da-mi, a girl with trendy outward-curling hair stuffed a piece of grilled meat wrapped in lettuce into her mouth, chewing while glancing at Kim Da-mi with indistinct eyes:
"We'll be graduating next year, are you really... not worried at all?"

She nudged her companion with her elbow:

"Right? The rest of us are rushing to audition for roles, while you're still stuck in the library."

Kim Da-mi's fingers paused, the barbecue tongs hovering above the iron plate.

She sighed softly, her gaze unfocused as it lingered on the sizzling, oily slices of meat.
"Well... I've talked to you guys about this before. I think... I'd like to finish my studies at school more steadily first, and then see if I should immediately start sending out resumes to film companies, theaters, or TV stations? I have to... take it one step at a time. I'm not in a rush..."

The short-haired girl next to the curly-haired girl immediately let out a very unladylike "Oops!"
“How wonderful! You really need to change your mindset! In the past, it was normal for apprentices to learn skills from their masters. In the acting industry, it is even more important to believe in gaining experience, the longer you are, the more flavorful you become, and the more you want to play a role well, the more you have to endure... Only after you have endured will good scripts come your way.”

"But now? Hey!"

She slapped the table, attracting glances from the people at the next table, but she was completely unaware.

"Youth is an asset! There are countless young actors who debut at fifteen or sixteen and become leading actors. Veteran actors still hold their ground, and now even the film industry is desperately trying to get idols and idols to transform into actors!"

Getting angrier the more she talked, the short-haired girl downed a glass of soju:
“Look around you. Capitalists are flocking into the industry, showering resources on whoever they want to promote, and they turn them into some kind of ‘Korean Wave star.’ For those of us with no connections, just studying acting, hoping to hone our skills in a theater troupe after graduation or earn opportunities through casting and talent… it’s so hard to survive!”

Kim Da-mi tightened her grip on the barbecue tongs slightly.

Beneath the feigned calm lies the same anxiety.

She was well aware of the overwhelming impact of idol worship, talent shows, and capital investment in reality...

I just subconsciously wanted to postpone confronting this cold reality.

Kim Da-mi forced a slightly bitter smile, gently waving her hand without the meat slices, as if to wave away those invisible troubles:
"Sigh...don't talk about me!"

She abruptly changed the subject, directing her attention to the large wall-mounted television hanging in the center of the front of the shop:
"Isn't today...the premiere of 'Descendants of the Sun'?" She remembered the massive publicity surrounding it beforehand, "I heard it's very popular."

"Oh! Yes, yes, yes, yes!"

The curly-haired girl reacted as if she'd been electrocuted, instantly forgetting her previous complaints. She immediately raised her arm and waved it forcefully at the young male employee who was passing by their table on his way to deliver food to the next table.

"Handsome guy! Handsome guy!"

The shop assistant, who looked to be in her early twenties and wearing the shop's brown apron, stopped when she heard the sound and gave a standard service smile.
"Hello, what do you need?"

The curly-haired girl, completely ignoring her companion's pleading look that said, "Please don't embarrass yourself," pointed to the large screen on the wall that was currently displaying content and said in a coquettish tone:
"Handsome guy~ Could you please change the channel for us? Would it be okay to switch to KBS2? The one with 'Descendants of the Sun'!"

As the curly-haired girl made her request, the shop assistant glanced at the TV screen that was playing promotional material for Hwang Jung-min's premiere film, "The Wailing."

His expression showed some hesitation.

It seems a little reluctant to cut this heavyweight award-winning actor... but—

"Please add another serving of...Korean beef to our table!"

The curly-haired girl decisively placed an additional bet, her almond-shaped eyes wide as she looked at the shop assistant:

"Handsome guy, please help me out~ Okay? Eating Korean beef while watching a romantic drama is the perfect atmosphere!"

At an affordable Korean BBQ restaurant, the customer's request was a combination of "add an extra serving of Korean beef" and a pretty girl's "please help me out~".

