Actress Lee Jung-eun is receiving favorable reviews for her heartfelt emotional acting in ‘The Lighting Store’, and a Q&A has been released, drawing attention.

Lee Jung-eun displayed her overwhelming presence by perfectly expressing various emotions with just her gaze and gestures in Disney Plus‘ ‘The Lighting Store’, which was released in December of last year.

‘The Lighting Store’ is a work that depicts the story of the living and the dead intersecting as this world and the afterlife are connected through a store selling lights at the end of a dark alley. Kang Pool, who drew the original webtoon, participated in the script, and it also garnered great expectations as actor Kim Hee-won’s first directorial work.

Lee Jung-eun plays Yoo-hee, who dies in a car accident while riding a bus with her daughter, but refuses to die and struggles to send her daughter Hyun-joo (Shin Eun-soo) back to the real world. Lee Jung-eun left a deep impression on viewers with her heartbreaking and earnest portrayal of a character who cannot speak or hear because of the cotton stuffed in her mouth and ears when she was pregnant.



In addition, in the scene where she encounters her father Won-young (Joo Ji-hoon), who has already passed away, she struggles to express her existence through her facial expressions and gestures, causing people to shed tears, further solidifying the public‘s unconditional trust with her acting that is on a whole other level.

Regarding this, Lee Jung-eun said, “I was happy as a colleague to be able to work with director Kim Hee-won in his first directorial work, and I am grateful that I was able to show viewers a different kind of work.” Regarding working with director Kim Hee-won, who is both an actor and a director, she praised him, saying, “It was amazing work in that there was almost no wasted time and no wasted emotions.”

Lee Jung-eun, who has gained recognition for her acting skills in the movie ‘Parasite’ (2019) and the drama ‘Our Blues’ (2022), is receiving favorable reviews for her meaningful performance in each of her works, following the loveliness she constantly exuded with her loose acting in ‘The Girl Who Is Different Day and Night’ (2024), and her dense and dense charisma in ‘In the Forest of No One’ (2024). When asked about his goals as an actor, he said, “Just as we are different every day, I try to reflect that part, and I hope the viewers will judge,” and humbly shared his thoughts, saying, “I just try to digest and immerse myself in similar roles differently.”


● Q&A with Lee Jung-eun from ‘The Lighting Store’ - You received a lot of love. How did you feel about working on the project as an actor?

▶ I was happy as a colleague to be able to work with Director Kim Hee-won in his first directorial work, and I am grateful that I could show viewers a different work.

- I was impressed by the way you conveyed your emotions without lines. Do you have any know-how of your own?

▶ I think it would be appreciated if it was conveyed through something other than words. I think this work was possible thanks to the collaboration of all the directors and colleagues who gave me faith, actors Shin Eun-soo, Joo Ji-hoon, and Park Hyuk-kwon, and the makeup team who prepared the cotton that stayed in my mouth.

- How was it working with director Kim Hee-won, who is both an actor and a director?

▶ The director called the actors after making plans with the staff and rehearsing, which made it hard to believe it was his first time directing. It was amazing that there was almost no wasted time and almost no wasted emotions, and since he is also an actor, I think the fact that he worked with me played a big role.

- I think the viewers also had mixed feelings as they imagined the vague afterlife through the work. What are your interpretations as an actor and what are the points to watch for in this work?

▶ I like discovering the narrative by looking into the hidden stories of characters that I didn’t know about, not only as an actor, but also as a viewer. It can be comforting, empathetic, and shocking. Our imagination is limitless, so when we encounter unexpected emotions there, we forget that it‘s a play and become immersed in it. I think this is the charm of ‘Lighting Store’.

- The majority of reviews say that each piece approaches the viewers with a different feeling. I wonder if there is a goal as an actor.

▶In fact, where would Lee Jung-eun go? (Laughs) Just like we are different every day, I try to reflect that in my acting, but I think the viewers will be the ones to judge. However, even for similar roles, I try to digest and absorb them differently with very subtle differences.

Choi Yoon-na, Donga.com Reporter yyynnn@donga.com

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