[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] “Appearing in a Korean movie? I’d love to do it again—and again.”

Actor Justin Min shared his thoughts on taking on his first Korean film and meeting Korean audiences during an interview for the movie *A Flowing Journey*, held at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, on the 20th.

Justin Min joked, “Meeting Korean audiences seems to give me energy,” adding, “I’ve also received a lot of walnut cookies.”

“A Flowing Journey” tells the story of Chun-hee (played by Kim Hye-ok), who, after losing her husband, was preparing for a journey of her own when she encounters unexpected connections in her new apartment, causing a new melody to flow through her once-quiet daily life. Justin Min plays the role of Min-jun, a conductor who comes to Korea in search of his biological mother.

Justin Min has appeared in the dramas “The Umbrella Academy,” “BEEF,” and “Devil’s Plan: Death Room,” as well as the films “After Yang,” “The Great Hit,” and “Slide Strum Mute.” “A Flowing Journey” marks his first appearance in a Korean film.

He said, “I had been looking for a project I could do in Korea. While reading scripts in the past, I didn’t seem to feel a connection, but when I read the script for ‘A Flowing Journey,’ I was deeply moved by Min-jun’s story.”

He added, “As a Korean American myself, I think I was even more moved because I know what it feels like to search for one’s identity or a sense of belonging.”

Justin Min said, “It was a time when I was thinking a lot about identity, death, and life. That’s when the script for *A Flowing Journey* came to me. I believe acting is like therapy. It felt like a process of healing and learning through acting.”

He had to deliver most of his lines in Korean. When asked if he faced any difficulties, he replied in Korean, “Almost none,” drawing laughter. Justin Min admitted, “Actually, it was difficult,” adding, “When I look at the script, memorizing lines seems to account for only 5% of the acting workload. I think 95% is the process of internalizing the lines, understanding the emotions, and understanding the other characters.”

He continued, recalling his preparation process: “Since Korean is Min-jun’s second language, I had to spend much more time on the language itself. I kept thinking about it and practicing the language whenever I had time, even while sleeping.”

Justin Min added, “That way, when I got to the set, I could focus solely on the emotions and relationships rather than the words themselves. I think I practiced about ten times as much as I do when rehearsing an English script.”

When asked about the differences between the Korean production team and the Korean film set, he said, “I didn’t feel any major differences. The movie uses universal English, doesn’t it?” but added, “Korea is generally fast-paced and efficient.”

What was his reaction when he first learned of the casting? Justin Min recalled, “I’m not usually good at remembering the names of Korean actors, but I recognized her immediately from the photo. I’d seen her often in family dramas, so I was really happy to be working with her.”

He continued, “Above all, when my parents heard the name Kim Hye-ok, they were happier than they’ve ever been about any project I’ve done in the U.S.”

Speaking about his chemistry with Kim Hye-ok, he said, “From the moment I first met her, I thought she was the funniest person I’d ever met. She cracks jokes and has a beautiful honesty about her. She took great care of me throughout the entire shoot,” boasting of their strong rapport.

At a previous press conference, Kim Hye-ok shared a behind-the-scenes story that Justin Min had deliberately avoided rehearsing with her before filming. Upon hearing this, Justin Min laughed heartily and said, “I received the shooting schedule a few weeks before filming began, and most of it was organized by sequence. I’d never filmed that way before,” adding, “I wondered what it would be like if Min-jun met Chun-hee on set.”

He continued, “I thought, ‘Just as Min-jun gets to know Chun-hee, let Justin get to know Hye-ok.’” He smiled and added, “I thought it was the perfect opportunity to bring real life to the screen. Ms. Hye-ok said she found it absurd, but I think she actually liked it, and I believe the audience felt that too.”

He also addressed Kim Hye-ok’s “complaint” (?) that she hadn’t been able to have a meal with Justin Min. Justin Min said, “First of all, I love you so much, Teacher,” and explained, “You had to take the train up to Seoul every night, so we didn’t have time to eat together.”

He continued, “We ate a lot last week. I had dinner with her yesterday, too,” and shouted, “I love her!”

Regarding Director Kim Jin-yu, he said, “She’s a truly warm and kind person,” adding, “She cried every single day last week. (Laughter) I think she poured her whole heart into the movie. She cried the entire time we were filming—even during scenes where she wasn’t supposed to cry,” which drew laughter from the audience.

Finally, he expressed his gratitude for the popularity of the Netflix variety show *Devil’s Plan*. He had previously showcased exceptional chemistry with Kang Ji-young on the show. Justin Min said, “I was really surprised to hear it was so popular. Before, people might have known me from *After Yang* or *The Umbrella Academy*, but now many recognize me from *Devil’s Plan*.”

He shared, “I was surprised when everyone recognized me on a flight in Korea. I’m so grateful to have connected with Korean audiences.” He added, “It was a vulnerable experience. I had to show my true self rather than play a character. It was so raw that I can’t even watch it myself. Still, I’m grateful that so many people watched it.”

*A Flowing Journey* opens on the 28th.