This is a combination of moves that most young male shop assistants would find hard to resist!

The lingering affection the shop assistant had for Hwang Jung-min vanished instantly, replaced by a bright and cheerful smile.

"Okay, please wait a moment, I'll go and change the channel for you right away!"

After saying that, he immediately turned around and jogged towards the TV control panel near the wall pillar to his side and rear.

He deftly manipulated the remote control, in less than five seconds—

The scene of Hwang Jung-min's eccentric shamanistic ritual on the screen was replaced by a scene of exotic yellow sand and dust.

Accompanied by cinematic-quality visuals and background music, the scenes with exotic flair rapidly shift:
Helicopters skimmed low over the Gobi Desert, UN convoys sped along dusty roads, and scenes of chaos and activity filled the camp...

Followed by.

The very first frame projected carried a heavy sense of gunpowder and an implication of death—

A bullet-riddled military helmet lay half-buried in the ground, all alone.

The camera then suddenly zoomed out—

Five fully armed soldiers, hunched over in a tense combat formation, cautiously advanced towards a solitary wooden outpost in the distance.

The crackling and popping static from the radio waves, accompanied by the commander's urgent and suppressed announcements, were clearly transmitted through the television speakers to every corner of the barbecue restaurant:
"...Repeated, armed intrusion, location: 301 outpost! Two guards have been apprehended! Repeated, response received! Over!"

The voices of the people chatting at the next table unconsciously lowered, and curious eyes turned to the screen.

The camera quickly switches to footage of an emergency military meeting at the rear command post.

The officers' faces were ashen; their roars and arguments echoed in the oppressive conference room.
"This is blatant provocation! They've calculated that we won't dare to fire!"

"...Open fire in the demilitarized zone? Just one bullet!!!"

"What are we going to do? Are we just going to stand by and watch our people die?!"

Despair and anger spread like thick ink throughout the conference room.

The lives of soldiers and the safety of the nation seem to have been placed on a scale that cannot be reconciled.

The scene then cuts back to the front lines.

The squad remained deadlocked on the open ground less than 100 meters from the outpost, hesitant to act for fear of causing serious injury.

In this suffocating, deathly silence and despair—

Two figures stood up from their hiding place without warning.

"I am Captain Yoo Si-jin of the Alpha Team!"

As Song Joong-ki's clear command rang out, the camera's focus remained firmly on him:

"From now on, the Alpha Squad will be in charge of combat command!"

All eyes were focused on the two people who suddenly appeared in the frame.

—This is the legendary "special operations within special operations"—Alpha's ace has finally arrived! A thunderous rescue is about to begin!

The curly-haired girl excitedly covered her mouth and whispered:
Wow! Song Joong-ki oppa! So handsome!

The short-haired girl instinctively held her breath, her eyes widening: "Cool!"

however.

next moment.

What happened next shocked all the viewers!
After Captain Yoo Si-jin delivered his impressive declaration of taking over, he tilted his head at his deputy, Seo Dae-young, who was dressed in the same camouflage and wearing a tactical helmet.

The camera gave Kang Jae-hoon a close-up shot—

In the shadow of the helmet, his sharply defined jawline was taut, and he nodded silently.

then.

Under the dumbfounded gaze of the squad of soldiers!
Two Alpha aces who boasted about taking over actually...

They promptly and decisively began to remove their combat uniforms?!

The camera was shot from a bird's-eye view.

Liu Shizhen and Xu Dayong, dressed only in light military uniforms, glanced at each other, nodded in tacit agreement, and then raised their hands and walked calmly toward the perilous wooden house.

A few brief shots.

This vividly demonstrates the operational style of this special unit to the audience—

Unconventional, extremely confident, and even with a touch of arrogant romanticism.

The events inside the cabin further illustrate this point.

Since it is a demilitarized zone, whoever fires first is in the wrong.

So, Yoo Si-jin shook his fist:
"How about trying a more masculine approach?"

