[Edaily Starin Gim Ga Yeong Reporter] He has as many “tears” as he has “words.” Yoon Kyung-ho, who has recently gained popularity as one of the entertainment industry’s leading “chatterboxes,” shed tears while reminiscing about his days as an “unknown.” The tears he shed while recalling that time—when he struggled to balance his roles as an actor and a father—speak volumes about how serious he is about “acting” and what a wonderful “father” he is.

In an interview held on the 27th at a café in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Yoon Kyung-ho began by saying, “I’ve had about thirty different part-time jobs,” adding, “The hardest time was when I got married and my wife was pregnant with our first child.”
He confided, “Until then, I thought I could handle it on my own and that my wife and I could get through it together, but once we had a child, my resolve changed,” adding, “I didn’t want to pass this [financial hardship] on to her. I couldn’t bear the thought of my child growing up struggling because of her father’s dreams. At that time, I even considered quitting acting.”
Yoon Kyung-ho said, “That’s when the project *Battleship Island* came along, and I made a big decision to lose 34 kg.” He continued, “It was before my daughter was born. *Battleship Island* is about the stories of our ancestors, isn’t it? I wanted to be able to tell her later, when she’s grown up, that even though there were times when I went hungry, I lost weight and filmed this project—using the time I would have spent with her—because I really wanted to tell this story,” he said, his eyes welling up with tears. He continued, “I apologized to my unborn daughter, saying, ‘I’m going to give this one last shot. I’ve never taken on a role like this before. I really want to give this my all. Please bear with me even if I’m hungry at first,” he said. “But thankfully, after my daughter was born, *Goblin* came along, and I’ve been blessed with many great projects.”
He noted that he had been involved in good projects starting with *Okja* before *The Battleship Island*, saying, “It felt like a path had opened up for me. “That might not have been the end of the road for me, but once I let go of everything and looked at the world with a fresh perspective, new paths opened up and my mindset changed significantly,” he explained. “Before that, I wanted to become the best actor and was very ambitious, but after my daughter was born, my mindset shifted to thinking that as long as there’s a place where I can work, I can do anything—and I felt like I could see a world I hadn’t seen before. It feels like my daughter was born to teach me a great lesson.”
His daughter is a turning point in both the life of Yoon Kyung-ho the actor and Yoon Kyung-ho the person. Speaking about the drama *Director Kim*, which deals with fatherly love, he said, “I could relate to it,” adding, “One of the ways my perspective on the world changed after having a daughter was that, once I became a father, women who I had previously seen only in their professional roles suddenly appeared to me as someone’s daughter. I was really surprised by that at the time,” he confessed.
He said, “A new perspective on women opened up for me,” adding, “Having lived only half of the world until then, becoming a father to a daughter made me recognize the existence of women and experience things differently.” He continued, “Perhaps because of that, I think I was able to empathize deeply when playing Da-bin’s father in ‘Director Kim.’”
“Director Kim,” starring Yoon Kyung-ho, is a revenge action drama about an ordinary father who becomes a dangerous man to fight and reclaim his only daughter. Yoon Kyung-ho played the role of Park Jin-cheol, a longtime friend of Director Kim—a former soldier who once represented the special forces unit “Cheonsan Brigade” but is now unemployed and often volunteers as a traffic marshal on the way home from elementary school. He helped drive the popularity of “Director Kim” with his crisp action sequences and performances infused with humor.
Yoon Kyung-ho said, “I felt a happiness I knew would never come again—it was so unbelievable that I wondered if I could ever be loved this much in my life.” He added, “On the other hand, this is not something I could have achieved alone. Since it’s the result of the hard work of the entire crew and cast, I’m spending this time not just celebrating on my own, but congratulating everyone.”
Regarding his character Park Jin-cheol, he explained, “All three main characters in ‘Manager Kim’ are roles that require strong action skills. Given the nature of the drama genre, action is essential. When I thought about what I could do best to meet the expectations of viewers who were rooting for me, I decided I needed to deliver that sense of catharsis through action.” He continued, “I wanted to show impactful action scenes, so I practiced a lot. Fortunately, it seems viewers have responded positively, and I’m grateful for that,” he added.

Yoon Kyung-ho has been making people laugh and winning their hearts with his image as a “chatty actor” through web variety shows like *Pinggye-go*. Just as much as his on-screen performances, Yoon Kyung-ho’s personality on variety shows is resonating with viewers. He said, “In the past, being talkative was seen as a flaw. I was often told to watch what I said, but I was surprised that what I had always considered a flaw actually brought joy to people and became my defining characteristic,” he revealed. “I thought that some people might actually miss having someone who talks a lot and that I could be a friend they can confide in. I realized people might feel lonely or bored, and they might miss that kind of conversation. Even if it’s one-sided, I felt I should offer communication and comfort.”
As *Pinggye-go*, the show in which she appeared, has become a hot topic, there is even talk of her winning the Grand Prize at the *Pinggye-go* awards ceremony. “I’m grateful just to be mentioned for the Grand Prize,” she said. “Attending the awards ceremony and seeing Senior Ji Seok-jin finally receive the Grand Prize after such a long time made me realize how meaningful and heartwarming this moment can be for someone. “If I received attention last year and were to win this year, I’d feel guilty toward those who did, so I have no such ambition. I’m grateful just for the love I’ve received,” he said, showing his humble side.
At the production press conference for *Director Kim*, in keeping with Yoon Kyung-ho’s “talkative” image, his ratings pledge involved a vow of silence. Yoon Kyung-ho pledged to remain silent for 13 hours if the show’s ratings surpassed 13%. He drew laughter by saying, “I had to refrain from speaking for 13 hours, so we had to hold a strategy meeting right when everyone else was celebrating.” He added, “Weren’t there any other pledges? Was this the only one? Did we really agree to do this? We had to go back and review the press conference footage to figure it out.”
He continued, “At first, I found it funny, but then there were moments when I wanted to take it seriously, and other times when I felt down. Still, I’m happy that so many people showed interest,” he recalled, adding, “The fan signing event was the happiest part.” He continued, “There were people who came from far away, and it really moved me. Some left without saying a single word. Others, too nervous to speak, wrote their messages in letters—it was a time when I felt their love and grew stronger.”
Recalling a letter from a fan she met at the signing event, she shed tears once again. “Acting is always difficult,” she said. Having acted for over 20 years, I felt confused by the sudden surge of love I received through variety shows in such a short time compared to my acting career,” she said. “I’m grateful, but I wondered, ‘People love my variety show persona more—am I being too stubborn by sticking to acting?’ Then a fan told me, ‘It’s because you’ve consistently acted well that we also love seeing you on variety shows; if that weren’t the case, we wouldn’t have liked your image. That’s why you’re loved, and that’s why you should be proud of your acting,”” he said, his eyes welling up. Yoon Kyung-ho added, “I’ll return to my roots someday, but for now, I intend to live faithfully and with gratitude.”
Yoon Kyung-ho, who is beloved for bringing his own unique style to every role, confided, “I hope my work never stops.” He continued, “I need to earn money until my children can become independent, so I hope to become an actor who can work for a long time. My dream is to live my life as an actor for many years to come.”