’A fish in water.’

This is the modifier that best suits comedian Lee Su-ji these days.She is flying high, showing off her’ crazy performance ‘not only in comedy content such as Coupang Play’s ‘SNL Korea’ and YouTube channel ‘Hot Issue’, but also in dramas such as ‘New Soldier 3’.

As if to prove such activities, she also achieved the feat of winning the Best Female Variety Show Award at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards by beating out strong candidates with a unanimous vote from the judges.Lee Soo-ji, whom we met on the 26th, recalled the time she received the award and said, “It was a reward for my past days of consistently doing comedy,” and smiled, “Even after receiving the award, I’m the same.I just spend my days worrying about how to make people laugh.”

O “Comedy greed that overcomes even a timid personality”

He, who actually said that he was so timid that he “couldn’t even say ‘I want more kimchi ‘at a restaurant,” had a sparkle in his eyes when he played various’ comic side characters ‘(sub-characters)such as influencer Shubly Mom, Korean-American Jenny, and shaman Baekdu Janggun, saying, “I gain courage without even realizing it.”

“Ever since I was little, I liked imitating people around me and eavesdropping on other people’s stories.My first sub-characters were my school teachers, whom I would imitate during breaks during school.That’s when I first discovered my abilities.”

Among his many ‘sub-characters’, the one he feels the most attached to is the voice phishing Joseonjok ‘Lin Jiaoming’, who was first introduced through ‘Gag Concert’ 12 years ago.This is because “she is the character that first introduced the public to the comedian Lee Su-ji.”

“There was a time after ‘Gag Concert’ when I didn’t get much attention.I have the hardest time when I’m resting.Even when I watch variety shows, I don’t find them funny at all and I feel anxious.However, if I hadn’t had that time, I would have become really arrogant.I think that time made me who I am today.”

O “Sub-character comedy, no intention to disparage a specific person”

I also feel upset when I am misunderstood as belittling a certain profession or person because of my character acting.An example is Jamie Mom, the ‘Daechi-dong Mom’ character, who was misunderstood as making fun of actress Han Ga-in, who revealed her daily life through YouTube.

“I never imitate a specific person.The comedy I pursue is about drawing out everyday situations that people can relate to.I think it’s also a comedian’s job to think more carefully so that such misunderstandings don’t arise in the future.”

As Jamie Mom’s unique luxury fashion became a hot topic, jokes began to circulate online that she could no longer wear certain items, such as luxury padding.Regarding this, Lee Soo-ji laughed and said, “It was an unexpected reaction,” and added, “Please look at it nicely.”

“I met the person in charge of the padding brand.He contacted me and said he wanted to do an event with me.I got down on my knees as soon as I met him because I was worried that I might have caused damage to the brand, but the person in charge said, ‘Don’ t worry, it’s so much fun,’ and cheered me on.”


Reporter Seungmi smlee@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.