The space inside the wooden house suddenly became a cramped arena for a deadly battle.

The two exchanged blows, locked in a fierce and evenly matched fight, full of power and skill, creating a dramatic tension.

And on the other side-

Kang Jae-hoon's portrayal of Seo Dae-young showcases a completely different style.

There were no unnecessary fancy moves.

In just a few exchanges, using swift joint locks and clean, decisive hand strikes, he swiftly, accurately, and ruthlessly knocked two opponents unconscious to the ground. His movements were fluid and graceful, full of a cold, hard, and realistic aesthetic.

"Oh mo!"

Kim Da-mi couldn't help but gasp softly.

These silent, explosive characters often resonate with her more than outwardly expressive protagonists.

After defeating your opponent.

Xu Darong turned his head and saw his captain in grave danger under the enemy captain's ruthless attack.

Without any hesitation, they immediately joined the battle.

Two against one, the situation was instantly reversed.

Xu Da-rong's fighting style is tough and direct, which perfectly complements Liu Shi-zhen's slightly more skillful fighting style.

Of course, in order to highlight the protagonist's aura and for dramatic purposes, Yoo Si-jin ultimately chose to let this respectable opponent go.

The two walked out of the outpost.

Yoo Si-jin's tone returned to its previous nonchalant and smug manner:

"Alpha mission complete. Two prisoners and a room full of complete—but not quite complete—equipment. Come and sign for it!"

"..."

This opening scene, though short, effectively establishes the core personalities of the two male protagonists:

Yoo Si-jin is a cynical and unconventional man who is also a master strategist; Seo Dae-young is taciturn, highly efficient, and a human weapon.

"Ouch! The meat! The meat's burnt!"

Several pairs of eyes that were firmly fixed on the screen were instantly pulled back to reality!
I looked down—oh no!
On the unattended iron pan, several pieces of pork belly near the center of the hottest zone had long since turned from an enticing brownish-red to a heartbreakingly dark black. The fat bubbled wildly at the edges, wisps of smoke rising gently, accompanied by a strong, pungent, burnt smell that filled the air. "Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

The short-haired girl grabbed a spare pair of clips and went to salvage the most burnt piece of pork belly.

"My God..."

Kim Da-mi also seemed to wake up from a dream, and with a sigh of annoyance, she hurriedly reached out with the tongs that had been hovering for a while to help move the meat slices in the center of the baking pan.

The curly-haired girl frantically grabbed the kettle from the side, almost pouring it onto the baking tray—but the short-haired girl stopped her in time.

"Are you crazy! Throwing water on it will cause a huge explosion! Use onion rings as a chaff to pick it up!"

For a moment, the small desktop was thrown into a brief flurry of activity.

The diners at the next table were also startled, and they all cast amused yet understanding glances their way—

Clearly, they weren't the only ones who forgot about the barbecue because of the TV drama.

"Handsome guy! Handsome guy! Help...help us replace the metal plate with a new one!"

The curly-haired girl, still shaken, called the shop assistant again.

The deliveryman, both amused and exasperated, ran over, quickly cleaned up the "battlefield," and replaced it with a brand new, clean comb.

"Here."

The short-haired girl generously pushed the Korean beef, intended as a bribe, onto the shelf:
"They've invested heavily."

The beautiful marbling of the Korean beef sizzled on the preheated iron plate, releasing an enticing aroma that quickly dispelled the previous scorching gloom.

The atmosphere finally returned to calm.

Everyone's attention has turned back to the television.

The style of the image on the screen suddenly changed.

The two who were fierce and powerful on the battlefield just a second ago are now repeatedly missing their targets when shooting balloons in a toy gun store.

The short-haired girl stared at the screen, tapped the edge of the table with a clip, and turned to look at Kim Da-mi, who was diligently flipping the Korean beef.

