‘Trunk’ Joy Gun Debuts “Bed Scene - No Burden of Exposure, Even Fear Turns into Excitement” (Comprehensive) [DA: Interview]

“I thought I could have fun doing this for the rest of my life.”

We finally met after wandering for a long time. After frying chicken and sweating in the kitchen of an izakaya in my 20s in search of my dream, finally, finally. It was the sincere confession of Joy Gun (32), who officially debuted as an actor through the Netflix original series ‘Trunk’.

“I don‘t think it’s too late. I think everyone has their own time. I grow slowly, so it may be late for me, but I think the right opportunity came at the right time.”

I vaguely thought about acting when I was preparing for the college entrance exams in my late teens, but my ‘heart’size’ wasn‘t as big as it is now. “I always worried about what kind of work I should do to make things fun and exciting, and what kind of attitude I should have in life,” said Jo Eun, recalling his 20s. “I think I was wandering.” After his military service, he made a living by doing various part-time jobs. At a time when he was feeling suffocated by the same repetitive routine and thoughts, he received an offer to appear on the dating program “Eden 2” (2023).

“I wanted to shake up my daily life and break it. I needed a big change. I thought that maybe I was being too cautious and confining myself. I didn’t have a girlfriend at the time, so I thought that I might be able to meet someone, and the program looked fun. Personally, it was a challenge. It may not seem like it to others, but I‘m satisfied that I had the courage.”

Jo Eun joked that he “wanted to delete the video” because he felt unfamiliar with his appearance in “Eden 2.” However, in the end, he created a golden opportunity for himself. The production team of ‘Trunk’ saw Joe Gun in ‘Eden 2’ and suggested an audition. After two auditions, I was finally cast as Yoon Ji-oh in ‘Trunk’.

“I thought, ‘Is my dream finally coming true?’ It didn’t feel real. I still can’t believe it, to be honest. I had a vague belief that ‘I think I’ll do well, I have to do well,’, but when I heard the news of my casting, I was still dumbfounded. I thought something unbelievable was happening, and it was amazing. It feels like a dream.”


‘Trunk’, based on the novel of the same name by author Kim Ryeo-ryeong, is a six-part mystery melodrama that depicts a secret marriage service that begins to come to light due to a trunk floating on the lakeside and the strange marriage story of a man and a woman inside it. It is a work that was created by director Kim Kyu-tae, who directed the dramas [Our Blues] and [It’s Okay, That‘s Love], and writer Park Eun-young, who wrote [Hwarang], and was released on Netflix on the 29th of last month.

Jo Eun-ha plays Yoon Ji-oh, the new spouse of Lee Seo-yeon (Jung Yoon-ha), a woman who reveals her twisted desires through marriage. Yoon Ji-oh is a character who eventually marries Lee Seo-yeon after wandering around and finds true love. He is a character who truly pities Seo-yeon Lee, and he heals her wounds in his own way and sacrifices himself.

“It was such a difficult character. Since Yoon Ji-oh wasn’t explained much in the script, there were a lot of parts that I had to fill in with my imagination. The most important thing the director thought about Yoon Ji-oh was the ‘mysterious feeling’. It‘s something that makes you constantly curious and concerned.”

Yoon Ji-oh’s secret, which had been shrouded in a veil, was revealed layer by layer as each episode went on. His feelings for Seo-yeon Lee started out as pity, but soon developed into a sense of empathy and love. Jo Eun-geon explained, “Yoon Ji-oh also has painful wounds. He probably wanted to hug Seo-yeon Lee, who has wounds, with the same heart as he takes care of stray cats.”

He said he didn‘t feel burdened by the bed scene with Jung Yoon-ha and the exposure in the shower room at the beginning of ’Trunk‘. However, he confessed that he felt burdened by working out in relation to his visible physique.

“I enjoyed drinking for about a week after I was cast. Then, I worked out and dieted at the same time until the filming was over. Rather than losing weight, I tried to gain muscle since I was originally thin. I started in May of last year and gained about 3kg in muscle over the course of 6 months. I don’t really like working out, but it wasn‘t hard. Preparing for acting was harder, and I was able to exercise comfortably. Maybe it was because the situation I desperately wanted had come true, but I was more excited.”

He also shared an anecdote about the shower room, which was more difficult than the bed scene. He said that it wasn’t cold because it was an indoor filming and they kept spraying warm water on it even though it was the middle of winter. However, he revealed a ‘bitty’ behind-the-scenes story, saying that it was difficult because there was a physical distance from Jung Yoon-ha and he couldn‘t hear or see her lines well because she kept getting splashed with water while delivering them.


How was it like chemistry with Jung Yoon-ha, who played a married couple and spent most of the filming with her? Jo Eun-geon said, “In the drama, Yoon Ji-oh and Lee Seo-yeon keep squabbling. There was only one scene where they have an affectionate conversation,” and “In reality, there were parts that were difficult and uncomfortable. I think that kind of chemistry helped my acting because it connected with the real-life relationship between Yoon Ji-oh and Lee Seo-yeon.” About his chemistry with Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun-jin, he said, “The scene where the four of them get together to eat was fun and impressive even when I read the script. It was new and fun to act out. Everyone took good care of me and gave me advice on small know-hows while filming, so I was grateful.” He expressed his gratitude.

“I realized it when I actually started acting. Even the fear of standing in front of the camera was really exciting and fun. I liked going to the set so much that even during my breaks, I thought, ‘I hope the day comes when we can film soon.’”

Joe Gun summarized ‘Trunk’ as a ‘turning point,’, and expressed his affection, saying, “Thanks to it, I learned a lot and became more positive. It was a work that guided me on how to live.” He also expressed his anticipation, saying, “I hope my next work comes soon. I think that if I prepare hard, another opportunity will come.”

“I tried romance in ‘Trunk,’, so I want to try acting with a different sensibility. I also want to try a character who is good at fighting in the noir genre. I’m confident in action scenes. I’m also above average in sports. If the opportunity comes, I think I can do it well and have fun.”

Jeong Hee-yeon, Donga.com reporter shine2562@donga.com
Photo courtesy of | Archive-Netflix