"Hey, so beautiful, don't just focus on being a chef. Let me ask you something serious—better, Song Joong-ki oppa or Kang Jae-hoon oppa, who do you think is more handsome?"

This question seems to always spark discussions among girls.

Kim Da-mi didn't stop flipping the meat in her hands, but quickly glanced at the TV screen.

Song Joong-ki is a classic example of a beauty at first glance.

With delicate features and an innate sunny disposition, his smile can melt ice and snow. He is the kind of "pretty boy" whose status is undeniable regardless of gender or aesthetic preferences.

And Kang Jae-hoon...

His handsomeness carries a more complex undertone.

It's not about the standard perfection of eyes, nose, and lips, but rather the strong, impactful force brought by sharp angles.

With exceptionally good bone structure and deep-set eyes, he exudes a strong sense of coldness and distance when he's not smiling. But when he occasionally twitches the corner of his mouth, that coldness instantly dissipates, revealing a unique charm that blends roguishness and naivety.

One is like warm, dazzling sunlight, the other like a deep, enchanting night sky.

One suits passionate and direct love, the other suits a deep and reserved story.

The two are clearly very different "styles" in terms of both their character portrayals and their real-life temperament.

Naturally, it attracts appreciators with different preferences.

Kim Da-mi prefers... the latter.

She pursed her lips, not directly answering the question of "more handsome," but instead tapped the TV screen with the tip of her clip:
“I think…the character of Xu Da Rong is very special. Kang Jae Hoon oppa portrayed him very well, his eyes were full of meaning.”

She avoided direct comparisons of appearances and chose to appreciate the characters instead.

"Oh dear! You're avoiding the important points!"

The girl with curly hair feigned displeasure, but the next second her eyes lit up, and she cupped her face in her hands, looking dreamy.
"If only... sigh, if only I had the chance in the future to work with Song Joong-ki oppa and Kang Jae-hoon oppa—just the two of them—on a classic idol drama! I would have no regrets in this life!"

"Classical idol drama?"

The short-haired girl scoffed and rolled her eyes at her.
"It's that kind of melodramatic soap opera where the male lead is blind and falls in love with the second female lead, torturing the kind female lead to death eight hundred times over, while the second male lead waits devotedly for her but can't get her, and the female lead, even though she's blind, still insists on getting entangled with the male lead?"

"Yup!"

The curly-haired woman nodded naturally:

"That's what makes it so dramatic! That's what makes it so profound! You don't understand! Besides, with those two in the same show, just looking at them is enough to keep me watching! Just imagine, them playing love rivals, the scenes of them going head-to-head... Oh my god! The sparks! The tension!"

She was lost in her own bubble of imagination.

"laugh--"

The short-haired girl ruthlessly shattered her fantasy bubble:
"You're drunk after just one drink? You'll be talking about that after you get a minor role!"

"Hey! Park Soo-na!"

The curly-haired girl, enraged, scratched her across the table.
"Can't I even think about it?! Dreams are innocent!"

The two classmates were teasing each other, but Jin Duomei didn't join in. She simply rested her chin on her hand, her gaze drifting once again to the silent yet highly impactful figure on the television screen—Xu Darong.

Yes.

She silently echoed her classmate's joking remark about "dreams" in her heart.

If only... if only I could have the chance to work with Kang Jae-hoon oppa on a drama.

There's no need to act out any love triangle or a lovelorn second male lead.

At once……

Like now, standing in that light, standing next to someone who can portray such a complex and captivating character...

Even if it's just about earnestly acting out a scene together in a particular work...

Will suffice.

……

The next day.

VIP screening room at a cinema in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

Hwang Jung-min was exchanging pleasantries with several titans of the film industry.

The feedback from the preview screening of "The Wailing" was excellent.

It is hailed within the industry as "the pinnacle of Korean thriller films".

Today is the film's premiere.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Kang Jae-hoon entering.

His dark gray turtleneck sweater accentuated the sharpness of his jawline, but his brows betrayed a hangover-like weariness.

"Where did you go gallivanting off to last night?"

The tone was joking, but the real reason was dissatisfaction with his apprentice appearing in public in this state.

"No, teacher, I'm just 'tortured' by work."

Kang Jae-hoon nodded slightly to the industry bigwigs not far away and explained in a low voice:

"W Korea was working non-stop last night, shooting new season photos for TAG Heuer until well past midnight. They didn't even have time to glance at the premiere of Descendants of the Sun."

Remembering Kim Dae-won's excited face that morning, saying "We've made it big," and the data he rattled off while handing him coffee, Kang Jae-hoon couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.

The national average viewership was 16.3%, with a peak of 21.8%.

To know.

The popular national drama "Reply 1988" only achieved a 6.1% viewership rating on its premiere.

(Of course, TVN is a cable channel and KBS is a terrestrial channel, so their coverage and audience cannot be directly compared. But even if we convert them, the start of "Descendants of the Sun" was nothing short of a dream.)
what does this mean?
Another national-level viewership champion has been born—

Kim Eun-sook's golden reputation shines brightly once again;
Song Joong-ki's perfect comeback after his military discharge is a foregone conclusion;

Song Hye-kyo remains the same girl who can draw female viewers across Asia to her side;

Even Kim Ji-won experienced a resurgence in popularity with her role as the tough-on-the-outside-but-soft-on-the-inside "Yoon Myung-joo," following her role as Yoo Rachel in "The Heirs," garnering far more attention than expected.

In contrast.

The boost this drama brought to Kang Jae-hoon in the domestic market was actually the mildest among the four main actors.

His roots are in Chungmuro, and he has already secured his position as a leading figure among the new generation of Chungmuro ​​filmmakers. His glory on the small screen is more like icing on the cake.

Moreover, the character's restraint and forbearance meant he was destined to be less dazzling than Yoo Si-jin.

however--

Flowers bloom inside the wall but their fragrance spreads outside!

As the first Korean drama to achieve a true simultaneous premiere in China and South Korea, "Descendants of the Sun" created a tremendous wave in the vast Chinese mainland, which has a huge population base, far exceeding everyone's expectations in South Korea!
On Weibo's trending topics list, #DescendantsoftheSun# garnered over 100 million views and millions of discussions in just twelve hours.

Nearly half of the top 20 trending topics were related to this drama!
Such an astonishing level of popularity and discussion.

Even Onew, the idol actor who played the young doctor, garnered a lot of attention despite his limited screen time.

Not to mention the secondary couple, Xu Da Rong and Yin Ming Zhu, whose romantic storyline is interwoven with "torture" and "direct pursuit of love".

Kang Jae-hoon had previously filmed the movie "For Love or Money" in China (although it flopped both at the box office and with critics), but at least he became a familiar face and had a certain level of fame.

With his portrayal of the tough, reserved, and deeply affectionate "Seo Dae-young" in "Descendants of the Sun," he instantly captured the hearts of countless viewers in Central China.

The silent protection, the struggle and determination in the face of love, and the unique sense of restraint and explosive power of soldiers were accurately conveyed through the screen, quickly gaining a huge number of fans.

After last night.

Business offers poured into Kim Dae-won's work email like snowflakes.

The high prices and large quantities left the agent in a blissful daze for the entire morning.

Such a dream start.

This had already made KBS executives unable to contain their elation.

We booked the most luxurious banquet hall for tonight in advance, and the champagne tower was supposedly already chilled in advance—we couldn't wait until the halfway point, and we couldn't wait to raise our glasses in celebration as soon as the opening whistle blew!
therefore.

After watching the gloomy masterpiece "The Wailing" with his mentor and seniors at the premiere and receiving their evaluations of the film, Kang Jae-hoon had to immediately turn around and rush to the next event.

[PS: I was a bit pressed for time, and this part of the story wasn't finished, which is a bit upsetting.]

(End of this chapter)